In traditional tight-knit communities, the wisdom passed on to children was to ensure that they maintain good health and safety, and live in harmony with the environment and the rest of society. The wisdom was passed in bundles of guidelines and principles and their survival depended on social solidarity.
Our present-day communities are much more complex. The quest for personal development and explorations with the ‘outside’ world brings with it its own set of ideas and challenges, placing heavier demands and expectations from people. We live in an era of information overload, unlimited options and disposable lifestyles – influences that seem far more appealing than the acquisition of traditional wisdom and knowledge.
Therefore, it makes a great deal of sense that a basic set of practical knowledge and skills be put in place to balance one’s course of living. Skills Beyond Education is committed to this ideal, bolstering a strong component of inner will for each individual through its three main pillars: Apprentice Education Program, Inner Strength Program and Social & Civic Impact Program. All the programs focus to integrate forgotten skills and enrich the individual’s life.
Traditional education had attempted to address a holistic view of an individual’s personality through the informal education system. The formal education system, on the other hand, has prioritized knowledge at the expense of other aspects of one’s personality, believing that an increase in knowledge will automatically lead to positive changes in attitudes and behaviours.
In the last few years, it has become increasingly clear that knowledge alone does not change behaviour. People continue to forfeit their sleep even though they know that the following day is going to be tough; parents continue to allow children excessive use of technology even if they know that it is harmful for their child’s development; essential tasks keep getting postponed even if one knows that it must be done sooner. The pitfalls of such a gap between knowledge and behaviour become apparent only when one faces trouble. Although “trouble” can serve to teach us valuable lessons, why must one go down that route in order to secure a learning?
In this spirit, Skills Beyond Education dedicates its time and efforts to promote a more wholesome and meaningful way of living and learning, empowering not just the youth, but adults of various backgrounds by equipping them with much-needed life skills – be it for health, livelihood, hands-on learning, behavioural skills and so on.
Our workshops and camps range anywhere from a day to a week, while the extensive programs range from three months to a year. We support teens, adults, schools and corporate organisations to help them develop their own learning platforms. Some of our popular programs are Inner Strength Program, Survival Skills, Risk and Uncertainty, Personal and Occupational Safety and the leading Apprentice Education Program.
Apprentice Education Program
The elemental qualities of each individual are often buried under multiple layers of conformity. Just like a farmer, we have to create optimum conditions in which they are able to push through those limiting layers of mental and emotional baggage and flourish.
The Apprentice Education Program is designed to integrate meaning and functional learning through the social and civic projects taken up by adolescents and young adults, with a combination of self-directed, peer-assisted and mentor-led sessions. Our programs nurture the individuality of each apprentice while ensuring that connections are created through overlapping ideals and values with their peers and mentors. The mixed age-group of apprentices ensures a synergetic and symbiotic mindset, each one learning and benefiting from the other. At the end of their project, the apprentices deliver their learnings to a larger audience through classroom sessions, practical demonstrations, live interactions and their own published works to government schools, rural schools and children from underprivileged backgrounds.
We have learnt that true empathy only develops from hands-on experience, that engaging with our environment and the local community is the way to build our bravery muscles, that real learning comes from the most unexpected sources, and that doing our work deliberately and consistently strengthens our will, collectively moving us forward.
The act of mentoring thrives on partnership and collaboration—within schools, between schools, and with other groups and organizations. Our role is to mentor the apprentices through hands-on and holistic methods so that they’re outfitted to face the future.
Features:
Self-directed and mentor-led learning with peers and mixed age group. Authentic, experiential project work; fully-partially sponsored for select students*; work and learning opportunity for youngsters.
Program objective: To help youngsters cultivate leadership, resilience, confidence, great habits, strength of will, collaboration and inner strength to face life’s challenges.
Ages 14 – 24 years
Awards and certificates issued at the end of the Apprentice and Internship Program.
