NIOS, the world’s largest open school which offers diverse and flexible education.” said Dr. Piyush Prasad, Regional Director NIOS, Prayagraj

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Lucknow: “NIOS, the world’s largest open school which offers diverse and flexible education. Congratulations to children and the teachers for such a great result. To the students, remember, there’s no shortcut to success; your hard work brought you here.” said Dr. Piyush Prasad Regional Director, NIOS Regional Center, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh who was the chief guest who was the chief guest at the convocation ceremony of  Prerna Girls’ & Boys’ School, and Center for Learning School (CFL), unit of the Study Hall Educational Foundation (SHEF) on Friday September 8. The guest of honour at the ceremony was, Ms Priti Jhunjhunwala, Founder of Helping Hands.The guest of honour at the ceremony was Ms Priti Jhunjhunwala, Founder of Helping Hands. 

The event felicitated 85 girls and 41 boys who excelled in the NIOS board examinations for classes 10 and 12, receiving the prestigious Late Sundari Devi Kapoor Memorial Scholarship. Additionally, 45 former Prerna girls pursuing higher education were awarded the Late Rajendra Mohini Satpal Malhotra Memorial Scholarship. 

Principal Rakhi Panjwani initiated the program, congratulating students for their outstanding achievements and expressing gratitude to parents for their unwavering support. The event commenced with a presentation of ‘Mangalam’ by the students.

Ms Priti Jhunjhunwala while congratulating the students said “Prerna, as its name suggests, is a beacon of hope. Each and every child here is an architect of change, and I am delighted to witness such brilliant minds.Such brilliant minds”

Ms Pratima Srivastava Principal, Center for Learning said  “At SHEF, we firmly believe that every child is invaluable, deserving love, care, and a reason to smile. Today, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the students, many of whom I’ve had the privilege of working closely with over the years. I am confident that each one of you will uphold SHEF’s values and evolve to be respectful individuals.”

Ms Pratima Srivastava Principal, Center for Learning said  “At SHEF, we firmly believe that every child is invaluable, deserving love, care, and a reason to smile. Today, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the students, many of whom I’ve had the privilege of working closely with over the years. I am confident that each one of you will uphold SHEF’s values and evolve to be respectful individuals.”

Dr Urvashi Sahni, Founder & CEO, of SHEF also congratulated the students and said, “This is your first step towards success and I know that there will be many hurdles that you all will face but you should always know that you have the support of your teachers and parents. Prerna School and CFL play a pivotal role in molding students into well-rounded, empowered individuals. We are committed to inspiring every student to take charge of their destinies.”

During the academic year 2022-2023, students in the 12th and 10th grades excelled with outstanding scores.The felicitation ceremony commenced by honoring the highest-achieving students, such as Dipika Sahu and Geeta from Prerna Girls School, who attained an impressive 84%. Nishant Rawat, a student at Prerna Boys School who secured a remarkable 89%. Furthermore, Ishita Patel, from CFL (Center for Learning School),who not only secured 84.6% but also became the school’s Topper. Afterwards, the ceremony acknowledged and celebrated the accomplishments of all deserving students.

Seema Nisha, a former student of Prerna School, expressed, “Prerna is truly unique. The school embraces children coming from challenging backgrounds and the teachers not only provide education but also offer unwavering support, guiding through every obstacle teaching them to be resilient and empowering them to achieve their dreams. My sisters and I are very proud to be a part of Prerna”

The ceremony culminated with a dance performance and a gracious vote of thanks.

Workshop by Bewajah Foundation

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About the event

Bewajah foundation organised a session focused on the dynamics of power and violence as well as identity and community. Students took a deep dive into their own lives, embarking on a journey of personal growth. Speakers-Ms.  Prasanna and Mr. Gaurav Srivastava

SHEF concludes Democratic Citizenship Festival: 19 schools from 3 districts, over 200 children participated

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Lucknow: Study Hall Education Foundation (SHEF) concluded its  “Democratic Citizenship Festival” on Saturday, The festival saw enthusiastic participation from more than 200 children representing 19 schools across three districts. The event was organized to foster active and responsible citizenship among youth. Dr Farzana Shakeel, Secretary, CBSE Sahodaya schools cluster Barabanki and Amrita Das, Founder Director, Institute for Career Studies were the Chief Guests. 

Dr Urvashi Sahni Founder and CEO of SHEF said “We still have very strong patriarchal mindsets which govern how we behave and unless those are deconstructed and democratic mindsets are constructed, we will never have a robust democracy” 

Study Hall School, branches of CMS, A.R Jaipuria,  Prerna Girls and Boys School, Vidyasthali Kanar Inter College, Loreto school, Arvind Academy and Modern Academy and many other prestigious schools participated in the festival. The last day of the festival was packed with exciting events – students showcased prowess in dance in the segment “Dance of Democracy: We the People.” centred around Article 19. Students showcased their talents in art and poetry through “Unmesh”. In the “Perimeter” segment students reimagined constitutional scenarios mainly Articles 14, 19 and 21 showing profound insight. 

Meenakshi Shah, Vice principal Study Hall School, Concluded the event by highlighting the vision of SHEF, “A world where everyone is educated for Gender Equality, Social Justice, Personal Flourishing and Active Democratic Citizenship.” She expressed gratitude to all those who participated in the festival. 

Special session by BEWAJAH Foundation-

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About the event-

Study Hall College with Bewajah foundation organised a special session for its students on International Youth Day. This session focused on personal sharing keen observation and patient listening as tools for understanding perspective to build a better society.

