Day 9: Vanakkam HLC Int’l School!

The day finally came to visit our host community school. Our host teacher, Kritika, picked us up from the hotel and the driver expertly maneuvered between other cars, people and cows to get there. The drive to school gave us a glimpse of the physical and social ecosystem within which the students lived. At the school, the staff had prepared a special kolam to welcome us; an endearing gesture that set the stage for the incredible sense of warmth and acceptance we experienced throughout the trip.

We met with the co-founders and thought leaders, Raaji Naveen and Naveen Mahesh who are re-imagining the way education is implemented, and seeking ways to empower students to engage more authentically with learning. An example of this reimagined and dynamic perspective is that, in contrast to the expectation that a school tour be facilitated by teachers, the students walked us through the whole school, sharing with us the reasons behind the architectural design (there is a central circular, open space in the middle of the whole school that acts as a communal gathering for students, the bricks used are turned inside-out to signify that all students are unique, students explained the different curricula used at the school, the weekly schedule, sports events and play areas and the core school philosophy. 

After the school tour, we left for the U.S. Consulate in Chennai, where the United States-India Educational Foundation had organized a teacher workshop and invited us to share about our Fulbright journey and also meet the teachers.