Reaching out during COVID-19
During these extraordinary circumstances, the centre rose to the challenge and continued to provide emotional support to Ashokans through the virtual medium. We swiftly moved to conducting our sessions on google hangouts and extending our telephone helpline services as well. A peer support group was formed and trained which ran a few interactions titled “We Care” on zoom. Diffusion of responsibility at the student-level led to ease in reaching out to those in need as well as covered greater ground and empowered students to be the change agents through small but significant gestures
The de-stress day just before the exam week this year was also conducted virtually.
A sensitising and helpline training workshop was organised for the SANG Team. SANG is a student led initiative consisting of ex students from Ashoka as well as other universities and are involved with volunteering for the hunger helpline during Covid times.The central focus of the workshop was to provide the team members with first responders training as well as working with the vulnerable population.
Further, a webinar on “Tools for Flourishing” informed by positive psychology was organised and jointly conducted by Dr Arvinder from ACWB and Prof Dr Dwight Jaggard from University of Pennsylvania.
The attendees of the webinar included the current batch of YIFs and the students from the Masters in positive psychology program from the University of Pennsylvania. The webinar was extremely well received by the participants owing to its relevance, especially during the pandemic. On popular demand Prof Jaggard and Dr Singh conducted a repeat of the webinar for the YIF alumni.
ACWB was responsible to curate and conduct a panel discussion on mental health as a part of a larger online conference organised by Ashoka University on “Impact of Covid 19 and beyond: From challenge to change in K -1”. It was the largest ever virtual gathering of educators and global experts to discuss the impact of COVID -19 on the Indian K-12 Education system. The panel titled, “Circle time for well being : Role of educators and school leaders” focused on understanding the world of a student through the perspectives of psychiatry, psychology and mentoring.The panel moderated by Dr Arvinder Singh, helped educators and leaders understand the world of children and adolescents and build strategies within the existing system and resources to provide emotionally safe spaces to build well adjusted citizens.
