Summer 2017 Day 1 of TeamUP in Punjab

We woke up early, 5 A.M., to the smell of a fresh cooked meal, and the sound of birds singing in the light summer breeze. After enjoying a delicious breakfast, we packed our bags and made a 15 minute trip out to the first location, Guru Harkrishan School, Nangal-Ghoman (Gurdaspur district). Upon arrival, with water bottles in hand, we took a tour of the school and met the principal. He gave us a run down of the basic functions of the school and answered all of our questions about problems with the schooling system in Punjab and shared some potential solutions.

At 11 A.M. we drove over to the second location, Sikh Heritage School in Harchowal (Gurdaspur district). The principal graciously met with us and gave a brief background of the school and the goals he has for it. He was able to arrange a room for us where we held two, one hour workshops for 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th graders. The workshops were led by Pahulmeet Singh. It focused on getting the students to think about time management and career choices. After each hour, we broke up into two groups and talked individually to a group of a few students to see if they had thought about careers, life goals, role models, their socio-economic status, etc. We finished our day at that school at 1 P.M. and headed back home. After a few hours of napping, to sleep off the jet lag, we gathered for an early dinner to debrief and prepare for day 2.