To Improve Slum Schools

In the typical slum, Conant found, one-third of all children come from families in which there is neither father nor stepfather. Almost all their homes lack books and newspapers. Young girls say that their "biggest problem" is to get home without being molested by men. Teachers struggle "tenaciously and bravely" against the adversities of home and street, but bow before the realities. They assign no homework because it is an impossibility in filthy, noisy tenements. They teach no foreign languages in junior high school because half of their pupils hardly know English—they read at sixth-grade level or below. Their immediate task is to prod sleeping children who have been kept awake all night by battling parents. And they struggle steadily to keep their charges from quitting school, to keep them from joining the unemployed floaters on the street.

Within these limitations, slum teachers score remarkable successes. They do manage to bring some order to otherwise chaotic lives. Says Conant: "The outward manifestations of discipline, order and formal dress are found to a greater degree in the well-run slum schools of a city than in the wealthier sections of the same city." Yet in most big-city slums, more than half of the students drop out of school when they reach the legal age, usually 16. Two-thirds of the dropouts fail to find jobs; even among those who get high school diplomas, roughly half cannot get work. The massive idleness of slum-dwelling men aged 16 to 21 is the sharpest problem Conant found.

For the full article, click below:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,873487,00.html

Kharagpur Club Visit

Kharagpur Club

Welcome Exchange

It must be true that everyone has a twin in this world because everyone in Memphis will go crazy over this one. 14,000 miles from Memphis and guess who we run into?

A joint project with a Canadian Club for a good cause.

KID'S JUST HAVING FUN

This was the line to recieve a free backpack. We talk about Walmart right? The fact is that most of those children stood in line for up to three hours before getting a chance to enter the school. The line must have been over 100+ yards. I guess that Walmart line is not so bad after all.

Birla Academy of Art & Culture

BIRLA

Birla Academy of Art & Culture came into existence in the year 1966. Situated at Rabindra Sarobar, Kolkata, it is a systematically maintained art gallery that depicts the cultural heritage of India in the most beautiful manner.

It showcases the Indian modern art and gives an impetus to creativity and talent.

Calcutta Birla Academy of Art & Culture houses the mind-blowing paintings of the medieval period, woodcarvings, archaeological manuscripts, textiles and ancient Indian sculptures etc. Birla Academy of Art & Culture of Kolkata, India boasts of its huge collection of sculptures and manuscripts dating from 2nd to the 19th century AD. We had a excellent time discussion the Indian art movement, breaking through the industry, investment buying vs. the love of art and etc....

REPUBLIC DAY OF INDIA - 26th of January

REPUBLIC DAY OF INDIA - 26th of January

26th January 1950 is one of the most important days in Indian history as it was on this day the constitution of India came into force and India became a truly sovereign state. In this day India became a totally republican unit. The country finally realized the dream of Mahatma Gandhi and the numerous freedom fighters who, fought for and sacrificed their lives for the Independence of their country. So, the 26th of January was decreed a national holiday and has been recognized and celebrated as the Republic Day of India, ever since.

Today, the Republic Day is celebrated with much enthusiasm all over the country and especially in the capital, New Delhi where the celebrations start with the Presidential to the nation. The beginning of the occasion is always a solemn reminder of the sacrifice of the martyrs who died for the country in the freedom movement and the succeeding wars for the defense of sovereignty of their country.

Then, the President comes forward to award the medals of bravery to the people from the armed forces for their exceptional courage in the field and also the civilians, who have distinguished themselves by their different acts of valour in different situations.

I need some feedback people, let me know what you think about the blog!

Delhi Public High School

Mission

The mission of Delhi Public School R.K. Puram is "to open doors and open minds" and prepare the ground for the future of the nation.

School Profile
DPS R.K. Puram is a co-educational day-cum-boarding school, with approximately 9,500 students on its rolls, studying in three different campuses at R.K. Puram, East of Kailash and Vasant Vihar.
The school is among the most distinguished members of the Delhi Public School Society, as the path breaker in the pursuit of excellence and its endeavour of integrating quality with quantity, is reflected in the pivotal role it has played in the setting up of DPS Vasant Kunj, DPS Faridabad and DPS Manali at the national level, and in promoting three schools abroad in Kuwait, Nepal and Indonesia, for which it also co-ordinates their activities as their Linking School.
The school has also extended its expertise beyond the realm of the organisation, in collaboration with the Government of Haryana, by taking up 3 Schools in the under-privileged area of Mewat, to augment and enhance their standards and make them more conducive to teaming.
Education is a life-long process, but it must develop from firm and broad foundations. The goal of the school is to imbibe in the students a love of learning and inculcate in them a desire to excel at every level. The school also aims at equipping the students with the intellectual and practical skills that are necessary to meet the inevitable challenges in the future.

Additional Information: http://www.dpsrkp.net/about_us.htm

The faculty of Delhi Public School R.K. Puram shapes its special character. Each faculty member is both a teacher and a scholar, an expert in his or her own field. The faculty of Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram consists of 220 full time highly qualified teachers, who have extensive teaching experience in their respective fields.
Each staff member also imbibes the DPS culture and ethos, which is the thread that binds the entire teaching fraternity of the DPS Society. This academic community not only imparts instruction through the regular teaching periods, it also engages students in a variety of other ways, whether it is to conduct the morning assembly, bring out school publications, arrange and participate in cultural shows, or just simply arrange visits.
All teachers are also involved in some school activity, as House Wardens, Class Reps, the Environment Council, Editorial Board, Cultural Department or Sports, to name a few. In fact, all teachers also share membership with students on various committees, school houses, and supervise individual or small-group research projects. The opportunities for formal and informal relationships with the DPS faculty are plentiful and rewarding, resulting in lifelong friendships as well as professional mentorship that shape students' lives and careers.
Teaching Style
Students learn through teacher instruction, group activities and field trips. Seminars and workshops also form an integral part of the School Curriculum. Teachers use a student-centered style which instills confidence, initiative, and the development of critical and analytical skills.
Guest Speakers are also invited to the schools to familiarize the students on various academic, scientific, social and cultural issues.

