Let us dream conference 2020

50 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 school, he would put the food in the for them to feel that they are making remote-controlled car and send it a difference and actually contribute.  over to the family, so that they would  be able to keep appropriate social Moderator - Ms Laura, you were distance and also  get the food to the doing what we have been figuring families.  out in many parts of our country as well - the fact that students’ The coordinators have been involved numbers are always higher than in referrals to the community the number of available teachers. resources. They have been sending in We were able to use the students’ virtual drop-in spaces, so adolescents community to teach the rest of the after school would come virtually and community and update them about connect with their friends who they emotions and mentors,  their well- were missing. They are desperate for being partners, teaching the actual that kind of socialization.We have had curriculum, language, information, meetings with parents, families and technology and  much, much more.  grandparents.  Again, this university- It has made a wide appeal to the assisted community schools model students and I can imagine how helps to broaden the support that we university and community-assisted can get to local schools. As I like to schools are  a great model for us to say to the people at the university,  ensure that the reach of education we have a lot of resources, but it’s does not get limited by the number not that I can go around and hand of educators and how we requalify them out to people. We have brilliant them. Surely, it is a great advantage students at Binghamton, as  you have for students themselves, considering at Christ and at universities across their emotional well-being and for the world. They want to volunteer, their ability  to be able to reach out,  make a difference and they are great understand the community and resources. This is a great opportunity become better professionals.  We

Education Sector: Panel 2 | 51 have an interesting overview of the gives us an opportunity to decrease journey from early childhood to this disparity, because suddenly it higher education and how we can all doesn’t matter whether it is a private, participate in this.  government or elite school.  At the moment, we have a flow of Everyone is facing the same kind questions. Mangal, there is one for of challenge in terms of access and you. quality and of course we may talk of how the poor do not have access Question - You talked about access to the digital technologies, but I but in the current situation, with think what this pandemic has done more and more privatization, is is probably given us an opportunity education not a luxury now? How to reimagine government school do we actually leverage parents as education as something that can educators? be improved in a new way with  support from various corporates and Mangal Pandey - That is a tough communities. At the same time, start one, Nivedita, but I will take it in to look at private schools as not the two parts. One is of course access to enemy of government schools.  the globe or specifically  India. They have always faced this challenge that We also need to look at private schools privatization is a pain. You know there and whether their quality is equal to are more and more children going to government schools or not. However, private schools and our government government schools are facing the schools are  going to shut down. challenge of not catching up with This is the discussion that has been private schools and the privatization happening pre-pandemic as well and of education, as we like to call it, is it is not contextual to the pandemic. important. Laura Bronstein spoke But I think in a way, specifically to a lot about collaboration.  With the this question, the pandemic actually civil societies, the government and

52 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 the New Education Policy,  I think them evil and at the same time let the next year-and-a-half is a good us not give all hope to government time to redefine these disparities, schools.  which were present  during the pre- pandemic times. The solution is Moderator - Mr Uttam, there are a really deep but the larger response couple of questions I am combining is that this is a good time to look for you. As you have already said at it and we should stop looking at regarding after-school classes - the privatization as the  ‘enemy’. Let’s children are looking forward to look at it  as an equitable society. It them. We have questions from two doesn’t matter to the child whether of our viewers.  she/he decides to go to a government or private school, for both are equal Question - There are a lot of children in quality.  for whom  education doesn’t appeal at all. So how does online versus Moderator - What I am offline education help? Does online understanding from you is that education take away the appeal there should be a private  as well as further, or does it enhance the appeal a government school. Let there be with better teachers, equipment or more schools. We just have to ensure access to more visual elements. This that access is not only through is one part of the question.  affordability alone.  The second part of the question is Mangal Pandey - Yes and the solution when children are not able to afford is what Laura mentioned. Let us the digital equipment to attend the have  community-based schools. online classes, what are the other We can have government or private ways you have been adopting to take  schools, which  can  get adopted by education to them other than online corporates. There are various ways classes? So can you just take these to look into that, but I think what is questions?  required is changing the outlook. Let us not demean  private schools or call

Education Sector: Panel 2 | 53 Uttam Banerjee - I would first take be very interesting,  innovative the second question in two parts. and  interactive. If they do not We are providing tabs, gadgets and find the classroom interactive and various  education tools. So what innovative, they think that it is not we are trying to do is, whenever up to the mark. We as teachers just we have the funding from CSRS, think that they are last benchers. It’s we are diverting that into gadgets not because we are not giving values and various tabs, networking and to those children. It is because the other things that are required. Like children are actually looking for everyone has said, bring education excitement in the classrooms. So we to their homes. That is the first part are getting those into our own online that we could not think of. There is classes.  no second thought about the need for  a proper education mode in the What we do basically is that we situation of COVID-19, in case they segregate the classes. For example, cannot  afford to have them.  let’s say you have Class Seventh of five schools, in which  we have about The second part is that we are giving 35 - 40 children. We segregate them them the tabs, talking to various into Batches A, B and C and see that manufacturing companies like SR those who are studious are in Batch and  are reaping the  benefits  when A, while those who are in a different, we  talk about CSRS funding. We are interesting mode of education want diverting all our funds into that.  innovation into the classroom. They are classified into  Batch B.  The first question is much more It is Batch C, in which education is interesting, because when you go the last priority, so we bring some to a classroom, you get various of it  into their lives .  This is how types of children. Some who are we differentiate  batches between very interested in their conceptual the classrooms. Since we have our learning, want the classroom to own online classes, we bring all the schools together in the classes, so

54 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 that we have a batch of students and information on University Assisted not a batch of schools. That is where Community Schools.  I would like to we are  making a  difference.  tag the question along with another: When your university students are We are going into that direction, even working in these community schools as we are exploring  the issues one- or managing these children, how are on-one, with  one teacher and one they able to monitor their learning child interacting for a  week or two, and their interest? With what effect is bringing them into  the education that aspect explored, because these fold to note down the change. That are students themselves and  no is the advantage for us from  online teachers who go through the loops of classes. We never knew that talent, tests and assessments and feedback actually latent talent, could be to  ensure that the curriculum has noticed  during the normal classes.  been learnt.  Is it or is it not so in I would always take COVID-19 as an the community schools? Can you advantage for us, as  we are trying elaborate on the model? to identify  the children’s talent,  capabilities and understanding. We Laura Bronstein - You know are going to address them  as fast as sometimes when we first started possible and see that the children talking about this model with the come on board.  teachers, they disagreed. . “Please don’t give me something else, as Moderator - May the Lord continue my plate is overflowing,” they said. to be with you so that you can  reach We reframed our model,  and told out to more and more children and them that our goal is to be there to find more  joy in the core of their support them. After a while, they learning interest. Ms Laura, we have said: “Thank you for letting us teach. a question for you.  Teaching is what I am prepared for and that is what my expertise Question - There is a student who is. I am not prepared to deal with  is doing MSW and wants more families, homelessness and mental

Education Sector: Panel 2 | 55 health issues. Thank you for dealing knocking on doors and asking those with things, so that I can focus on families how we can help them with teaching.”  school. I remember they used to say that they were not from the school That is how  we really work in terms but only wanted to know the issues of supporting the teachers. Our they have with it. Are they helpful or students are not provided onsite not? How can the team help them? teaching but they are  supporting the Since we built those relationships, teacher. So, what are the things they we are now connecting with them are getting in the way? The teacher through  online, remote work.  is being able to support them and those are the things we look at for We have another school which is in their development.  a small city, but their needs are so different. The first  thing they said Regarding  the question of the MSW is that we need to use assistance, student, in each school we start with because they have students who are the assessment. What are the needs of just on the border of graduating. students?  For example, at one school  If they can just get a little more in a rural area,  the superintendent academic, they will be able to said to us that they have families that graduate. The first thing we did was live in mobile home communities. to take our MSW students working The kids from those families never in an after-school program to these come to schools. None of the parents students, so that our assistance have graduated and they really could become more customized. feel out of touch with the students. The after-school program works He asked: “Can your  Social Work online and is very customized to students help us with those families?” these students, so it is assessing the The Social Work students, under the needs of the individuals,  classrooms, direction of the Master of Social schools, districts and communities Work practitioner, went out. This and designing a strategy that would was pre-covid time, when they were meet their  needs. I would say that

