Executive Summary- SPORTS DAY

The Sankalp Annual Sports Day event took place on 27th February 2018 to felicitate their children, parents, teachers, and the supporting members of their community and to showcase the abilities of the students of Sankalp. The theme of the event was inclusiveness and it shone through everyone sitting there. We had the honor of being a part of their event this year and it was a special, life altering day for a lot of us present there. This is the first time for us participating in this sphere of special education, and we hope to do a lot more work in this sector.

Key insights and observations

1. Inclusive special needs education: It is a prominent factor on the international agenda where creating a customizable environment for every child in the same class is encouraged. Although there are plenty of frameworks suggesting different methodologies, special emphasis on one to one education is extremely important.
2. Learning environment and Guidance & Care: These factors always go hand in hand with the care coordinator which includes cooperation with external partners, trainers, and teachers with mentoring roles.
3. Cross Platform: The buddy system that was introduced as part of the inclusivity initiative was very well received. It enables sensitization of young children towards children with special needs. Recommended teaching practices and student care should include special needs education which has not yet been integrated into teachers’ thinking and acting.
4. Community Strengthening: This event included children from NCS and Sankalp, this crossplatforming, as rare as it is, led to children building bridges, making friends, and enjoying the company of children outside their usual environment.
5. Behavioral Changes: Children who are sensitized to other people and are made to appreciate and celebrate each other’s differences will always be more empathetic and compassionate in nature compared to children who have not been given the chance to do so.
6. Difference in Schools: Sankalp is student-centered and fosters the development of the skills, knowledge and confidence of children with special educational needs, affirms their range of abilities and responds to their diverse academic and personal needs.

Deliverables

Continuity through workshops- strategy

Our immediate next step would be to conduct a workshop between teachers from Sankalp and teachers from our other community schools, moderated by our head of training to conduct an evidence-based analysis as to how well cross platforming works for inclusivity. We will also perform a needs analysis of the students to determine the next course of workshops to help them grow.

Conclusion

We would like to thank Mrs. Anjana Bhardwaj, the entire team of Sankalp, and NWWA for giving us the opportunity to serve and interact with the children. It is our step towards working in the special education sphere and your support and guidance will go a long way. We hope to continue learning from you and your children everyday whilst giving our trainers the exposure to explore different options to enable these children to become strong, independent, and opinionated individuals. Regular workshops for teachers and parents will be organized to ensure maximum impact and awareness.

On behalf of our entire team, we thank you for organizing such an amazing event and for doing the work that you do with so much love and patience.

Glimpses of the event