Mission Possible: India Students Gain Empathy While Contributing to the SDGs
WFUNA’s Global Citizenship Education Officer, Megan Wilhelm, visited India in January 2017 to connect with Mission Possible students, teachers and school leaders in Bangalore and Hyderabad, as well as to welcome Soujanya Ganig to the team as WFUNA’s new National Program Coordinator for Mission Possible: India.
To prepare for the next group of Mission Possible students, Megan and Soujanya met with teachers and school leaders to learn more about their Mission Possible experience last year. These conversations produced constructive feedback and insights that will inform the program’s development and expansion in the coming year and beyond. Many educators expressed a strong commitment to ensuring that students have the opportunity to become global citizens and Agents of Change through continued participation in the Mission Possible program and other school initiatives.
The 2015-2016 Mission Possible students also provided their valuable perspectives, sharing. Even though it was exam season, many students took the time to share their Mission Possible experiences and accomplishments. They spoke with passion about their projects and described plans to continue and expand these projects to have a greater and more lasting impact in their communities. For example, Mission Possible students at Sanskriti School who worked on a water conservation campaign to address water scarcity and wastage (SDG 12) are exploring ways to reach out to policymakers about introducing water conservation bills in Hyderabad.
The team also visited Vidyashilp Academy in Bangalore to celebrate 12 Mission Possible students’ work toward improving the quality of education (SDG 4) at a nearby school for Sri Lankan refugees. Students undertook a number of different activities, including restoring the school library and its books, delivering workshops to promote global knowledge and help students develop their public speaking and research skills, engaging in dialogues about health and hygiene issues, and coordinating guest lessons in math by Vidyashilp teachers. The Mission Possible students collaborated to prepare and deliver an engaging and informative presentation on their project that demonstrated their knowledge of the SDGs, effective project management, and understanding of the interconnections between global challenges and issues in their local community.
During the closing ceremony, Ms. Neeraja Nataraja, one of Vidyashilp Academy’s Mission Possible Faculty Advisors, said the students “have transformed themselves into critical thinkers and change-makers, and they’re ready to face the challenges of the world.” Other Vidyashilp Academy teachers noted that empathy for others was a significant value that students will take away from their Mission Possible experience. The teachers agreed that in addition to providing their students with valuable skills and understandings, participating in Mission Possible was an opportunity to share their students’ contribution to achieving the SDGs with more people and organizations around the world.
We look forward to welcoming this year’s Mission Possible: India students from returning and new schools in the coming months and empowering them to take action for the SDGs as global citizens and Agents of Change.
Mission Possible was launched in India in 2015 with the support of the Project Management Institute Educational Foundation (PMIEF).