56 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 the person who asked the question a lot should be done for education, was wanting more information than anyone else. Please feel free to reach especially schools, teachers or me at Binghamton University’s website, through its college of educators, because  suddenly, community public affairs.  I will be happy to provide information. everything is flat. I mean everything Moderator - We are coming almost can be questioned and  reimagined. to the close of the session and would like to wrap up with one question for So the answer largely depends on a 10-second answer from each one of you. the wonderful people who listen Question - How do you reimagine to us and educators on this panel, next year, 2021, for education? who can  ask: How are you going to Uttam Banerjee - I have a lot of hope in 2021, because the entire education redefine this, or are going to actively system is changing. Homeschooling could be another part of it, while participate in this rebuilding? When mother schooling is also being considered.  I would think that I say reimagining, then it will largely 2021 will be an eye-opener for the education sector.   depend on us and our participation.  Mangal - My response is just that Moderator - Ms Laura, you are 2021 will give us the opportunity to an academician, a researcher  you reimagine this. Everything is kind worked in the community, I think of broken down, but  we believe that it’s a ground-up and academic reimagination. What would you predict 2021 to be? Laura Bronstein - If this pandemic has taught us anything, whether we wanted to learn it or not, it’s about flexibility. I am thrilled to hear my fellow panelists talk about opportunities that have  emerged from the pandemic, because most of us spend our energies complaining and looking at the difficulties. For

Education Sector: Panel 2 | 57 example, I am not going to spend In closing, Samwise Gamgee said thanksgiving with my grandson famously in the movie, The Lord and I say that for myself.  However, of the Rings, “...there is something there are things that we have taken good in the world Mr Frodo and it from this. So how can we take it, if is worth fighting for”. So I will take we go tomorrow in person what permission from Tolkien and say, are the benefits and what are the “It’s worth dreaming of together”. good things about that? What have Thanks everyone for participating we learned about simplicity? What and sharing. is really important in life now is using more technology and putting everything together to  lay the best educational foundation that we can for our children. Moderator - What a wonderful note to know that we are going to imagine. We are going to reimagine causes and possibilities and reimagine who is the learner,  who is the teacher and where we are going with learning. How are we going to do it and what kind of partnerships are we going to develop, whether it is with parents, students, communities, or universities. It is something that we are all in and for something that we are all banding together. It looks like we are to come out of it in a completely reconstructed manner.

3PANEL EDUCATION SECTOR Theme: Holistic Learning and Psychosocial Development  Myra Sabir (Moderator) Shukla Bose Associate Professor at Binghamton Founder and CEO of Parikrma Humanity University, New York, United States. Foundation, India. Samuel Speed Dean of Student Engagement and Undergraduate Recruitment, Louisiana Tech University, USA.

Education Sector: Panel 3 | 59 Welcome to Let us Dream 2020. Shukla Bose - Greetings from My name is Myra Sabir, an Bengaluru, India. I am really Associate Professor at Binghamton honored to be invited and I come to speak here among this august University in upstate New York in gathering for a topic that is very close to my heart. You know I believe the United States. I am very happy that education today is in crisis. There are 280 million students who  to be your moderator for this panel.  are out of schools, who do not go to school and 60 million of them are in Our topic  is “Holistic Learning and India itself, which  is very tragic. This COVID-19 has really shaken up the Psychosocial Development” and we educational sector  and 247 million students have not been going to have a panel of two guests, Shukla school, out of which 152 million are girls.  The crisis we are talking about  Bose who is the founder and CEO are expressed in numbers, but there is a deeper crisis that we have actually of Parikrma Humanity Foundation, not approached, about education in the right manner. Education all India, and Samuel Speed - Dean these years has been a preparation for livelihood but actually, education of Student Engagement and is preparation for living. Undergraduate Recruitment, When we  understand that education is preparation forliving,we maybegin Louisiana Tech University, USA. Our to look at education in a far more holistic manner and actually  explore third panelist due to  unforeseen the psychosocial development of children in schools.  I started circumstances has  not been able to Parikrma Humanity Foundation, join  us this morning, so you  can expect to see Swati Popat Vats  and me.   Anyone from the  audience can feel free to submit any question on the YouTube site and at the end of this panel, I will take those questions and post them to the panelists. Each of them  will have at least seven-and-a- half minutes to speak. We shall start with you, Shukla Bose. Would you mind taking over?

60 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 a non-profit making organisation attendance is only 35%. As compared that runs schools for street and slum to that, we have less than one percent children in Bengaluru. I began with dropping out and 96% attendance.  one school on a rooftop with 165 children and 11 staff members and Why has this been different? It is today,  after 17 years, we have grown because  our approach has been to four schools, a junior college and different. We realised that a child a teacher’s training centre. Right now cannot study well if it is hungry, so we are addressing 2,000 children we provide all three meals in the who  would not have gone to school schools. We take care of their health at all, 1,000  have graduated from and also conduct  a lot of family Parikrma Humanity Foundation and intervention. This holistic approach are well-placed in high quality jobs of our model is what we call  “The and are living high quality lives.   Circle of Life”. If we realize early that a child is coming from an unstable We are training government school home, it may not do well in  studies. teachers as well. Together, we are So now, we have done a lot of work impacting about 63,000 children. with their parents. Statistically, we The numbers seem large and yet they found  from the struggling students are drops  in the ocean as against the that 96% of the fathers are alcoholics, number of children that need to be while 92% of the children come addressed in India. I think the reason from homes where at least one or we were able to grow and  make an two members are in prison. So we impact is that our model has been are talking about dysfunctionality. very comprehensive. We look at the Among  these children, we have children from the streets and slums educated lawyers, software engineers and ensure that they do not  drop out and doctors, who are actually fighting of education. In government schools, COVID-19. This transformation has where they could otherwise attend,  happened because of our holistic actually 67% of them drop out by the model, through which we pay a lot time they reach grade eight and the

Education Sector: Panel 3 | 61 of attention to the psychological and personal journey  as well as the social development of a child.  journey of countless young people  in the higher education spectrum, We realized that for a child to do well I get  intrigued over  how we learn in school, they need to feel good. and what process we go through. They need to have confidence and I look and listen to my colleagues high self-esteem. So considering that and watch their disparities. That is we are a non-profit school and we where a lot of my attention has been have to survive on others’ generosity, placed. A lot of my research has been we have two psychologists in on Afro-American males. When each of our schools, because our you look across the country and children come from very traumatic at this institution, Afro-American backgrounds and they need to feel males are also on the low end of the good about themselves. Only then spectrum when it comes to retention, will they do well. We also take care graduation rates and academic of our children from “e-to-e” - from excellence.  one end to another end and from  five years to  25 years, because we When I speak of academic excellence, realized that these children need often we forget that access does not hand holding, so that they can be equate  success. So the question that placed in good environments,  jobs we need to start asking is how we can and prepared for life. They need to be  take these educational opportunities prepared to take the right decisions and create opportunities for life. It’s about their own lives. Hence, holistic exactly what my colleague said - it development is extremely important is “The Circle of Life”. How can you for us.  teach a person to reflect on their true nature, who they are, and bring that Samuel Speed - It is definitely my out. It goes  back to the root word of honour to be here and this topic education and I think that at some intrigues me. I have been in higher point we have lost our way. I think education for 28 years. Now, in my it is difficult. It is one thing for a kid 29th year, when I look  back at my

62 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 to drop out and it is quite another to we study Erikson’s Eight Stages of stay in and still have dropped out.  Psychosocial Development taught at Ivy League Schools, yet  he did This reminds me of one of my not have a bachelor’s degree? . We favourite scholars, Jawanza Kanjufu, have to find that type of brilliance. who does a lot of work with African- We have to begin to look at these American males and discusses fourth developmental stages, figure out grade syndrome. He talks of the how  we can fill in the gaps and how  process of going to school, but not we can get to a point where it is not really being in school. So it is about just about the three-Rs (3Rs) because engagement and about finding the they  fall short. That is why I am niche for students who often never myopic and linear in my approach find their own. It is about finding to education.  that way to pull them through the processes. When you examine  the Education is much more holistic, psychosocial development and the because it involves the total gaps, I hear my colleague talk about person. I love Dan Siegel and I’m a the state of homes of some of the neurobiology nerd. Whenever I get kids that she’s working with. The a chance, I like reading along those question we need to ask ourselves lines. I love his new three-Rs where he as educators is - can we fill in the talks about “reflection, relationships gaps? Can we holistically shift the and resilience”. These are all skill paradigm and begin to re-educate sets, when we look at our young not only children but ourselves, people and how they grow, how  we because traditional education does look at ourselves,  grow, develop,  not work for everyone.  mature and  succeed. These were not  part of, but need to become part of a Once children find the spark, they traditional curriculum.  can become engineers, as my colleague mentioned earlier about When you look at opportunities the children she is working with. to get a young person to reset their How does that happen? How is it that mindsets, so that they can take the

