Ladakh GC: End of G11 Reflection

by | Jan 26, 2022 | CAS, Service (CAS)

Much of Term 3 was spent pursuing the initiatives mentioned in the last reflection – that is, connecting better with Lamdon School, developing a signature ‘brand’ as well as a product to go with. Two of those objectives were achieved with a good extent of success. We were able to speak to Lamdon School, inform them of the success of our event, as well as speak with some students and ask them some questions in which we found great insight. We also created several designs for a logo, as well as created corresponding poster designs spreading awareness about the challenges faced by the Ladakhi community, their tourist industry and their education system upon the onset of climate change. The product, however, is still in development. We have reached out to the Sustainable Enterprise Consultants, and a member of their team chats with us regularly regarding development of the product and new ideas we may have. I find myself happy, satisfied and proud of the progress we have made as a team in achieving many of our goals in different spheres of action (indirect, research and advocacy). 

We spent the end of Term 3 thinking about Move to Make a Difference 2021, with the hope that we would be able to run the event in person. However, over the summer, many things have changed regarding the logistics (once again) of the event, presenting many challenges to the leadership team similar to the ones we faced last year. As I will be handing over leadership after the event ends, I want to ensure that possible future leaders of the GC would attend the meetings surrounding the organisation of Move to Make a Difference, which would allow them to take greater responsibility and initiative regarding our main fundraising event. We will be doing advertising again, handing over responsibility of the podcast towards A.C.E GC, and Daraja GC will be handling logistics. We have already begun employing similar methods of work distribution and a centralised organisation and accountability system to craft all the advertising materials needed for the event, applying the skills learned from the first Move to Make a Difference. 

Although we have planned for an in-person event, I find myself wishing to simultaneously craft ‘virtual event’ advertising materials as a back-up plan in the case that we are unable to run the event in-person. I find that being prepared for as many outcomes of a scenario as possible (especially when regulations change on a day-to-day basis in the midst of a pandemic) is more efficient and less stressful for all the people involved, especially for a big event such as this. Given that so many people are involved (three GCs, as well as many SSD personnel) I think that a good strategy of working collaboratively is to outline potential risks together and work to minimise them, which I aim to do by suggesting crafting our ‘Plan B’ materials when meetings resume in August. 

Ladakh GC: Mid-Year Reflection 2021

by | Jan 26, 2022 | CAS, Service (CAS)

The major challenge this term was, I felt, was kickstarting the process to find a product, as well as attempting to organise a call with Lamdon School amidst a communication vacuum to announce the results of Move to Make a Difference, where we managed to raise over $1790 split between the three GCs involved. These funds will go to support the construction of infrastructure, technology, sustainability (such as the planting of apple trees) and further resources for the students. We at Ladakh GC also find ourselves curious as to the pandemic experience of the Ladakhi students, and hope to connect with them on this topic further. 

Despite sending many emails, we didn’t receive a reply from Lamdon School, and so we reached out to the Service and Sustainable Development Department, and they were thankfully able to get us in contact with the principal and reestablish our email link after some time. However, we were anxious, and left in waiting for some time, which left some members in the team without things to do as they were responsible for communicating with Lamdon School. Therefore, I encouraged them to start up a new advertising and awareness campaign involving posters, our portfolio website and the creation of a logo in order to create a brand as a GC, which will be continuing into the next term. Some goals I have for them are the successful consolidation of a ‘brand’ with standardised colour sets, fonts, insignias and a motto as well as seeing posters put up around the school. 

The ‘branding’ project goes hand in hand with our Enterprise team, who are honing in on developing a product that we would be able to sell on a weekly basis to the student body. Our aspirations for this product is that not only is it in some demand (that is, there is student awareness and demand for what we provide) but also that it is unique, characteristic to what our group stands for and relating to Lamdon School and most importantly, sustainably and ethically sourced and producers. Some ideas we had related to some traditional Indian dishes such as lassi or pani puri, which could come in a variety of flavours or have a variety of dishes. However, finding ways to regularly make this as well as source organic and ethical ingredients proves a challenge still. Therefore, in the future, our enterprise team will be continuing to discuss opportunities for products, liaising with the SSD Department and the Sustainable Enterprise Consultant Group at school simultaneously. 

I found that coordinating all of these groups’ myriad efforts as well as encouraging each individual members’ unique ideas (encouraging creativity and initiative within my team) to be the biggest area of learning and growth for myself. I have learned how being a leader is much more than someone who provides direction for the group – they also inform, exemplify and calibrate that direction to suit every individual in the team.

Ladakh GC CAS Reflection – End of First Term

by | Feb 17, 2021 | CAS, CAS Highlights, Service (CAS)

During the first term at Ladakh GC, we have been focusing on developing efficient systems and infrastructure in order to plan our action for the rest of the year. This has also helped to consolidate our bonds as a team. We have successfully divided responsibility amongst two main branches of our GC – Enterprise and Communications – and each group has brainstormed and engaged with our goals, mission, aim and issue in order to develop structures for meaningful implementation. 

 

As Co-Chair, one of the challenges I’ve faced has been establishing convenient and manageable channels of communication within and outside of the GC. I feel that the pace at which events move is heavily dependent on the strength of communication between individuals either in the GC or as part of the wider service department at UWCSEA. In order to overcome this challenge, I’ve realised that using follow up emails and scheduling calendar invites for meetings have become essential methods and skills that foster effective communication. However, these channels require time, commitment and patience to maintain, and therefore I think that a further long-term goal will be to nurture the relationships between members in the GC, between our GC and our school, and most importantly, between our GC and Lamdon School NGO. 

 

Therefore, in the future, one of our most pressing aims is to call or receive some form of communication from Lamdon School NGO. If it is possible, our GC would also be thrilled to meet the students of Lamdon School over call, not only to further develop the partnership between our GC and Lamdon School, but also to share our respective experiences especially within the context of the current world pandemic. We possess great curiosity as to the lives and culture of Lamdon School students, and a stronger personal connection to the students of Lamdon School may also encourage and motivate us in our action over the next year.

 

To conclude, I would like to express how excited I am for the action we will take over the next few terms, and congratulate my fellow members on a successful, collaborative and productive first term!

Climate Refugees (Research Project)

by | Oct 25, 2020 | CAS, Service (CAS)

In Voices for Refugees this half term, we’ve all been working in groups to create an informative visual presentation (video, poster, infographic, etc.) of different human rights crises around the world. My group and I delegated tasks to achieve the most output quickly, which has proven an effective collaboration strategy in the past. I discovered that by volunteering to take on the entirety of editing, I had put a lot of work upon myself. I know that I have always been an independent worker, but in the future perhaps it would be better to allow my teammates to help as well as obtain their feedback on the video.

I also have had experience researching in this issue before, having written a report on it last year, but I found that turning to a more visual form of presentation was refreshing and new, allowing me to present my already existing knowledge in a more engaging manner. My report was also more specifically focused on the Climate Refugee situation in Bangladesh, but this broader, more globally focused project allowed me to expand my knowledge further of the issue, as well as update myself on recent developments and action taken within the issue.

Here is the video! Thank you for watching!