Saint Pauls Cathedral

Saint Pauls Cathedral
Calcutta St. Paul's Cathedral is the first Episcopal Church of the Orient. Bishop Wilson patronized the construction of this beautiful church in 1839. The credit for the awesome designing of this Indo-Gothic architecture goes to Major W.N. Forbes. The work of establishing the St. Paul Cathedral of Kolkata, India got completed in 1847. It is situated at the southern end of the Maidan.

The church got destroyed due to the earthquake of 1897 and then it was renovated. But, the earthquake of 1934 led to the collapse of the tower and eventually it was rebuilt on the lines of the Bell Harry Tower of Canterbury Cathedral. It is 247 ft. in length and 81 ft. in width. The main hall of the cathedral is very large containing splendid carved wooden pews and chairs. Its eastern walls are covered with the mind-blowing colorful artwork.

The church is located within huge grounds, where you can also find a meditation point that has been set up in the recent times in collaboration with distinguished citizens of Tagore's Shantiniketan. The beautiful pictures describe the life and works of Saint Paul. The atmosphere of this cathedral is very tranquil. The architecture and the interim of the Saint Paul Cathedral is truly a feast for eyes.
http://www.kolkata.org.uk/religious-places/st-pauls-cathedral.html

Project 3 0f 4, 200 pts...
Humanitarian Service
http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byrnes-famous/TERESA2.html

Slumdog Millionaire >>> A MUST SEE!!!!! THE REAL INDIA!

A slum, as defined by the United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security.
The term has traditionally referred to housing areas that were once respectable but which deteriorated as the original dwellers moved on to newer and better parts of the city, but has come to include the vast informal settlements found in cities in the developing world.

THIS MOVIE IS A MUST SEE! I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS! GO SEE IT MEMPHIS! GO SEE IT WORLD!!!

MUMBAI (AFP) — "Slumdog Millionaire" received rave reviews from Indian critics on Saturday after it went on general release across the country, but got a more mixed response from the public.
The film, which has been nominated for 10 Oscars, hit screens here in English and Hindi on Friday amid massive interest and after sharp debate about its portrayal of the seamier, poorer side of Indian life.
Critics in the English-language dailies lauded the film, which follows a lowly Mumbai teaboy who wins the top prize on the Indian version of the gameshow "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?"
The Hindustan Times gave the film five stars out of five, describing it as a "masterwork of technical bravura, adorned with inspired ensemble performances and directed with astonishing empathy".

Marble Palace (Kolkata) - Jan 23

Marble Palace

History
The house was built by Raja Rajendra Mullick in 1835. The house continues to be a residence for his descendants, and the current occupants are the family of Raja Rajendra Mullick Bahadur.

Architecture
The house is basically Neoclassical in style, while the plan with its open courtyards is largely traditional Bengali.

Collections
The house contains large quantities of Western sculpture and Victorian furniture, paintings by European and Indian artists, and other objets d'art. Decorative objects include large chandeliers, clocks, floor to ceiling mirrors, and busts of kings and queens.
The house is said to contain two paintings by Rubens, "The Marriage of St. Catherine" and "The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian." There are also said to be two paintings by Sir Joshua Reynolds, "The Infant Hercules Strangling the Serpent" and "Venus and Cupid". Other artists said to figure in the collections include Titian, Murillo, and John Opie.

Marble Palace Zoo
Located next to the palace is the Marble Palace Zoo, the first zoo opened in India, also by Raja Rajendra Mullick. It now primarily serves as an aviary, including peacocks, toucans, storks, and cranes.

Access
Because Marble Palace remains a working residence, entrance is restricted. Permission must be obtained from the government tourist office 24 hours in advance at
WEST BENGAL TOURIST INFORMATION BUREAU
Website: www.wbtourism.com

Media Coverage - West Meets East

Published in The Telegraph Saltlake

WWW.AKSHDESIGNS.COM

WWW.AKSHDESIGNS.COM

Owners

Mr. and Mrs. Suraj Kr.Dhanuka - owners of Aksh Designs are a true success story. It comes to my attention that most of the women in Calcutta have hobbies that most of you won't believe is just that; a hobby. The fact is that many are successful artist, fashion designer, and crafters and etc.. So it comes by no surprise that Suraji and wife, Kiran has developed a very successful clothing design company over the past eight years. This coupe started this business with the investment of $300 dollars each spread between Kiran sister and the married couple. What started off as an ideal that if the cloths don't sell we'll just wear them ourselves has turned into a business with over 100 employees and 400 preferred clients. When asking Kiran how far do see plan on expanding, she replied." I not only have 100 employees, I have 100 families to help support." I was shock with the response and conditions of their manufacturing centers. With a working force mostly of men, they have an uncommon open, cooperative, and trusting relationship with their work force. Keep in mind that I'm no kind of fashion expert, but I would have to say that many of the patterns and designs, I've seen in there studio is one of a kind and extremely well made. Look for Aksh Designs in the near future!

Carl thinking whether or not to bring Pam here......Don't do it !!!!!!

lol .........Carolynn in art heaven