Education Sector: Panel 3 | 63 path to fulfill their  needs, they can go Now how do you create engagement on to the need of learning and how through those platforms? When to begin to develop as young people. you look at the educational gap I believe it is essential for us to take a and opportunities we have for  step back as educators and re-educate psychosocial development and ourselves on a consistent basis. I think holistic learning and factor  the  child the pandemic has taught us that. We as well as teaching, , it’s not only often  lose focus with  reality. For me about intellectual but also emotional to complain because my daughter at intelligence. It’s not always about the some point moves back from college classroom decorum,  but it is how and because everyone is online at the that fits into the greater social needs same  time and our Internet is  slow of our society. I think there is a lot - is a bit  selfish and myopic. That of work that can be done. As this really does not speak to the totality conference discusses,  we need to of what our  entire society is going begin to dream,  think and fulfill our through.  responsibility as educators.  When you look at education as a I learn a lot from young people by whole and at the opportunities that showing them an apple and asking we have, I believe that stepping back how many seeds it contains. If a and seeing  the bigger picture is what child says that it has  one seed,  or we have to do during this pandemic. another  says maybe there are 12, 13 We just finished our first quarter here or 14 seeds in that apple, I know that at Louisiana Tech University and is an opportunity for me to teach overall I think we had a great deal of the  child that there are an infinite success. Yet we were forced  to take number of seeds that will become up online learning. We have a lot of apple trees and many more apples! I people who pushed back against that, want them to think that it has infinite but now they are under pressure to potential that goes far beyond what take it up.  we could ever imagine.  

64 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 Moderator - Myra Sabir - We have particularly girls, from human interesting questions  but our time trafficking, and the kind of baggage is short. I’m going straight into the and residual pain they carry. These entertaining questions and maybe are some of the obvious critical will wrap up quickly. I think  one issues that need to be dealt with  and question is directed to you, Shukla call for a lot of therapy. Bose; There are other issues that are not so Question - We would like to hear obvious and the child is not able to more about the role of psychologists express. We have to deal with those in dealing with the history of issues differently, because I feel that domestic violence and trauma pain and trauma not expressed is as faced by the students, especially for serious an issue as the more obvious different age groups. How do those ones. We have psychologists who do psychologists engage in that?  both one-to-one counselling as well as group therapy. Group therapy, Shukla Bose - We do have students which we call a circle time,  and that who face a lot of abuse at home and has worked extremely well, because you know India is a country where it is giving our children the forum to there is unfortunately and sadly a express themselves in a third- person lot of discrimination against the girl way,  whichever which they might child. We have a lot of  girl children feel is safer. There are many ways in who are always compelled to play which our psychologists conduct do a secondary role at home and are their interventions.  not given adequate importance or support even academically. We have Moderator - Question - Samuel psychologists dealing with  critical Speed, there are a couple of issues, through which children have questions I am going to combine to witnessed violence, or  in which understand  what you mentioned  children have seen their parents about  reflection, relationship and commit suicide in front of their resilience. They are suggesting that eyes. Children that we have saved, online environment may limit the

Education Sector: Panel 3 | 65 possibility of quality relationships on schooling, although students between the instructor and the have homework and extracurricular student. So they want to know if activities that they take up at home. you think it is the case. They think Students are now engaged in the it is being limited by this online process of learning  from home, so environment and how best we can  the understanding of the dynamics promote relationships.  of what is going on is missing in their personal relationships. I think that is Samuel Speed - Definitely, it throws something. Maybe  attention should up  challenges. Let me say that I be shifted to the family. It might be do not want to  call it impossible. just about asking simple questions, It provides challenges and when I such as how are the family members,  say that, obviously relationships are so that you make sure that the child better face-to-face. One thing that I feels that they are connected to you.  find when I am dealing with college students is that when we are having It is obvious that you do not have this zoom call and  are interacting,  friends when you do not ask how the our cameras are turned on but they children are or how their husbands have the capacity to turn them off. I are.  That is significant and  is part think that is one of the ways in which of relationship development. What they are hiding and not developing I think now is important is to begin  or engaging with everyone or  having teaching young people through those relationships. So I do not think simple questions. You know one of it is difficult to overcome  barriers. the things that I like to tell students If we help students to think, we during this online education is - may redirect or point them towards let’s turn our camera on if you have relationships that they do have or  access. If you can actually utilize a can have.  camera on a computer, your phone or on your tablet, please do. But it Often, when we look at the is definitely a challenge - there is no educational system as a whole, we doubt there.  see that  too much of it is focused

66 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 Moderator - Actually, I am going as well as  learning how to express to ask a question. Shukla Bose one’s emotions, critical thinking and has mentioned that the education also the ability to be able to disagree system is broken and that we are and negotiate. These are important educated for livelihood versus living, qualities that are vital for living and which is a quote that one could also prepares one for livelihood. Of repeat.  I love that quote. The reason course they are all integrated.  we are educated for livelihood really is because we will be prepared to When I was a student, I learnt a lot, work in corporate America or in because I volunteered with Mother the established professions, which Theresa’s organization for seven we know have been taught to get years. I believe that we tried to inject oriented towards that. So, what a  bit of that into our education do you guys have to say about the philosophy, when  we say that you experience  of getting  oriented need to have clarity, commitment, towards corporate professions, conviction, communication but getting educated for livelihood and most importantly, compassion. We how would you  change that to being think that it prepares you for living educated for a living, as you put it?  and also for livelihood.  Shukla Bose - We established our Samuel Speed - I applaud my education philosophy and  called it colleagues and see them exactly our five Es (5Es). We said our children right. It reminds me of those should know the background they’re 3Rs, “relationships, resilience and coming from, they need exposure reflection”, because as I heard her and that is a very vital ingredient describing their philosophy, they of education. It  opens up all doors dovetail and coincide with one and walls, rather than building up  another.  walls. Exposure is very important, and so is expression. We also say that Moderator - So one of the persons empathy is extremely important, in the audience wants to know about peer learning in students’

Education Sector: Panel 3 | 67 psychosocial development. They One way in which we can assure that are separated as now students in it happens is by putting young people my university are going home for in a position, so that they can pay Thanksgiving and  won’t be coming it back or pay it forward and reach again. So what about peer learning, back to someone who does not have how is that, because it is a very the skill set. Again, it is not just the important part of psychosocial reading, writing or the arithmetic, development for young people. How but it could be about reflection, do you think  it is being impacted? resilience and relationship. I think that very model is something that we Samuel Speed - One of the ways have failed to really capture in our I look at peer learning is that our societies, so we have third-graders current model has a classroom set- who are acting like first-graders, up in which  peers are learning because that is what they see.  from other peers who  are in the same category. I think we need to I don’t know how you completely develop models that are closer to change that, but I have been able mentoring models, so that students to change it in smaller packets, in may learn through those who have smaller settings, in non-traditional gone through those earlier stages spaces and I think that is one of the and others  who have developed. I key components of education. As I suggest that it is a model that can do spoke earlier about teaching students with with proper supervision. Even and how to thrive in  relationships now in the online environment, with  students who are learning from proper learning requires that you home, they might have younger have to become the teacher and siblings or older ones. They need to proper teaching requires you to be place that in their minds as part of the student. It has to be a recursive their responsibility, to assure that process - the teacher has to go back those behind them or in front of to school and at some point, the them are part of this learning process.    student has to become the teacher. 

