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Prerana Sankul Cultural Evening Brings India's Diversity to Life Through Music, Dance and Experiential Learning
Understanding cultural diversity in India is possible from the confines of a classroom, but understanding it beyond those confines is way more valuable. One way Prerana Sankul in Vadnagar, Gujarat, accomplished this was by organizing an event featuring traditional music and dances, folk stories from 10 of the 28 states and 8 union territories, and a showcase of their regional attire. Rather than textbooks and lectures, this event was the answer. The culture program embodied the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat and turned the learning of students into a participatory act, as they were the representatives and promoters of their cultures.
The cultural evening was part of the Prerana experiential learning program and was a project of the Department of School Education and Literacy of the Ministry of Education, which the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti executed. The program, which is intended for students from class IX to XII, is a week-long, all-resident program that seeks to cultivate leadership, values, and an understanding of culture and an integration of the nation, through experiential activities, as opposed to activities that occur in a traditional classroom.
Incorporating Culture into Learning
The Prerana Cultural Evening, unlike traditional cultural competitions, allowed students to represent their home states and learn about the others. Participants were able to present their culture to students from all over the Country through the performance of regional dances, songs, and folk customs, as well as many elements of cultural heritage. The goal of this program was to allow students to not only see the cultural diversity of India, but to cultivate meaningful relationships that instill the desire to learn about the many languages and cultures of India.
According to the Ministry, the foundation of the program is the philosophy of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat, and its implementation.
An Alternative Educational Model
Prerana has been described as a school that does not conform to limits. Located at the historic Vernacular School in Vadnagar, the site where Prime Minister Narendra Modi first began his education, combines the traditional elements of India's cultural education with modern structures in pedagogy. Each week, 20 students, chosen from 10 districts across India, are provided with a residential program centered around 9 core values, such as Vividhta aur Ekta (Unity and Diversity), Navachar aur Jigyasa (Innovation and Curiosity), Karuna aur Seva (Compassion and Service), and Swatantrata aur Kartavya (Freedom and Duty).
Beyond the classroom, students are immersed in education through Storytelling, Heritage walks, visits to Archaeological sites, Indigenous games, Digital technology, Kinesthetic activities and team projects. Among other activities, Cultural Evenings provide an immersive component of the program.
Education Beyond the Classroom
Following the formal description of the program, each day of the program begins with Prerana, Yoga, and Mindfulness. This is followed by sessions centered around values, Practical sessions, Site visits, and Interactive sessions. Cultural evenings are dedicated to cultural exchange, Film viewings, Activities that showcase the talents of participants, and learning that fosters collaborative endeavors, reinforcing concepts learned during the day.
The program fosters participants bringing elements of their states such as traditional attire, folk songs, regional games, local arts, stories that inspire, and cultural practices. This enables participants of the different batches to learn from each other and allows each batch to represent a miniature depiction of India's diversity.
Supporting NEP 2020 Through Experiential Learning
The Prerana program exemplifies the NEP 2020 vision with its focus on experiential, interdisciplinary and values-based learning. Prerana is designed to go beyond the traditional success measure of academics to instill leadership, teamwork and cultural citizenship while also building empathy and creativity. Learning about Indian cultural heritage is not viewed as an extracurricular, but is a vital component of education.
The Ministry has said the program combines innovative modern technologies, while integrating Indian traditional knowledge systems, allowing students to merge the past with the present.
Why the Cultural Evening Matters
As culture continues to shift and focus more and more on the digital world, greater value on the few avenues for real-world cultural interaction for youth.
The Prerana cultural evening allows students to go beyond the confines of their own culture, as well as their own stereotypes, and realize their cultural commonalities. Students learn there is more to the concept of national integration than the civics books when they help one another celebrate and perform cultural functions.
One of the main goals of Prerana is also to show students how to be good citizens who appreciate and value all the differences in society.
Final Thoughts
As India executes elements of the NEP 2020, programs such as Prerana provide a prime example of experiential learning supplementing traditional education to instill values, leadership, and cultural awareness.
The Cultural Evening at Prerana Sankul serves more than a music and dance exhibition, demonstrating how education helps students learn that India's strength lies in its diversity rather than in its uniformity. Education can connect the disparate regions, languages, and traditions of India.
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