2025 Edition of the JMC Summer Camp:
30 Days of Fun-filled Learning
The much-looked forward to annual summer camp that coincided with school vacations was received with enthusiasm, gusto and great energy. Young people in the age group 9-16 years of …………….turned up in large numbers, beating Delhi’s scorching heat. They took refuge in the cool and peaceful environs of the Jai Shankar Memorial Centre (JMC) and gave their 100% to the expert facilitators, as they dabbled in numeracy, language and science-based concepts.
Using games and participatory activities they sharpened their conceptual understanding in Maths, Hindi and Science. All this, while gaining confidence in public speaking, sharing and expressing their thoughts and ideas in ways that were imaginative and creative. In the end, they walked away with minds full of possibilities and friendships to last a lifetime.
The camp that began on 2 June 2025 culminated with a gala function on …………. Children in the nearby Madanpur Khadar area have for years been attending the camp and looking forward to the new edition every year. Word of mouth referral and announcements through the field staff of JMC ensured a full house where enrolments were on first come first serve basis.
The 2025 annual summer camp saw multiple workshops being organised with expert faculty. A lot of thought had gone into planning themes day-wise, that would be relevant, engaging and meaningful for participants as they applied their newfound knowledge to their school and other out-of-school activities.
Hindi language proficiency workshop
Through a plethora of guided play and interactive activities, as many as 60 children were grouped according to their ages. The 6-9 year olds were introduced to Hindi. Students were categorised based on their ability to identify letters and consonants as they went on to make full words; and later construct articulate sentences. Focus was on improving vocabulary, pronunciation, spoken and conversational skills and overall comprehension.
Given the mixed background of students who hailed mostly from migrant families, their level of proficiency in Hindi too varied. While some could understand but not speak fluently, there were those who spoke well but could not write or read well. The sessions included a thorough familiarisation with vowels and consonants so that the foundation to Hindi language was strong. This paved the way for them to use the right words to frame their sentences and give wings to their thoughts and ideas. At the end of each day, there would be a lot of buzz with students engaging with one another in games and blackboard activity using Hindi as their medium of communication.
For the 10 to 13 year olds, a next level approach was used introducing them to ‘matras’. They were provided letters of the alphabet and matra signs, and encouraged to work together to build valid Hindi words with correct matras and consonants. As the workshop progressed, students experienced finer nuances in their comprehension, moving from identification of fundamental letters to building and creating words.
As the Hindi language workshop came to an end, teamwork was evident with participants enthusiastically demonstrating their learnings and taking part in games and exercises, showing their enhanced command over the Hindi language. They were especially forthcoming about the fact that they would now be able to communicate better with their peers, teachers and others who they came into daily contact with. On subsequent days of the summer school, participants made cards and conducted letter recognition activities. They formed words and brainstormed on the most appropriate use of the same in their sentences. Via the medium of art and sports, they translated thoughts and concepts into well refined linguistic expression. Games like “Train the Alphabet’ and ‘Grabdhon ki Shabdon’ allowed individual and group work to identify letters, words and vowels of Hindi.
Combining Basics of Mathematics with Language Development
Working in two groups, students were initiated into the world of Maths via the medium of physical playful activity. In a large hall they played with dice to add up numbers and used a mat to run, hop and jump taking their cues with numbers in mind. Whether it was addition or multiplication, they came up with solutions and shared their responses. The novelty of the exercises was that they had to use their bodies and their group members to convey the numerical results without resorting to using pen, paper, chalk and board.
A most interesting fusion ball game entailed the development of both mathematics and language. The competitive spirit of the groups was evident as they took part in games that evaluated not just their mathematical prowess but also their newly acquired grasp on the Hindi language.
Social Media Skills Session
Given the influence social media has on young people, this hands-on informative session touched upon several critical points of reference. From knowing the power of social media to choosing and navigating its use to advantage, the session covered a wide range of aspects. Mr Pranay Chaudhary, the facilitator guided over 30 children on creating content for YouTube, podcasts, blogging and other social media platforms. He outlined steps on pursuing a career in media and how different departments like scripting, news gathering, reporting, editing, photography and videography came together. Students were shown how to use digital apps like InShot, X & Recorder for editing. They were also warned about online cheating and how to safeguard and protect their interests.
Date with Mathematics, Numbers and Data
Concept-based learning that had potential to make mathematics more approachable and pleasant for young students was the aim of this session. Teaching students the fundamentals of mathematics and algebra in an interesting and dynamic manner was Mr VJ Ravishankar, a veteran statistician who made liberal use of simple, relevant examples to explain fundamental algebraic principles. Logic-based games, problem-solving activities, and a Sudoku activity further helped develop analytical and critical thinking skills in a fun way.
Basics of Science
Driving home the importance of science and developing a scientific temperament that went beyond textbook learning was another major success of the summer camp. Young learners were oriented to the fundamentals of science using engaging explanations and demos, guiding students on how to apply science effectively and optimally to real-life situations. The discussions and Q&As following the sessions were animated and enthusiastic. Prof. Bharat Seth, an acclaimed scientific educator with long teaching experience served as a perfect faculty who could break down complex scientific concepts into relatable nuggets of wisdom for the students to ignite their interest and stimulate a spirit of inquiry.