68 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 Moderator - Yes, you are speaking That is an extension of our education to Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal philosophy, when we say exposure. Development - that space where the You know what happened to children person knows a little bit more than coming from our background, they you and helps to take that next step. do not have adequate role models Does Shukla Bose want to respond to and you always learn best when you that, the idea of peers?  see someone and observe and try to emulate, rather than being told Shukla Bose - Yes and it confirms what to do. So we bring in mentors that peer learning is extremely from outside who are kind, and  do important. It is very powerful a bit of hand holding as well. Our actually. I like what Samuel Speed best mentors are our alumnis, those said about students learning best as students who have broken the glass teachers and teachers learning best ceiling and who have managed to as students. I think that is really very do well. We get them to be back to apt and pertinent. We have tried school and mentor other kids, which  peer learning in classes, because I has also worked extremely well. think it is an extension system to They realize that these young adults our values of compassion. There who  come back to mentor them are varied levels of understanding belong to the same background, so in a class. We  give responsibility or if the older students could make the we encourage students who  have breakthrough, then there is every understood something to volunteer chance that the students in schools to teach someone else who has not. can do so as well.  That is the extension of compassion, so we try to integrate elements that Samuel Speed - I was reminded of are essential to education and tools something that I did not think of with our value system. That seems to before. We have a program called be working well.  The African American Male Initiative here and it’s basically to place tools I also agree with Samuel Speed that in the hands of young men so that mentoring is extremely powerful.

Education Sector: Panel 3 | 69 they can be successful. I just thought about the African American man of one of the imperatives at the end who came into your program. Shukla but it is the most important one - Bose, you talked about addressing all you have to give back. You have to those basic needs, such as food and find someone whom you have to emotional stuff too, but you said that pour into and I like using that model meeting basic needs before they are that you need to find someone ready to learn is important. Since who is higher than you in whatever the underserved population is big,  realm you are trying to be better at. my question is what is the role of the Someone who is with you, someone government in terms of providing whom you can challenge and kind of the resources? What the government compete with.  gives  is not even coming close to the number of people needing this kind The last component that I am of holistic education that you guys speaking about now, which is are giving. So what is the role of the another imperative, is about  government? I hope you understand African-American males in higher my question.  education.  Due to the gap that we have in retention and graduation, I Shukla Bose - Yes I understood. For don’t give them a chance. They have developing and under developing to find someone, whether it is in their countries, it is expected that  the professional career or whether  they government should  play a significant are mentoring in a boys and girls role, because actually what we need club.  They have to find someone to develop is human capital and who assists them and takes  them this is how a country is developed. along on this journey.  Human resources should not be wasted  because of a poor education Moderator - Excellent. So both of system or no education system. It you are working with underserved is expected that  the government  populations of other societies as you should play a significant role but mentioned and the number of young even in India, I tend to get rather people in India.  Samuel Speed talked

70 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 cynical. The government is doing catalysts of change.  You do not need its best, but here is the issue: in to worry about millions of people. a country like India, where there If one child is really transformed in are 1.4  billion people and as I said the right way, he or she will bring 247,000 people are going to schools about a  change. There will be many that need attention. The numbers Parikramas in a few years’ time,  not  are too many and the progress has built by me, but my students.   been slow.  Moderator - There is an argument One needs to be in a developing that top-down change never quite country to understand and an NGO works but that organic change from like us is always questioned: How can bottom-up actually has a lasting you scale up? It is evident that there impact. Mr Speed, do you want to is a need to scale up. My response respond? to that is, you know scaling can also be vertical, in fact, you increase the Samuel Speed - Personally, I depth of your intervention, increase think that moving away from the quality to such an extent that the government and going to every student that graduates thanks individual, organizational or group to you  becomes a change agent. So responsibility is possibly the way the spillover effect is so significant to yield greater success. I say that and that itself makes great impact.  because we have a lot of companies now that  will allow X number of Now I  see my students who have hours per month for the employees, graduated, who are now going to through paid opportunities and  can universities and doing well. They give back to the community. So, have started  little schools in  the when you look at opportunities,  I slums that they come from in the think that is much more intriguing evening, where we took care of them to me. Unfortunately, when you look as small children, keeping them off at the government, just keeping up the streets and sharing what they are some  hope  is not something that I learning. These children I think are can sit around and wait for, especially

Education Sector: Panel 3 | 71 when you look at the disparities We have to be the implementers and between what we are spending on do the best we can.  incarceration versus education. Moderator - Our time is up and When you compare the two again I would like to thank our guests, (incarceration versus education) that Shukla Bose and Samuel Speed, in itself is a tragedy. So until we move for coming. I have  enjoyed this beyond that, I am not going to wait conversation very much and I am on that. If they don’t do something or sure our audience has too. I would if they want to increase the funding also like to thank all our listeners in for education and the things that we the audience. Thank you for coming do get, I am going to be appreciative, and joining us this morning. I hope but I am not  going to get it, I am that  a couple of things I have said, sure. I do what I can personally and , with  focus on the undeserved, organizationally. I think we need maybe, has helped. They will be the to put processes in place. Like my ones who grow up, take charge and colleagues have mentioned, you have become government officials, who people who go to work and in the then take  forward the ideas that you evening begin to pour themselves are instilling. I just want to thank into it and take that time to do some you. I think we probably have less more work and assist others. I think than one minute. I don’t know what that is what the key component is.   I would ask or say  further,  because we might get cut off in the middle.  I Shukla Bose - I have to add  to that. do not want to sit here again, waiting I think the government got caught for the camera.  in numbers. Organizations like ours got caught in lives and that is the There is another thing I will say.  If difference. Every day in a child’s life we get cut, it will be me. When we talk is very important. Every precious day about holistic education, I thought wasted in a child’s life is pure waste. about your panel quite a bit. I was We cannot wait for policies to change. wondering - in which  places are  we  connecting students  to nature? You

72 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 never hear that in the traditional unsung HerOes educational system or in the two that you have described - are there places Sanjoli Banerjee where people are being connected to nature? Well, maybe we could just Social Worker, Haryana, India. think about that. It’s a great question. My name is Sanjoli Banerjee and I Because when you say holistic, it is am a student of Social Activism. I the oneness of it all. Another thing took up the cause of female foeticide that was not mentioned, but what we in 2004, when my younger sister was are clearly doing and what we do not born. I have personal experience like to talk about is love and warmth. with what people think about I cannot imagine coming to either of foeticide and female foeticide. This your classrooms or schools and not is why we started the campaign knowing that the frame, the sort of against female foeticide, which led holding environment, is one imbued me to become an activist. First, about with human emotions of kindness, two years ago, I adopted a village. I warmth, openness and non- took up the cause of female foeticide judgement.  We can think through that. So  goodbye for now. 

Education Sector: Panel 3 | 73 in 2004. I recited poems, going for understood that children’s  energies awareness triumphs, talking to need to be tapped. They need to be people and sensitizing the masses.  made aware  in order to promote civic engagement and become About four or five years later in 2009, socially, academically and politically I took up the cause of climate change aware. I started classes for children and again we sensitized the masses in 2019, which have been running  and  went to complete plantation successfully for over a year now.  drives. Finally, in 2018, I adopted a village and in 2019, I founded So regarding the female foeticide the Sushi program along with my project, titled “Save Daughter Save sister. I personally encountered how India Campaign”, what keeps me traumatic it can become to give going is  the results  we got. When birth to a girl child in a home where we see people who were once you already have one daughter. So thinking of aborting a girl child when my parents were expecting my but are now very happy to  educate  younger sister, we saw how society her, it motivates me. Moreover, I pressurises the parents to abort the have seen individuals transform girl child just because she is seen as their communities and how this can a burden.  become a chain of change-makers. That pressure  on parents motivated Seeing these improvements keeps me to take up the cause. When my me going. Besides that, regarding sister was born, fortunately, we Sushiksha, myfree mobile school, my took up this cause and together children’s enthusiasm,  energy and with my parents started this move. the way every weekend, on Saturdays However, it was in 2017-2018, when and Sundays, they just come rushing I was studying at Australian National to class, and  do not want to leave,  University, that I realized the requesting us to continue the classes importance of education and how even during the weekdays, is actually it transforms a life. Having studied very inspiring. That’s what motivates and gained world class education,  I me to keep on going. So I have

