The Global Schools Program (GSP) is proud to recognize the work and effort of the Mentors of our Advocacy Program. Mentors are former GSP Advocates who earned this opportunity through their effort, commitment, and hard work in their previous cohort.
Every month, some Mentors are recognized and honored for the advice and guidance their offer to their mentees, current GSP Advocates. Through this interview, we want to recognize Abraham Knight and Dhivya Kirupa. Both Mentors from India, who are working together to reach out to students and faculties to unite to incorporate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in all aspects of education through a variety of projects.
Interview with Abraham Knight
Abraham Knight is Certified Soft Skill & Communication Trainer, who hails from Tamil Nadu India. With his Master’s in Education, he has facilitated training session for Multi-Nation Companies across India and tailor make training program for students and faculties of schools and colleges. The tailor-made Communication & Soft Skill programs are specific to cater to the needs of rural students, to improves their oral and written skills in English and enhance the employability skills for the young college students and to make them sustainable, competent & confident to accept the challenges which are present in today’s world.
As a GSP Advocate & Mentor, he had the opportunity to connect with various school students and faculties from Tamil Nādu, and therefore gained the platform to contribute to the importance of creating change for the younger generation to make our planet a beautiful one to love and cherish.
Abraham partners with the school and college community of various schools, propagating SDG 15, by planting tree samplings and herbal plants in the school vicinity and the student community. In his own words: “I take pride in being a GSP Mentor and Advocate since I am able to bring a change to the community and make this world a healthier and exceptional place for the future generation, since we are fostering them at this very moment”.
Tell us more about your mentoring role and what it means to you.
The Mentorship role has been a vital part of my journey with the Global School Program for the last two years, I’ve gained the opportunity to interact and work with other fellow Mentors and Advocates from the program. The mentorship Program has opened the door for like-minded people across the globe to work and attain the same goal. As a mentor from India – the program; has helped me to connect with different advocates form India and from other countries; has helped me to interact, share ideas, implementations and learning experiences.
What achievements are you most proud of?
I joined hands with Dhivya Kirupa to reach-out to Students & Faculties of various Schools & Colleges across Tamil Nadu. During the Pandemic they organised a campaign on SDG 4 Quality Education and SDG 7 Clean & Affordable Energy, they worked together to enhance their reach and were able to connect in excess of 2030 students and 273 faculties of various schools and transform their lives, by organising insightful workshops and campaign based on SDG 7 Clean and Affordable Energy. The students were Enlighted on the topic of renewable energy & Carbon Neutrality, he shared its valuable benefits and how this would transform the world into a better place for all. The students and faculties were delighted and elated since their neighbourhood and district they live in is rich in Wind Farms (generating renewable energy). The workshop was organised bilingually in English & Tamil to create a deep impact for the students & faculties.
As part of my training session and workshops, I’ve organized various workshops for students and faculties implementing SDGs. My keen focus is to support and develop the under privileged students from government schools.
What is the most meaningful part of your work?
The most meaningful part of my work as an Advocate and Mentor, at the end of each task that has been taken up and completed, is that there is self-satisfaction and happiness, to showcase that I have been part of the small changes that are being implemented and in student communities, and the locality where I reside.
What has been the best part of working with your Mentees?
It’s been a pleasure to associate and work with the mentee group allocated to me, they are enthusiastic and collaborative to share ideas and to implement new concepts in their teaching. The mentee group is eager to connect via the virtual platform to share collaborative learning, diverse knowledge sharing, which is hugely meaningful and inspiring.
What is one thing you wish to tell current and future Global Schools advocates?
If I have to convey one message across to the current and future Global School Advocates, it is that first, they need to be proud and esteemed to hone the prestigious role, since every individual will play an immense part to transform the young generation. Secondly, to share the important insights of SDGs to make planet earth a better place, and thirdly, that the restoration process is slow, but we always need to join hand with the student community to bring a big difference – since this is the hour to do it, as there is no Planet B.
Interview with Dhivya Kirupa
Dhivya Kirupa is a Certified Independent Futuristic Curriculum Developer and an Educator, with an emphasis on Futuristic curriculum approach from a global perspective. Hailing from Tamil Nadu, India, she has a Master’s in Education, a degree in Education, and advanced English. As a Certified Early Childhood advisory for schools, she volunteers her services in customizing and systemizing tailor-made curriculum for primary schools in rural regions. She also holds a National media Certification in Journalism, and she’s a human rights activist and Mentor and Advisory board member in various private institutions.
