Adarsha Vidyalaya, are English medium model schools established in rural areas to afford better learning opportunities to meritorious students. Admissions to these high schools are selective and students have to perform well in an admission test designed to pick out the best.
Lavanya, a seventh std student at Adarsha Vidyalaya, Gauribidanur, transitioning from a Kannada medium to an English medium school was a challenge she gladly took on, with encouragement from her father.
While she still continued to perform very well in her academics, she lacked the confidence to speak in English and participate. Class discussions were a cause of much trepidation and frustration for her as she often knew the answers but felt tongue-tied and feared embarrassment.
To help these brilliant kids and make them more comfortable in a new medium the Confidence Catalyst program was designed as a series of interventions to improve self-confidence, communication skills and comfort with English language.
While the initial sessions saw some hesitation, by the time we completed the year-long sessions these little kids were jumping up to participate in class. The facilitators saw a dramatic improvement in most students’ confidence. Even the shyest students were slowly working on their hesitation to talk.
As much as the program benefited the students it also left the creators/facilitators with a sense of contentment and joy in seeing the progress of the children.