74 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 this intrinsic motivation somehow I began to wonder: as an individual that has kept me going and the what should I do to contribute to inspiration to  change things around these 17 Sustainable Development me and become a change-agent. I Goals that has 169 targets and 226 hope to leave the world  a little better  indicators? I sat down and thought of than what I found it to be. Seeing what I should do to contribute.   this change around me bending have motivated me.  First of all, I looked at my community and  at the challenges we are facing. Mohhamad Abubakar What came to my mind is that quality education makes a community  Federal Judicial Services Commission, develop.  When you advocate  zero Nigeria. hunger or zero poverty, through  quality education, people  have an One of the reasons I was motivated opportunity to do whatever they can to take up this program is first of all, in order to make their community when I looked at the 17 Sustainable develop. So, when I thought about Development Goals from the United that; actually I graduated in 2014 Nations initiate and a target for 2030, and  got a job in 2016 at the Federal Judicial Service Commission of Nigeria. I am based in Abuja, the Capital City of Nigeria.   When I came back to my community, I said that as  I am working here at the Federal Judicial Service Commission of Nigeria, I need to create something that helps my community. I started by searching for a fully funded scholarship. So when I started it in my office, sometimes if I did not have any work to do, I would

Education Sector: Panel 3 | 75 just enter Google to search for fully I will call on everybody to initiate funded scholarships. I came across these types of activities  to help a the University of Sheridan, located community  come out of poverty in the United Arab Emirates, which  or out of ignorance. And most of offers fully funded undergraduate the problems we are facing here programs.  in Africa, such as  violence or distraction, is because people do not So I called my community and have anything to do. Once they are asked them to send  me 10 names educated, they will get a job or they of candidates with excellent results can initiate programs.  I am happy to in their secondary school. I got all be doing such things and I will always their details and applied for them continue if I can get any opportunity.  to the university. Fortunately, three of them got admission and it was Chandrikamma S fully funded. So they sent me their passports, I processed their visas Former Joint Secretary and President of and the university sent their e-ticket the Women’s Forum of the Kerala State for travelling to Dubai. So after the Federation of the Blind.  first group had gone, I decided to  continue doing these things to help Ms Chandrikamma was born blind, my community. Now I contact my but she has been showing throughout community every year to send me  candidates, so that  I can  fill out their forms.  If they get their admissions,  I  prepare their visas and they leave.  These are the kinds of things that motivated me to say that I have to stand for my community, for my country and for the world entirely. That is what motivated me to start this program. 

76 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 her life that she has a light around Shirin Batra her. The main strength that she has is that she  never kept away from Founder of HEARTS, NGO, New Delhi, doing anything. She could not get a India. government job but started her own business. She is a natural leader who Art can be described as understanding inspires others in her journey. Her problems and expressing it through role in setting up self-help groups an artistic perspective. With love of physically challenged women has towards art and with the motive been appreciated and recognized in to make people happy, Ms Shirin Kerala. She played an essential role in Batra founded the Heart on July making authorities realize the need 7th,  2020. It is a non-profit making to set up select units for Keralites organization in New Delhi,  where  who are physically challenged.  artworks are sold entirely for charity. Shirin contributed  to an 11-year-old She has served both as the Joint cancer patient battling leukemia for Secretary,  and President of the the third time.  Women’s Forum of the Kerala State Federation of the Blind and Vice- President of the Kerala Federation of the Blind. She has set up a home for children affected by cancer. She has regularly visited the Regional Cancer Centre of Kerala to provide care to many.  

Education Sector: Panel 3 | 77 Shirin also started a reusable sanitary established on the 15th of March, napkins distribution drive  in a 1992, by a team of 11  in Kerala.  They slum in West Delhi. She is creating  have travelled across different parts awareness of menstrual hygiene of India and realized that a national and sanitation through a discussion level awareness is needed among and distribution of reusable sanitary consumers, regarding their duties napkins  in slums. She has been and rights.  doing this with the desire to touch lives and to make as many hearts  as NOCER India has innovative ideas possible smile.  to empower citizens by sensitizing  them to the laws of the country in their regional or local language. They have published 72 books and six periodicals. They also conduct seminars, classes, street corner meetings, workshops, jeep rallies, youth training, and income- generating training programs.  Matthew, M.V National Organisation for Consumer Education and Research (NOCER) Kerala, India. Matthew is the Founder and President of the NOCER, India. NOCER was

78 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 and spreading organic and natural farming practices.  The projects also  help to improve rural people’s independence and living environment and facilitate  exchange between cities and rural areas. Regularly, the purpose is to create a society in which people and nature are in harmony, by promoting organic projects, holding practical seminars,  training, research, lecturs, and tours in communities and schools. Toshio Tajima Non-profit Organization, India and Heja, Japan. Mr Toshio Tajima works for a non- profit organization, dealing with  solar, water and green projects, established worldwide in countries such as India, Ghana and Japan. The initiative  gets even the economically poor  to benefit from solar panels, LEDs, safe and clean drinking water and equipment for agriculture. The aim is to form a society in which  cultivating safe and secure food can be started by securing water

Education Sector: Panel 2 | 79 ClOsing KeynOte Brinda Adige Brinda Adige spearheaded the Director Global Concerns India, India.   rights  of children’s living in the streets’, especially girls. She initiated Good evening! Namaskara! It is a and pioneered India’s first Police- privilege to be giving these closing Civil society child protection remarks for the first day’s program helpline, called Makkala Sahaya of the Let Us Dream Conference. Vani, in 1997, inside the Bengaluru’s Education is the right of every human Commissioner’s Office. . She also being.  In my country,  education spearheaded and pioneered India’s is a fundamental right. Every child,  first Gender Sensitization People youth and  adult can claim to want to Friendly Police Training Program be educated with the best institutions for the Karnataka State Police from and quality education at the cost of 2006 - 2006, supported by UNICEF. the government. The challenge and The Scottish government has the big question that we are faced awarded her with the GCI project with almost everyday at every level, under International Development especially among the poor, the in Scotland. She has been working marginalized and the vulnerable to stop violence against women and children with special reference to  combating human trafficking, rescue, prosecution and prevention. The All India Human Rights Organization  awarded her in 2015, for her courageous work.

80 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 is: do we really have that quality with Global Concerns India and education extended to these people? I acquired firsthand information No! We don’t.  regarding education.  The education that is extended to the At Global Concerns India, we vulnerable, marginalized and poor work with children who have left is education that cannot be called  their homes. We normally have a “education”. It is literacy. It is only nomenclature and call them children sharing of knowledge, information, living in the streets or pavements, not some academic information  that considering that they are children is sporadically getting  across to who might have been trafficked,  go them. Of course, the system needs missing,  who are poor, might have to be changed and requires it to got into conflict with the law or are be questioned. When we speak of rescued children. A lot of work is education, we need to understand being done to rehabilitate them. that education is to gain knowledge, Despite that, there is a question that values, learn about principles and needs to be asked regarding them -  ethics of behaviour,  language,  have we restored their lives? When attitudes and the making of each  we talk of rehabilitation, we talk of one of us into better human beings  education and formal school. What is being imparted at the formal school So the question is,  what education or non-formal schools or the bridge are schools, colleges and academic  education?  institutions imparting? Today, we know that teaching pedagogy is lost. We from Global Concerns India I am taught what somebody else have been very particular that every thinks I need to be taught, not what child, for whatever it is worth, must I want to learn, or what I am capable complete formal schooling. . We also of learning, nor what enhances my realized that though education is a talent and potential, but what would fundamental right of every child, make me a better person. Over the most of these children are unable last 15 years, I have been working to afford it. This is because their