As a certified Guide and Mentor, she knows how to promote Corporate Social Responsibility in Indian Educational Forums, as well as promoting and creating awareness of educational policies and feasibility for rural private schools, local communities, and NGOs. With over 15 years of experience in teaching and training, she has trained students and faculty members of various institutions to transform and evolve as responsible individuals and to develop and inspire the young student & teaching fraternity. She is currently working to implement SDG in Tamil Nadu & Kerala.
Passionate about SDGs 4 & 11, she strives and thrives to incorporate SDG target 4.7 (Quality Education). Her focus lies on students’ choices and the future of education, which is all about strengthening and incorporating student-centric learning approaches and thereby preparing them for a futuristic world demanding skills– STEM, Robotics, Coding, Value Education, Civic Awareness, Physical and Social wellbeing, Environmental Awareness, Diverse & Universal Acceptance. In her endeavors, her focal point is for teachers to adopt personalized learning and teaching patterns. For her, “Flexibility in learning and teaching is the keyword that governs the forthcoming tendency of imparting quality education to students”.
Tell us more about your mentoring role and what it means to you.
My journey towards SDG began in the year 2015 after reading a news article that elaborated on the first footprint of SDG. I felt a high necessity to adopt it and inculcate it. Thus being an educationalist, I took up the high-end responsibility to incorporate and inculcate all the 17 goals to the fullest. In the very same year, 2015, I started her first mass campaign in Bharathi Vidyalaya School, which is situated in Gobichettipalyam, a small rural town in Tamil Nadu.
What has been the best part of working with your Mentees?
It is always a pleasure to associate and work with the mentee group allocated to me. They are enthusiastic, and the platform to connect with them always opens the door for collaborative learning and diverse knowledge sharing. This is hugely meaningful and inspiring. As a team, there is vast educational ideas and concepts which we share and implement.
As a group, we leave no stone unturned and encourage each other to take up social responsibilities and showcase leadership qualities to create a student platform that is interesting and enjoyable while working to attain the Sustainable Development Goals.
What are your goals as Mentor?
I’ve always had a keen concern towards uplifting underprivileged students (especially government school students), and as a Global Schools mentor, I can help other advocates work with their students to establish all the 17 SDG goals. I’m ready to teach the SDG throughout the years ahead, volunteering for the welfare of the nation’s progress through quality and futuristic teaching.
For the last three years, I’ve distinguishably fielded and implemented strong core demanding skills to transform students, and faculties across schools & college, where I helped them in developing their English communication skills (Especially soft skills) and Employability skills, which Itself is highly a noteworthy aspect to become responsible GLOBAL Citizens, There-which to develop the Countries Economy. I’ve always believed strongly that, we all have a huge responsibility and urge to develop the future generation with uncompromising quality training by which to set a benchmark in the Education forum. Given my background in education, I aim to support our mentees in developing core skills among students, and schools & colleges, such as soft and employability skills
What is the most meaningful part of your work?
My Professional demeanor focuses on futuristic learning and involves continuous progress to attain higher levels of critical and creative thinking in a collaborative environment of academic freedom. Futuristic learning encourages classroom engagement and learning for students to use modern and advanced approaches of teaching and learning. I believe this leaves many opportunities for making the world more meaningful. These topics present numerous opportunities for students. It is only when students show what they learnt that they will better understand the concepts of the topic before they step into learning the next topic as an extension to the earlier one.
Education is the backbone of any economy, and it has a pivotal role in national building and molding superb wings of human recourse. As a strategic practice, CSR is a key to organizational success because it is one of the few practices that can positively impact long-term sustainability and sustainable goals.
The future of education is all about strengthening and incorporating student-centric learning. In this endeavor, the onus is on the teachers to adopt personalized learning and teaching patterns. I have a strong faith in the future approaches and the progress of it.
What is one thing you wish to tell current and future Global Schools advocates?
After my Mentorship and Advocacy entitlement – honoring and valuing the responsibility of the titles, I came up with the immaculate concept in propagating an oath. Thus, I organized a campaign with a soulful, self-written, self-oath among the school students and teaching fraternity by imparting the words ‘Academic Honesty’. I encourage all to do the same.