The interactive session saw the trials and tribulations as also the accomplishments of famous scientists including Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Marie Curie, Galileo Galilei, and Indian scientists like C.V. Raman and Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. It was fascinating to see discussions on the Big Bang Theory that recounted aspects related to the universe’s creation, complete with analogies and visual aids. Students were introduced to Quantum Basics. Of particular note was a session on “Science and Society” that looked at science in daily lives, touching upon energy, communication, transportation, and medical science and how society has adapted to these changes over millennia.
Bhaashan aur Abhivyakti (Speech and Expression)
Almost all children and their families expressed the need for students to hone their public speaking and storytelling abilities. The summer school enlisted the expertise of Ms Sucharita, an experienced guide, facilitator and teacher. She took up this activity with a view to shape participants’ oral communication, listening, and interpretative skills by focusing on speech (Bhashan) and expression (Abhivyakti).
At the end of the session students were oriented to the merits of attentive listening, developing ways to think out-of-the-box, indulge in expressive communication using speech, gestures, and emotions and finally use tools like music and storytelling narratives to be imaginative. A major outcome was the opening up of the quieter lot of students who were shy and apprehensive about stepping forward in a group. Their confidence levels were significantly enhanced as they shared their ideas on different story building angles enjoying authoring their plots, characters and storylines. Also of note was their improved listening quality and ability to interpret story lines and analyse events and outcomes. Some of the students concluded by sharing their plans of writing their own novels, plays and poems.
Recap Sessions
Finding letters of the alphabet and naming fruits in a play activity was interesting. Students identified names of various fruits from a cluster of hidden letters as they frantically began their “hunt”. This activity developed their ability to concentrate and think before acting swiftly. In the “Pigeon game” they refined their mental agility to develop the themes for their stories. Based on two sentences shared by the facilitator, each one developed their own story in groups and discussed the same.
Having embarked on a journey of acquiring new knowledge and putting it into action, one batch of students showcased their improved skills at Hindi vowel recognition. Indulging in the “Balloon Game” they worked in groups to identify Hindi vowels, pronounce them correctly and mark them on cardboard to create a beautiful garland of vowels.
The second batch enumerated their mathematical skills also using the “Balloon Game” as a prop. Their agility and strategic insights were on display as they presented numbers in different forms and styles using their imagination. Both batches had fun while acknowledging their enhanced physical, intellectual and linguistic development.
Joint Activities of Different Batches
The energy that came by combining participants of different batches was palpable. Mutual cooperation, team play, sharing and caring was evident as their collective energies came together to leverage maximum output from the planned activities. Fun with maths and numbers saw them indulge in a playful indoor “Mountain sport” that quizzed them on their ability to do multiplication. Next was “Memory Check”, a game that tested their skills at observation, recall and swiftness.
As the month-long Summer School came to a close students, facilitators and JMC coordinators prepared to bid adieu to the participants. A gala event was planned for parents and special guests but before that students shared their feedback on their experience, placing on record the tangible and intangible gains that they had seen in their scholastic abilities and personality development. They promised to share their learnings with others in the community and to return in 2026 for a fresh round of workshops, sessions, discussions and enactments. The faculty was particularly impressed with the level of grasping and understanding that the children had displayed.
They had very quickly learnt to respond to open-ended questions showing their critical thinking and team spirit. The utilisation of relatable examples and multimedia had made abstract concepts more engaging. Clearly, the benefits of the summer school were obvious. Post the summer school JMC staff went through all the feedback and activity reports to draw up a list of recommendations and suggestions that would go into making the next Summer School even more impactful and meaningful.
“Today’s child is like sponge. S/he is a keen observer and quick to learn. Just as negative influences are picked up in jiffy, good and positive strokes are also well received. Our experience has shown that we can use games, art and edutainment to shape and mould their character and value system. Of greatest joy is to see them surprised at their own talents and then sharing thoughts on what they would like to pursue as their careers. Giving them this kind of hope and the tools to achieve those dreams is the biggest takeaway of our summer workshops.”
– Poonam-Sr. prog coordinator
“Every year we try and raise the bar on what we do at the summer school. This year’s focus on Hindi, Maths and Science was extremely well received. Using games and art in individual and group activities helped us relate to each child and guide them on optimising their strengths and working on areas that needed attention. This constructive approach is the bedrock of our summer activity with students who come to JMC.”
– Vidya Raghavan-Vice President
“Unless we move with the times to steer our children to newer, safer and more constructive pathways, we would be failing in our duty as responsible citizens and gatekeepers of society. The willingness with which our volunteers, guest faculty and support staff step forward to engage in philanthropy is commendable.
– Geetha Ravishankar-President
“Putting to use my learnings of a lifetime of teaching could not have seen better results than what I experience at the end of the workshops I take for students at JMC. Every year my month-long association as guest faculty ends with an even greater resolve on my part to return the following year with more preparation and ideas for the next set of workshops.”
– Laxmi Arora – guest faculty