Education Sector: Panel 2 | 81 parents and families are unable to to dream and reach for the skies,  afford quality education, which  is dream, visualize and  follow that expensive in many, many ways. That dream without hesitation,  or getting is why we work with children who afraid. Children can learn to question live in slums, at times who live with and  share  views and opinions. The their parents on the pavements and assisted learning programme is many who might have been rescued conducted after school hours inside from trafficking, child labour, the school  after taking  permission. bonded labour and those who have We also run these sessions in the been missing and successfully traced. slums, calling  them creativity The only thing that comes into sessions.  This is for the children to everybody’s mind is that they must understand what it means and why go back to school.  you should be  punctual, why you should not encourage or use bad The schools that these families language or  and why you should not can afford for their children are resort to violence.   government or government-aided schools, which are not free. So, Domestic violence is part of the we help partly with fees, but we landscape of many  children’s see that children find it difficult to homes, but our sessions  help them cope with the  education. Children to understand that violence is not the who  have not gone to school for 10 beginning or  end for  settling scores,  to 12 years are now suddenly into getting your viewpoints across or formal schooling.  Global Concerns winning your points. You can do India runs what is called an assisted this through dialogue, conversation,  learning program.  debate and all of what children are encouraged to practise. We also Why is this called an assisted make students engage in reading, learning programme? It is to help a poem recitation and participation  in child to reach his or her potential,  drama  and sports. express talent and become free. It is important that the child should There is this conventional notion be supported,  mentored, enabled  that children who come from the

82 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 slums or those  who might have been and carefully, so that we could give rescued may not be able to learn them to the next batch of students. quickly as  attending school itself is such a big burden.  Therefore, But what happens when we talk of the classes that were held  over the capitalism or commercialization of last 14 years have helped children education? The notebooks that I use to understand so much more about this year cannot be used by any other themselves and realize  that where child next year. You have to buy a they come from is not relevant,   new set of notebooks. Why? The while  working towards where they workbook could  have been separate are going is more important.  and  the only stationery object that could be bought by the student the This is what we have learnt, as we see following year. The amount of paper that children who may come from beingwasted, trees being cut, selfishly  broken or  violent homes have made deciding to do whatever I want with better lives for themselves.  They them  or just throw them - these are have become stronger  and if their very distressing. I do not teach my potential can be harnessed, they can children to keep their  textbooks become prominent figures someday. carefully, maintain or  cover them . These children are assuming civic or not  scribble on them, because responsibilities  by participating in someday, someone else is going to community activities, not only in reuse them. it again. These are the their schools, but also in their homes issues that we want to ask ourselves. and slums. We impart them with Why is my system becoming more important issues they can think of uncaring? Why can my system not everyday, such as the importance become more understanding and of not wasting water, consciousness why should we have different kinds about  electricity and about people. of schools and syllabi?  We even see in schools that there We know that universal primary are systematic efforts to empower and secondary education cannot be children. When I was a student, we achieved in the absence of safe and used to keep our textbooks neatly enabling learning environments in

Education Sector: Panel 2 | 83 homes, schools and communities. in the streets, trafficked and rescued The potential for meaningful learning get  no special attention regarding throughout life for all individuals their education or standards, needing rests on a  strong, basic educational modification,  or resources that have  foundation. This is because without to be amplified. Not a single school education, including adult learning, in our country can actually claim we are losing out on essential means that they have  teachers who are to combat poverty, fight all forms qualified to attend to the demanding of discrimination, or even to equip requirements,  o this exceptional citizens to actively participate in section of vulnerable children and development and governance.  youth. In fact, coalitions across India and the world over are crying hoarse  The assisted learning program that to strengthen CSO engagement, we hold in the schools and the slums yet there are systematic efforts to is to involve parents and children categorically keep CSOs out of this to learn together. It is a challenge, important consultation.  because we are not telling them that we are going to sit through sessions,  We are seeing the decreasing and talk about what happened in the shrinking of even the little spaces class, give  homework or things like that may be available, because the that. We are talking about values, significance and  engagement of the living,  dialogue and conversation,  CSOs in policy making,  strategic ethical principles,  empowering planning, implementation and communities,  improving  lives and monitoring is not being regarded as transforming their conditions.  pertinent and important. We need to ask ourselves today, whether There is no fairness when there is education is able to stand alone. We no inclusive education. Inequity in are looking at children, especially education remains aserious challenge those who are vulnerable, to see and this inequity is widened in a whether food security and poverty, number of countries including India. cited as major barriers to quality Our experiences with children who education, are available or not.  have special needs,  laboring, living

84 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 This key factor widens the divide and  decisively address education as and makes the environment even a fundamental right for  all citizens.  more abusive for  girls,  poor women and young people, because we know Education is essential for promoting that dropout rates are very high in  peace, human rights, gender equality, normal schools  across the country. cultural sensitivity and sustainable Apart from that, gender disparities  development and this is what in every  group, especially among organizations are trying to achieve those who are differently challenged across the world, especially  in India. and who have other kinds of We need children participating in disabilities, are also contentious different forms of education, not just issues.  Many schools, whether scholastic.  they are government or private, do not have ramps for students with We have noticed that children want to differently abled students.  participate and question the wrongs that adults are indulging in and this To add to this, there is an entire becomes difficult when teachers are challenge of ethnicity, as children  questioned by students. Very often, might have migrated from other teachers feel that students must not states,  speaking different languages. question them, especially  those These factors have not been looked from  slums and  poor backgrounds. at across schools. People  in these This is a big challenge for us. At one situations find it even more difficult  end of the spectrum, we are talking to be part of the regular set-up. The about equality and  fairness. We talk government’s various commitments to children and encourage them to to the rights of education remain ask questions and  then in schools unfulfilled and whatever NGOs and they are being told not to  talk. CSOs are doing, is just a drop in the What is taught should be  learnt and ocean. It is against this backdrop that memorized.  priority recommendations are being made  urgently, to get back on track We are happy that these assisted learning programs,  classes and sessions have made children ask

Education Sector: Panel 2 | 85 questions,  debate,  discuss and  not  scholastic education. With this type be afraid to dream. We have children of education, we provide the means today who are working as chefs. to enhance potential, foster hard One  particular girl  has joined the work and allow dreams to be realized.  Chitrakala Parishath, but it was a big challenge for us to take her there,  We dream with our eyes open to as her family felt that sketching,  celebrate life with our spirits soaring painting and drawing cannot actually to make it possible for every child,  be a profession that will actually fetch youth,  and  adult to follow them. you money or  a good job.  We aspire to  live life abundantly in all its fullness.  I am grateful for this With a lot of convincing and conference  titled “Let Us Dream” counselling,  this child wrote her with our eyes open, so that we can  entrance exam and was immediately follow our dreams. Let us shout taken into the college. She has fared out loud - anybody can dream and very well and has done very well for everybody should, irrespective of herself, because it is expensive to where they are, which family,  caste study at CKP. Your paint brushes,  or ethnicity they  belong  to, what sketches  and pencils - all that is language they speak,  what food they something that the parents cannot eat or what clothes they wear.  afford. But we have generous donors, who have come forward through the It is important for us to realize that schooling project, thanks to  Global we do not want to teach anybody Concerns India.  anything. We want to walk along with and  sit beside our children She is not one example, as we have  and  young people to be able to learn several.  We have children who together and  follow through dreams got ranks in engineering, or are with our eyes open. Each one of us working in Accenture as leaders,  or should be able to live life abundantly. becoming  chefs, not  in India, but in Enjoy your conference.  London. We have several girls who are working with the airlines. All this has been possible not only through

86 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 ClOsing remArKs Richard Gallot Richard Gallot is the 10th president President of Gambling State University, of the Grambling State University. Gambling, Louisiana, USA. He received his Bachelor’s Degree of Arts at the same institution and Hello, I am Richard Gallot, president further received his juris doctorate of Gambling State University, the from Southern University School place where Everybody is Somebody. of Law. Richard Gallot gained I would like to thank Father Lijo and leadership training from Harvard the entire Let Us Dream team for University’s senior executives. inviting me to say a few words at this He served the North Louisiana year’s virtual conference. The world community for more than 30 years has changed tremendously since we as a legislator, lawyer and leader of met last year at the Let Us Dream the Historically Black College and Conference in  Louisiana Tech University (HBCU). During this time, University,  Louisiana.  he put efforts into redistricting and improving  elections in Louisiana, I want to applaud the entire Let Us to  create a better environment Dream community for its  mission for agriculture and  technology.  and commitment to make this world Under Richard Gallot’s leadership, Grambling State University is having good opportunities and currently partnering with other big brands, such as Coca-cola, Adidas and Beyoncē.

