Students getting ready to start trekking on the Deoban trail. Photo by Gagandeep Dhillon
A 3-day Deoban trek proved to be perfect for an Outdoor Leadership Program in the Himalayas. 34 students — aged between 10 and 13 years — from the Prakriti School, Noida, started on this trek on May 4th as a part of the program. This school, based in Noida, is among the few that focuses on learner-centered curriculum and interdisciplinary learning methods.
The aim of this program was to hone leadership and team-building skills in the students. And students achieved this objective beautifully. Outside their comfort zone, in the Himalayas, they stepped up as a team to complete the trek.
By facing the challenges of a high-altitude trek, they also became more resilient.
“In the debriefing, students mentioned that when they were struggling with their backpacks or with the ascent, keeping their mind occupied on the present helped them cope with the challenges,” shares Trek Leader Gagandeep Dhillon who led the group.
The teachers too noticed a difference. They said, “Students learnt to be with themselves, without artificial gadgets around. They often broke their boundaries of familiarity and stretched out a hand for less familiar school-mates.”
For students who had never stepped in the Himalayas, completing a high-altitude trek was a commendable achievement. Through this trek, they set a solid example of how a 3-day experiential learning program in the Himalayas impacts the mind, body and spirit.