Article for NIE
7th Student Leadership Conference (SLC)
The 7th Student Leadership Conference – an interactive and educational event, was hosted by Kalmadi Shamarao High School, Ganesh Nagar. From Vidya Valley, 3 students from 9th grade and 3 from 10th grade had been chosen to attend. The Conference was held over the course of two nights in the picturesque hill town of Panchgani on the Asia Plateau.
During the session, Vidya Valley students socialised with many of the other students from the 17 other participating schools, which truly enhanced their ability to connect with new people. Along with four main conference sessions, there was a special “Gamethon” that sparked interest among everyone. The main sessions were hosted by fabulous orators, who didn’t just speak, but made students learn by experience.
The attendees gained knowledge on various important subjects from the major sessions, including how stories relate to the way the mind functions, the concept of safe spaces, finding oneself, and even effectively enforcing change. These sessions were facilitated by Manish Freeman, Anand Chabukswar, Sameena Manaswala and Pooja Bhale.
The Conference also included a “World Café”, which improved understanding on the impact and functioning of social media in today’s society, and how one can control it. Not to forget, the electrifying band performance by Nishad Patki and Sanket Nashikkar was truly unforgettable.
At the end of this amazing learning experience, the participants spoke about their experiences and learnings. It was quite encouraging to hear some of the past conference alumni discuss how SLC had impacted their perspective on life, their approach to leadership, and their style of living. The Student Leadership Conference was the ideal blend of internal and external leadership. The lecturers and activities provided a wealth of knowledge to all of the attendees.
To conclude, it was a true honour for the 9 students of Vidya Valley to have had the opportunity to attend it.
~ Hemang Keswani
Class 10A