Education Sector: Panel 2 | 87 a better place. Mahatma Gandhi’s the way we see it. Let us continue philosophy of being the change to find innovative solutions to life’s that you want to see in the world challenges. Let us have the audacity has been your motto and guiding to create in the face of adversity. principle since your foundation. You Let us give ourselves to the work continue to be true to your mission of building a better tomorrow. Let in a  world that needs you more than us learn from this moment in our ever. We are living in the midst of a global history. Let us be the change global pandemic that has forced us  that we wish to see in the world today to live differently. The loss of lives and for generations to come. Thank and hardships due to the COVID-19 you again for this opportunity, may pandemic have been difficult to God bless and keep you all safe.  comprehend at times.  **END** Special appreciation to the Master of However, there are countless Ceremonies numbers of people, organizations and businesses that have risen to the Amy Vessel challenge and have shown us how to navigate our new reality. Solutions Endowed Professor and the Executive related to the delivery of food, Director of the Clinical Residency and clothing, health care, education Recruitment Centre, College of Education at and essential services have been reimagined. It has been inspiring Louisiana Tech University. to see the creativity and humanity of neighbours helping each other,  whether through  Zoom, Skype, Facetime or other platforms.  We have modified  the way we connect with one another online and the way we have learnt  to mask up and socially distance in person.  Life, as we know it, may be different, but it also gives us a chance to change

DAY HEALTH SECTOR 2 Opening Address centerpiece of the University’s Health Sciences Complex. His Harvey G Stenger was appointed research focuses on alternative President of Binghamton energy, hydrogen production and University in November, 2011. He mercury reaction pathways  as well earned his Bachelor’s Degree at as fuel cell modelling. Recently, Cornell University and received Harvey G Stenger has observed his PhD in Chemical Engineering the University’s response to the at Massachusetts Institute of COVID-19,  pandemic, which has Technology. Harvey G Stenger required rethinking on how the served at the University of Buffalo as University has been conducting an interim Provost and Dean of the research and its educational missions. School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He also served for six years at Lehigh University as a Dean. As the President of Binghamton University, he strengthened its  role in economic development, by establishing the regional first incubator and working with local officials to develop a new School of Pharmacy as the

Day 2: Health Sector | 89 Harvey G Stenger especially the live ones, is the participation of  people who helped President, Binghamton University, to organize it, right from our first Binghamton, New York, USA.   year students to our advanced faculty members, who worked together to I am humbled by our Master of create an itinerary, an agenda and Ceremonies’  generous introduction to host the conference. It was a great and invitation to open Day Two experience.  of the Let Us Dream International Conference. More than 25,000  will I can imagine what is happening participate in learning how to build right now in  organizing this networks that are sustainable and  conference.  It is just as  - and perhaps help to build our communities. in many ways more - challenging. We were fortunate last year to host The model of education that we the conference live  at our College use at CCPA is to take up  research of Community and Public Affairs that informs our students through  (CCPA), Binghamton University, internships and service learning in Binghamton, New York, USA. One of our local community, which makes  the benefits of hosting a conference, a real and measurable impact. These internships provide a tremendous experience for our students to learn about the impact of service learning and community engagements in the entire world and the experiences that will help the partners in future.  The theme of this conference has a lot to do with health care. What better things could be discussed  right now, as we are in the middle of this pandemic, but ways in which  we can support the global health care

90 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 system? Today’s keynote speakers While being virtual is not always and panelists are going to discuss the best approach, it has that added two critical issues - mental health, advantage of reaching out to so many  probably the number one concern in such an efficient way. So thank right now in our nation and in the you for being part of this conference world and secondly, the disparities in  as well. I hope you will organize health care that people face,  not just a great conference. Here is your here, but everywhere in the world.  assignment. Listen carefully, take notes, bring those ideas back into Certainly, I want to thank the leaders, your organizations and implement panelists, moderators and keynote them. That is the goal of a successful speakers, who are providing valuable conference. Enjoy the proceedings.  information to our audience.  I know this was a lot of work.  We want to thank Christ University, Bengaluru,  the Catholic University of Applied Sciences in Germany, our own Binghamton University  in Binghamton, New York, Louisiana Tech University as well as Grambling State University. Thank you so much for putting  all this together and partnering in such a great way. Of course I want to thank my friend, Father Lijo Thomas, who helped to organize this conference  and is also  the founder of the Let Us Dream Organization. Thank you so much Father.  I hope to see you soon.  I want to thank the thousands  who have watched and participated. 

Day 2: Health Sector | 91 Opening KeynOte care programs and developing community-oriented projects to Philip McCallion is the  Co-Principal assist aging persons who suffer from  Investigator of the Intellectual intellectual disabilities.  Disability Supplement for  the Irish Longitudinal Studies on aging. He Philip McCallion is a visiting Professor at Trinity College, Dublin, a John A Hartford Professor and Director of School of Social Foundation Social Work Faculty Work, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, Scholar and Mentor and  member of the Steering Committee of the USA. National Task Group on Intellectual I would like to thank the organizers Disabilities and Dementia. His for inviting me to deliver this research interest lies  in the field keynote speech on health. I also of social work, bridging the gap wish to acknowledge Lissa Ferret, between aging populations and who is my colleague and partner in others  with intellectual disabilities, the work that I am about to discuss.  such as Down’s Syndrome. In I always begin my consideration of 1996, he received more than 30 this work by thinking about the issues million research funding grants and of chronic illness. On the top of ten published more than 140 articles on interventions with older adults, related to  chronic conditions, caregivers with frail, eldery persons suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and others  with intellectual and developmental disabilities. His interest has extended to creating prepared communities, evaluating non-pharmacological interventions; increasing the reach of palliative

92 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 global causes of death that we have physical and mental health that explored, there are two that caught really needs to be studied.  my interest -   Heart Disease and  Type Two (2) Diabetes. These are These chronic illnesses do make me non-communicable diseases. They  understand that although I am not often have lifelong implications. a physician,  I think that I have an  To  cure these illnesses, they often important role to play in management require  me to take some steps as of our chronic conditions. This an individual, but also need to be is largely because of the social supported through the community.  determinants of health.  A lot of information on health  is influenced Much of my work is done in the by all the other things happening United States. If I examine  six or  around us in our lives, including our ten adults, I find that at least one has income,  our physical environment, a chronic disease, while four may employment situations and  levels of have two and  ten might have  more. literacy.  Also, there are factors such These are the leading causes of death, as  health behavior and access to disabilities and  drivers of our annual health services. There is also the level health care costs.  of social support that is available to me and  the impact of gender too. We  I also want to talk about the linkage are  permitting gender to  influence  between physical  and mental health, our access to health care.   which is one of the themes of  the health section. People with other There are various measures  we can chronic medical conditions have take  as individuals or communities a higher risk of depression, while  to improve  management of chronic patients of depression have a higher conditions for everyone. We have the risk for other medical conditions. Chronic Care Model that looks at the Yet, even if  there are other illnesses,  relationship between formal health depression is treatable, so that there care, health systems, communities is a  complex interaction between and individuals. May I draw your attention to the idea that there is

Day 2: Health Sector | 93 an activated interaction between  there  are no organizations who  are informed, activated patients and either able to or who would want to the productive interactions and adopt them. Moreover, they do not relationships with practice teams, get  implemented in the right way community partners as well as health and often  there are no mechanisms systems, to arrive at sound outcomes. to maintain any interventions, once So we try to understand the linkages they  are started with great fanfare.  between health determinants of our  life courses and also health outcomes Effectiveness is still important and as well as their distribution  among that is the other component that I the populations that I work with,  have not addressed just yet. But let looking at the interactions that the us think  about what it means when policy and other interventions at the we say that  intervention is effective. individual and the population level I think it is effective when it becomes can have, whether it is influencing widespread.  I am less interested in determinants of health or whether it interventions that work for three or is influencing health outcomes.  four people. I know it is important for them, but there are other people So as I work to develop, test and who will do that work, which is not encourage interventions, I am also the work I am focused on. I  focus encouraged by what we call the on interventions that are becoming “RE-AIM Framework”. RE-AIM widespread. From that, I want to give is Reach Effectiveness Adoption an example of the work involved in  Implementation and Maintenance. building healthy communities, what  It is really causing us to sit back and kind of work  gets done and what  think about  the evidence regarding  issues  we need to think  about.  interventions on how they will have a great effect and  why they Let me introduce you to the Health don’t  happen. The main  reason is Heart on the Hill Coalition. It was probably because we are not reaching a genuine coalition of a group of out to the right people and  because neighbors. As a university, we are one of the neighbors and  were in

