Located in the heart of Mumbai, India, the American School of Bombay is a coeducational, independent, IB day school from Pre-K to Grade 12.
Over this past year, our Middle School has spent time exploring and understanding different elements of our own identity, what makes us who we are and learn more about the people around us.
As we did this work, we also realised how diverse everyone is and how we constantly need to be mindful of creating space for inclusion, equity and diversity. We have also learnt that one of the important aspects of our identity is - what we feel passionate about, what matters most to us. Who/what do we want to stand up for. Who can I be an ally for?
As part of Spirit Week, today our Middle School Advisory welcomed ASB High School students from Grade 11 and Grade 12 as panelists, to talk about initiatives they have started as part of their High School CSR and to share their experiences and advice to our Grades 6, 7, and 8 students.
Our panelists
Arisya, a Junior at ASB, has been leading an initiative in collaboration with empowHER India -- an NGO which aims to holistically better the lives of women and girls in rural Maharashtra on the platforms of sanitation, financial inclusion, and education.
Anant, a Junior at ASB, founded the Youth Policy Collective (YPC) in August 2020, a youth think tank to give volume to youth voice, through research and advocacy. YPC has published four research papers and now has over sixty members from countries all over the world. Anant’s advice to our Middle School students is to “find something you are passionate about. There are so many ways you can make a difference, particularly here at ASB. Get involved.”
ASB Senior, Aadya, is passionate about restoring native biodiversity and natural ecosystems in urban environments. In 2018, she founded The Right Green (www.therightgreen.org), an organization whose mission is to spread awareness about the vital ecological links between native plants, insects, and birds that are essential for maintaining healthy ecosystems. Aadya was chosen as the Winner of Children’s Climate Prize 2020 for The Project Right Green. Children's Climate Prize is an international prize annually awarded to children age 12-17 who have made extraordinary efforts for the climate and environment.
Saasha, an ASB Senior, started an accessibility project which is an independent initiative aimed at providing accessibility in the form of wheelchair ramps to wheelchair inaccessible public locations (restaurants, movie theatres, medical clinics, hair salons, etc) in the city of Mumbai.
After a brief introduction, Mr. Barron opened the discussions up for the panelists - here are some of the highlights:
How do you manage your time, with school and running these initiatives?
Anant: You have to organise your lives - time management is important. You must change your approach and plan your time in advance. Use schedules and make sure you are communicating to everyone you are dependent on.
Aadya: Set aside time each day to get what you need to get done. Also, always communicate with your teachers and talk to them about whether you can reschedule work if you have an issue. Talk to the people who are there to support you - you don’t have to do everything yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Mr Barron also added: Advocating for yourself is a key!
How did you narrow down your focus to these important issues?
Arisya: When you’re going into High School you need to work out what causes are interesting to you, what you are passionate about. Think about issues that are personal to you. Also think about finding something that is new, that you haven’t tried before. Do some research, talk to your teachers and family and friends, to help you find an area you might be able to help others.
Saasha: The biggest turning point for me was that I found something I was passionate about when I faced challenges, and that inspired me to create Adding Ability.
How do you get an initiative like the ones you are doing off the ground? How do you go from an idea to something that is actually happening.
Arisya: It’s important to remember that even the smallest things can snowball into bigger things. Start with little steps, set small goals for yourself, and talk to other people. Being able to go out right now during covid is tough. Do what you can within your capacity, talk to people within your community, your advisors. It can be scary, but don’t give up.
Outside of ASB, how do you go about making connections?
Anant: First you have to identify who you are working for and with, and who your specific audience is. Once you know that, you can start to reach out to people. It’s as simple as sending an email. If you are doing things that are making people’s lives better, people are more than happy to help you out. Almost all of the time you will get a positive response - don’t be afraid to ask!
Saasha: Get started, and build one connection. Once you have one connection, the rest will come. Your first connection will put you in touch with other people, and your connections will grow.
How has the coronavirus changed things for your programs and what you are trying to accomplish?
Arisya: When we are coping with school work it’s sometimes hard to know how we can also help others. Inform yourself, read up on things, send emails, write letters. You can also do fundraising from your home. Things will take more time, so get organised, and be patient. Be mindful and take care of yourself. Set those internal goals for yourself and stay safe. Keep doing the little things you’re doing because they really do help.
Aadya: Be flexible. I turned from on the ground work to focusing on policy and trying to get laws changed. It’s ok if you have to take a break for yourself too - you have to be ok first!
How does what you are doing speak to your own identity?
Saasha: My initiative started because of personal circumstances, and even though that was temporary for me, I felt empathy and that has remained
Aadya: I’ve always been an outdoors person. Working in the environment for me was one of the most natural progressions, and that’s how I connected myself to what I was doing.
Arisya: For me it was more of a combination of things, starting in Middle School and the different CSR projects we worked on. I have moved around a lot, and I wanted to reconnect culturally with a local community and get involved. For me it was both humbling and also allowed me to reconnect. It was definitely a challenge, but very very rewarding.
Anant: YPC is all about giving people a voice, which I have been passionate about . It started in Middle School CSR. Many people don’t know how to advocate for themselves. This has helped shape my identity, helping people and ensuring nobody is left behind.
