At Aditi, students are encouraged to pursue their passions in whichever field their heart desires. From running a covid vaccination drive with over 200 people to hosting an international debate tournament with 150+ students from over 5 countries, Aditi students have done it all, and then some. Here are some of the incredible things High School and Pre- University students at our school are doing:
Aditi Blood Donation Drive – 2023
The Interact Club at Aditi
The Interact Club at Aditi successfully organised another Blood Donation Drive this year on August 12, 2023. The students worked hard for days to organise the event and ran the show impeccably. Their primary goal for this event was to beat the previous year’s record of blood collection. The students interacted with everyone who was present on the campus for the ES and MS Open Day and convinced numerous eligible adults to donate blood. With their determination and dedicated effort, a total of 100 units of blood were collected that day.
The day also witnessed a hugely successful student run bake sale, thrift book sale, sale of Interact merchandise and Ecowrite pencils by the Young Enterprise students. The proceeds from all these sales will be given for charity.
A student’s take – The TNQ Distinguished Lectures in the Life Sciences-2023
Dr Ronald Vale on “Marvellous Molecular Motors”
On Friday the 13th of January, 2022, Biology students of Std 11 and teachers attended a talk at the Indian Institute of Science by Ron Vale alongside some of my classmates and Biology teachers. It was called ‘Marvellous Molecular Motors’, which is not a topic I know very much about, I will admit, but nonetheless I was still very excited to hear him talk. I think all of us were definitely expecting a lot of information to just completely go over our heads, but we were luckily quite incorrect. As Prof. Vale began talking, and I think I speak on everyone’s behalf, the things he said truly captivated our attention. He spoke in a very simple and clear manner, giving excellent explanations on his topic of proteins involved in movement. The talk coupled with the Q&A session lasted around two hours, in which I learnt so much more than I thought was possible in that amount of time! I think that if the topic interests you, you could listen to a talk like this for hours; it was beautifully presented and spoken. I won’t go into detail about everything I learnt within the realms of the working of kinesin and dynein, but just know, it is exceedingly interesting! I am so, so glad that I had the opportunity to be there at such an esteemed talk and listen to one of the most accomplished people in science speak!
youth and sustainability collaboration for the future, with the future
As part of our Socially Useful and Productive Work (SUPW) initiatives, we, the students of Std.11 AICE, worked on the different aspects of ‘YOUTH AND SUSTAINABILITY’. Throughout the week-long programmme, we attended talks, researched, documented and discussed the urgency of the issues that plague the natural and ecological spheres of our planet and how the youth or our generation can create the changes required in order to restore our planet.
To conclude the week, the class was divided into four groups to present our understanding and learning to the students of Std. 4 and 5. The topics being covered by the groups were; waste management and segregation, importance of oceans, sustainable fashion and biodiversity.
Group 1: Waste Management and Segregation for a more Sustainable Future.
We started off the session with an activity for the students of Std. 5 KN – a mini basketball game. The students had to shoot assigned trash (newspaper, orange peels, candy wrappers, face masks) into the right basket named – wet waste, dry waste, and medical waste. This got their minds thinking, in an interactive and exciting way, about the topic we wanted to present. We went on to explain some terms related to waste such as biodegradable, compost, recyclable and the effects of ineffective waste management. We concluded the session with a short recap quiz. This activity was enjoyable for both us and the students of Std 5.
Group 2: Oceans and their Importance.
We introduced the concept by giving all the students of Std. 4 BJ candy and asking them what they thought happened to the wrapper after it went in the dustbin. The enthusiastic and interactive students managed to trace the journey of the wrapper to the ocean!! The discussion that followed was on the importance of the oceans in our lives even though we live so far away from one. To conclude we had a quiz on the fun facts of oceans. They had insightful responses and guessed almost all the questions we had on our slide! We followed the quiz with a discussion of what we can do to help. As we were leaving the students told us that the workshop was their best class ever. To say that their statement made our day would be an understatement!
Group 3: Sustainable Fashion
We chose to do thistopic as it seemed like a fun and meaningful one, and we were excited to engage with the students of Std. 5 CF. Through a fun presentation we explained the following points:
- what makes a garment sustainable
- what are the characteristics of slow fashion and eco fashion
- the 5Rs of fashion and gave them examples of sustainable fashion
Following the presentation we conducted an interesting hands-on activity. This activity consisted of dividing the students into groups of 5 and giving them print outs of a male and female mannequin. Different fabrics were then given to the groups. The students were required to design outfits for the mannequins.
Our main aim of this presentation was to spread awareness of eco fashion and slow fashion, what are sustainable and unsustainable fabrics and how we as consumers could make small changes in our lifestyle. We also wanted to inform the students that while polyester and other synthetic fabrics are harmful for the environment, their harm can be minimised by using these garments for longer periods of time. In the end we asked one person from each group to present their work.This session was quite informative and interactive as the students were well versed with these ideologies by the time we left class.