94 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 a community called Westhill. It interest in doing this in  partnership, wanted a project that  meant that in a participatory way. When I think the neighbors would have the means of traditional community change and access to the live heart-healthy strategies, we tend to choose a unit lifestyles within  and supported for intervention. We are either by the community. So we started  largely focused on individual or on with some particular strength. community change. Even  if there is a Though each community is a little lot of communication back and forth, different,  we were fortunate to we are interested in understanding have developed some programs what it  means for the individual and already, such as  the Neighborhood the community.  Advocate Health Program that was serving a  few people. We had the In our coalition, we want to do faith communities in Westhill that something a little different. We were were organized and wanted to make really interested in community a difference. We had a medical change strategy to mobilize school that was nearby with a  small individuals in the community. We community service program, which  worked on partnership building, was willing to partner with us.  co-creation of community-based programing and utilized evaluation We also had the capacity for evidence to understand  the impact on both health programing, which  had individual and community levels been demonstrated in an effective simultaneously, not one or the other, individual behaviour change. In this, but both. So we  targeted what  we if the community was interested, wanted to change, what  we are we could quickly have a stand- doing and  what we are targeting. We up capacity to deliver. However, I certainly looked at the system level,  think the most important thing  was  health providers and the structures creating interest among  agencies, of the health care  delivery. We also individuals and the community examined  the roles of faith and to build a coalition. There was an community-based organizations in

Day 2: Health Sector | 95 promoting change and  at the roles at nutrition and physical activity as of individual businesses  in social well as efforts to help  people to stop networks that already existed in the smoking and self-manage. I can tell community, to promote  change at you the best ways in the world to all levels.  improve your chronic condition, but I am not going to be there every day We then looked at how well we or all  day to help you.  Therefore, I were building community-driven need to be telling you how to manage solutions and the strong coalition things by yourself, which why we with which we mobilized  the emphasize  ‘chronic disease self- community. We also examined what management’.  we advocated and what  we should have for systems at the level of policy On the other hand, we are also regulation and practice. It was a creating a community that would grassroots effort.  support these initiatives. Therefore, we focused on increasing community We certainly did  this to  support awareness and education and the individual behaviour change but also screening eventswere a good example as something that was permeating of those We explored access to health the whole community. We looked foods, in which we talked about at offering screening programs to food desserts creating  problems. build greater awareness of  chronic Generally, we found that people who conditions. We checked out  the have poor access to transportation, referral systems for primary care, with chronic conditions, often have as  many times the most challenged the least access to healthy foods. So communities have the least access to we think of  ways to increase access care. Therefore, we tried  to ensure in the community. There are a that access is available.  variety of strategies, often at  very low cost, which may  be effective We targeted our programing at the in   introducing healthy foods or  major risk factors and in this case, cardiovascular diseases. We looked

96 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 helping people to  understand how What we wanted to do and what to cook them.   we succeeded in doing was getting people to commit for  four months, We also looked at the issue of physical so that every month, they would activity. We realized that it was not pursue  activities in those three areas  only about increasing access, but  they were assigned and awarded also about creating safe  spaces for points for what they did. People exercise. Certainly, as a community, would commit themselves to four we are working on that. Moreover, months of these activities and try to because our interest is to engage  the gain at least 30 points each month. If community,  we wanted this to be they did that, they would be able to something that everybody was aware qualify for the grand prize drawing. of. It was really transformational, But at the same time, anyone  at any so we organized something that we time, who has turned the scorecard, called the ’Biggest Winner’,  a contest would also be eligible for the monthly that we ran for several months from prize drawing.  April to December.  It was modeled after a TV program in the United We targeted three communities of States, called ‘The Biggest Loser’, West Hill and the two neighboring that focused on helping people to communities of the Arbor Hill and lose weight. However,  people in the Southend. These house  the very our neighborhood say that others  challenged communities, which  are think we are losers. We don’t want to at the entry points of immigrants be called losers, as there is nothing to upstate New York. They are also gained by being the biggest loser, so communities with groups that we decide to make it all about being have lived for a long time and are the ‘Biggest Winner’.  undergoing  a  transitional period in housing. The communities are very We targeted the three major means ethnically diverse, while 20 percent of health-related behavior change - of the population are over 65. Almost nutrition, physical activity and health everyone in the community belongs care monitoring and management.

Day 2: Health Sector | 97 to  low income groups, while about 35 smoked, which was  higher than the percent of them are below the Federal typical rate in New York State.  Poverty Line. These are communities So this was not about getting people that have health disparities and also  who were ready to  change and who a disconnect between the level of did not  change a lot to make things  needs and  services that are being healthy. We really targeted people provided to the people.  who  needed these programs. We The community has  issues related to used evidence-based programs, crimes, as a large number of children  such as the chronic disease self- were described as being at risk, in management program. We built the presence of a lot of shut-in old a workforce largely of volunteers,  adults, who didn’t love  their homes just like the people who were very much. What really worked participating in the classes. We in these communities and for the developed a sense of community and Biggest Winner contests was that started seeing teams being formed at we engaged with organizations to the sites, for example, walking clubs, be partners in this campaign. They groups who would gather to go to became the places people could go the supermarket and just a team of to get information, to register and to people who would work together participate in activities. We ended up and support each other.   having 238 people who committed We looked to link our existing for four months and gathered 30 organizations within the community points each month, but probably and the new one to the neighborhood. had 500  who participated overall in For example, we have a food co- the activities  at portal sites. We were op, an Asian Arts Group, who were highly successful in engaging people really working to support each other who are most at risk. For example, and people in the community. I think among our contestants, the diabetes the most important thing the Healthy rate was 24, which was  about three Hearts on the Hill Coalition achieved times the rate of New York State. was that when this work  started, a lot About a third of our participants of people said that nothing was  going

98 | Let Us Dream Conference 2020 to happen. Looking at the problems people stepping out and volunteering of  the  community, , you are not to help each other. It was not just going to make a difference. What that they wanted to take up activities. really changed over time, which  the They wanted to help some of their  biggest winner contest helped us neighbors to participate in the to highlight, was  the coalition that activities as well.   was delivering. There were things It was that expectation of community happening and  excitement about the change that we believe was one of the competition . When we organized  most important things  we did. We  the final event of awarding the grand helped it and sustained the activities prize, there  was standing room only that we had started. We also learnt  a in the hall that we were using, even number  of things during the project, though  we were using the largest hall such as  community organization,  that we could find.  It was important because changing a community for us  to be in the community, so is a lot of hard work. There were that people could see that there was  a number of meetings, people to something happening.  be spoken  to and  challenges that Some of the other benefits included came up. Sometimes, it feels like a lot of personal stories from the two steps forward and one step people who participated, which back. Yet, it is still very rewarding reflected extraordinary gains that work. It is important that you should they made in improving their health. build strong relationships within Again, this was not something on a the community between different TV program or on an advertisement organizations, which can keep it in the newspaper. These were the sustainable.  It is not about someone  people you knew and over the four entering and doing something.  It months you saw walking much is about partnerships, about people more, we saw them clearly losing having the time to work with other  weight, people who could talk about groups  related to these issues.   how their diabetes  had gone down. It is about identifying champions The other thing we hoped for and  and advocates for your program and were gladdened about  is how we saw

Day 2: Health Sector | 99 keeping in mind that  sustainability should be important in every decision that you take. You do not do things for people, but you do things with people. That is how you create a legacy and why things are  carried on after you leave. Joel Barker said the “Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without a dream just passes time. Vision with action can change the world”. So I will add to that -  you have to start with a dream. That is what this conference is about. It is about stating a dream and restating a vision. The next step is action. I hope that what I have presented will help you see how one community worked on action.  The combination of the dream and of the vision with the action  can change the world. You start changing the world by changing one community at a time .  I want to thank Fr Lijo Thomas. I also want to thank the universities that have organized this conference and the organizing committee that invited me to present it.  I hope that in some small way, I can help to articulate their dreams and talk about how action with those dreams can change the world.