* Selection of students at the management’s discretion. Conditions apply.
Inner Strength Program
Our workshop on will power is one of our core modules. Any decision without action is pointless. Execution is the key to change our thoughts into action. The more we become aware of how our bodies and minds work, the easier it is to build inner strength and draw inspiration to do great or even routine things. We need to consciously build the will, like a muscle, to achieve our goals. Age old practices and tools are woven into our workshop “Cultivating Will Power” which is designed to build and nurture our will.
Age Group: Suitable for ages 9 years and above.
During school and college years we are primarily concerned with studies, friends, sports, academic and career choices. As we move into the adult chapter of our lives, many issues may be thrown at us, for which we may or may not have been prepared.
Inner Strength Camp helps develop winning habits and rhythms to maintain a healthy lifestyle, incorporating fitness, improving relationships important to us (with parents, spouses, children, friends, co-workers, bosses), setting boundaries, understanding our decision-making patterns, handling crisis, becoming aware of cultural context in communications and overcoming hidden fears, beliefs and behaviors.
The future is of unrestricted mobility with international education and business opportunities. Foreign travel will become the norm due to cheaper air fares, availability of various accommodations, and a growing appetite for global and national travel. Understanding the nature of communications along with sensitivity to people’s practices, beliefs and communication styles will help the budding generations face their future world with ease and comfort.
The heart of the Inner Strength Camp is to cultivate integrity, character and ability to face challenges of the future. Strong will power to get things done without procrastinating will be the key. This program develops leadership, self-reliance, collaboration, decision-making, self-awareness, life rhythms and inner strength to face life’s challenges.
Can include as learning tools: Woodworking, Knots, Journaling, Theatre, Artistic work, Art of Decision making, Will-Boot-Camp
These are short programs or mini-versions of the apprentice education programs to bring to adolescents who may not be involved with us in the full-year program. Inner-strength is part of the apprentice education. Inner-strength program is also our outreach program to engage with children from govt. and private schools from time to time apart from being a summer and holiday workshop.
All skill building workshops, which have been curated by skills beyond education and which we believe helps build a certain inner quality apart from taking away a real-life skill is part of the inner-strength program larger offerings.
Mentoring Program 121
Mentoring Program for Adults and Adolescents for building inner strength, will power, decision making, handling uncertainty, stress and becoming more mindful of oneself. Counselling to address work place challenges, stress, depression and uncertainty. Mentoring will be done one-to-one by real-life experts with varied life experience and learnings.
Star-Gazing Camp
Our flagship program, Star-Gazing Camp, inspires and cultivates cosmic consciousness by building our imagination and creativity through the simple act of gazing up at the night sky and learning our place in the galaxies; how we are all temporal and spiritual beings, yet know so little about the space that surrounds our planet. This session is tailored to suit all age groups – children (can be exclusive or open for all), adults, senior citizens, NGOs, corporates – to tap into the greater inspiration source: the cosmos.
Features:
Beginners Program for Adults and Kids. Overnight outdoor camping on the outskirts of the city. Stargaze with a ship captain, learn old sailors’ way of navigation, discover stars, constellations and planets without gadgets and telescopes.
Listen to star-lore and mysteries of our universe whilst watching the night sky and also during the pre-dawn star-gaze walk. Learn to identify the zoo-circle, pick up tips on astro-photography and learn to recognise galaxies and the milky way. Understanding our place in the universe and how we can relate to it physically and spiritually.
Program is designed for a soulful connect with the cosmos apart from learning tools and techniques for star-gazing for both adults and children over 11 years.
Viewing is subject to weather and light conditions.
Parallel Learning Programs
- Mentor training program
- Personal and Occupational Safety
- Safety and Security at Schools and Colleges
- Mindful Parenting
- Decision Making
- Social and Emotional Learning Camps
Please follow our Facebook page for the latest event dates and venues. You can also register through our contact page for updates via WhatsApp.