Speakers-Ms.  Prasanna and Mr. Gaurav Srivastava

“Feminist coalition is formed with the aim of uniting grassroots organizations to take collective action against gender-based violence.” said Dr Urvashi Sahni

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Lucknow:“Feminist coalition is formed with the aim of uniting grassroots organizations to take collective action against gender-based violence.” said  Dr Urvashi Sahni founder and CEO of SHEF at Feminist coalition meetingon Wednesday 26th July. This meeting was organized  Study Hall Education Foundation (SHEF)’s Aarohini Initiative. Over 35 NGOs and government officials like UNICEF, Care India, AALI, HUM Foundation, Helping Hands, and YES Foundation were in attendance. 

The purpose of this annual meeting was to foster solutions, encourage collaboration and have dialogues on collective action that can be taken on critical issues faced by marginalized communities for centuries, especially women.  

“Through collaborative efforts, NGOs that are present here can seamlessly navigate through problems that they were unable to handle independently. This collaboration can turn into a powerful alliance” said Priyanka Saxena who is in charge of the The “India’s Daughters’ Campaign,” a campaign run by the Study Hall Educational Foundation, which has a powerful strategy that involves boys and men while addressing gender inequality, instigating change within them and the society.  

Saumya a representative of AALI Foundation Lucknow said “we should take charge of India’s Daughters’ Campaign and educate boys and men about gender justice. Help them build a gender lens which would help create collective front against gender based violence”

The event was highly engaging, consisting of various activities and discussions that fostered mutual understanding among the NGOs. It paved the way for numerous potential collaborations in the future.

“Theatre provides a safe space for children to express their feelings, rehearse resistance and think critically,” says Dr Urvashi Sahni

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Lucknow: “Theatre provides a safe space for children to express their feelings, rehearse resistance and think critically. At SHEF we provide all our children safe space to learn and fail. Arts and drama are an integral part of our pedagogy,” said Dr Urvashi Sahni at Yuva Manch, a theatre festival organised by Study Hall Educational Foundation (SHEF) at Sant Gadge Auditorium in Gomti Nagar. The festival showcased three critically acclaimed plays by renowned writers – Munshi Prem Chand, Anton Chekhov and Rabindra Nath Tagore, and performed by the students and alumni from various units of SHEF.

Yuva Manch opened with Thakur ka Kuan, an adaptation of Munshi Premchand’s story of the same name. The play was performed by students of Vidyasthali Kanar Inter College (a unit of SHEF). It was followed by a series of two English stories under the theatrical performance “Cheers to Chekhov” as a tribute by the students, to the renowned Russian playwright and master of modern short story, Anton Chekhov. ‘The Chameleon’, was a comical parody that kept the crowd guessing. It captured the hypocritical nature of individuals in society who prioritise authority and status over principles of truth and justice.

Meenakshi Bahadur, Principal of Study Hall said “Drama instils discipline and hones multiple skills in the children. It helps in fostering creativity, self-expression, and teamwork.”

The final presentation was an adaptation by Shrimati Usha Ganguly, of Rabindranath Tagore’s story ‘Chandalika, a poignant tale exploring caste, compassion, and self-liberation in 20th-century India, a compelling story of societal barriers shattered. Students of Prerna Girls School, Prerna Boys School and Study Hall performed the play for the audience.

A month-long theatre workshop was organised to hone the acting, diction and stage presentation of students by Mr. Bhartendu Kashyap and Mr. Vinay Kumar Mishra who directed all the plays. At the core of all these plays, societal issues were brought to light, which made for an evocative theatrical performance by the children.

Jishan a student from Laharpur Sitapur says “Patriarchy affects us as well girls. We must work towards ending gender discrimination, starting from our own homes by supporting our mothers and sisters.

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Lucknow: On 24th June 2023, A 5-day gender justice camp held in Sahbhagi Shikshan Kendra ended with a felicitation ceremony for all the participants. The camp was organized by Study Hall Education Foundation’s Aarohini Program in collaboration with Uttar Pradesh Government’s Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) for 86 boys from 43 upper primary government schools in Laharpur block, Sitapur. The ceremony was attended by Mr P.K. Tripathi Joint director of the social welfare department, Uttar Pradesh and Vinod Tiwari, police chief, Saidpur, Bakshi ka Talab.

The purpose of this camp was to make boys aware of gender issues and help them create a gender lens through active discussions and activities thus causing a shift in their mindset so that are able to understand gender disparity, They also learnt that Patriarchy is as harmful to boys as it is to girls. To eradicate patriarchy, boys must join the cause alongside girls. These boys are now prepared to create a safer, more inclusive world for women and girls by educating their parents and community about gender issues and societal injustices, thereby raising awareness.

Addressing the children Mr P.K. Tripathi said  “All of you have been selected by the Study Hall Educational Foundation as champions of gender justice, I know for sure that this camp has taught all of you to be better citizens and instilled values like respect and responsibility in you. Camps like these should be organized in every school !”

Mr Jishan a Student from Laharpur Block Sitapur said  “Patriarchy affects boys as well as girls. We must work towards ending gender discrimination, starting from our own homes by supporting our mothers and sisters Let’s raise our voices together for gender equality. I am very excited to share what I have learned in this camp with my friends.”

“It’s time for boys and men to change,” says Ms Priyanka Saxena, Program Manager, Aarohini Program. She mentions that a remarkable change is seen in the boys that have participated in the camp. These boys are now excited to share what they have learned in the camp with their friends back home and support their mothers and sisters in daily chores. These boys have successfully become champions of gender justice.  

The program ended with the distribution of certificates to all the participants and a group photograph with the chief guests.