Group 4 : Biodiversity
Webelieved that our experience with the 4th graders (Std. 4 EV) was nothing short of fun and engaging. On our topic of biodiversity, we learned how every system of nature that exists is interconnected and how these cyclical ecological systems could be utilised without harming the natural cycle that keeps its resources regenerating. We as a group made it our aim to have these two principles translated to the students through activities such as a quiz, a story about how tigers are connected to Bangalore’s water supply and an excursion to the school amphitheatre. The reaction from the students was extremely enthusiastic and made us feel more comfortable with this daunting task. They showed extreme knowledge and enthusiasm in answering our questions and in interpreting the concept of biodiversity. They were able to successfully comprehend our aims and principles, as well as understanding the definition of biodiversity.
Sharing our learning with the students of Std. 4 and 5 was an insightful way to end our week long SUPW programme.
Students of 11AICE (W)
Bounce Back:
Bounce Back is a student-led initiative to help provide education to children suffering from cancer. Education and cancer are causes that Aditi cares deeply about, and the students have taken it upon themselves to help those in need in any way possible. Traditionally, Bounce Back raises funds for the Samiksha Foundation through a sports carnival. This past year, Bounce Back held the event in school with plenty of fun games, competitions, and entertainment.
Debate:
To borrow the words of one of the world’s greatest debaters, – Ashish Xiangyi Kumar – debating is arguably the most high octane intellectual sport out there. The Aditi Debate Society welcomes long time debaters and newcomers to the sport with open arms. A long standing and integral aspect to Aditi’s culture, the Aditi Debate Society is one of the most active and enriching clubs to be a part of.
Interact:
Service has always been an integral part of the Aditi mission. Students at Aditi have kept the spirit of giving alive and well through the Interact Club. The Interact club is entirely student run, and is affiliated with Rotary International, a global organisation with the aim of advancing goodwill across the world.
12 years old as of this year, Aditi’s Interact club has regularly organised events to foster the spirit of giving through ReachOut and the Aditi Blood Drive. ReachOut is one of the highlights of the year, raising funds through sports, games, food and so much more. Through our yearly blood drive, we ensure that we are able to do our part to help save lives.
The two years of the covid-19 pandemic left us unable to run our blood drive and ReachOut. The Interact Club, ever ready to help those in need, adapted to this ordeal, and organised a vaccination drive with over 200 people receiving covid vaccines.
The Interact Club hopes to keep fostering the spirit of service in the coming years in any way it can.
Model United Nations:
The MUN club at Aditi seeks to develop an interest in international relations and diplomacy, along with building communication skills in its members. The Mallya Aditi MUN Club has had a great start to the academic year. In June, we welcomed more than 30 new students to the club and the seniors spent weeks training these avid MUNners.
Every Friday sessions are conducted on numerous skills that would boost students’ MUN prowess. Training sessions on the following topics have been conducted: How to write position papers, drafting effective resolutions, enhancing one’s oratory skills, delivering powerful and informative speeches, and understanding foreign policies of countries. As the year progresses the seniors of the club will continue conducting such sessions.
The club members are eagerly looking forward to taking part in conferences over the next few months and introducing their juniors to the highly competitive Bangalore MUN circuit, who will in turn carry forward the legacy of the club.
TED Club:
The name ‘TEDxMAIS’ has become synonymous with our school’s culture, holding an inextricable meaning throughout our entire school community. For the past decade, speakers of previous TEDxMAIS events have left a mark on the crowd with their influential ideas. The name has forged a connection between the TED philosophy of “ideas worth spreading” and the essence of our educational experience. An eagerly-anticipated event, whether in-house or online, TEDxMAIS is an integral part of our school’s calendar. TEDxMAIS is normally hosted on the campus of Mallya Aditi International School. Since 2011, the event has been set in the amphitheatre, owing to a tradition of sorts. Set against the luminous night sky and lush green trees, the semi-circular seating allows for the perfect atmosphere to foster deep conversations, ponder ideas and learn new things. Although the January 2021 event, marking the 10th anniversary of TEDxMAIS, was forced to be held virtually in lieu of the pandemic, it was still a blazing success. The event is run by students from grades 10 to 12.
Website: https://www.tedxmais.net
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsRNoUx8w3rNATbxEl0nR1Rkjp3xGadXo
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSatVjzQd2dSlKXNzi-nAiNdKrboY5Xue
Links to past events:
2021: https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/40172
2020: https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/37152
2019: https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/31157
2017: https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/24597
2016: https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/21215
2015: https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/17525
2014: https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/13657
2013: https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/10320
2012: https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/7125
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tedxmais_official/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/TEDxMAIS/
Email: tedxmaisofficial@gmail.com
