While some of us opted to go to sports camp, visit family, or just lounge around during the summer, Miles Evans ’11 chose to spend his summer in India helping at a local school.
The following is an excerpt from the blog Five Treasures, maintained by Miles himself.
I will spend roughly three months volunteering at the Taktse International School in Sikkim, India between June 19 and August 28. Sikkim is a place of educational stagnation, where children are taught to not ask questions and simply memorize facts from a small curriculum. I will be working with Taktse to reverse this pattern and provide an education emphasizing independent thinking and leadership. My role there is loosely defined and many faceted. It is a small school, so I will assume the role of teacher, tutor, and advisor to many students in first grade through tenth grade. I will also take on projects for the school, ranging from improving and working on their small farm, to designing classes and working with teachers. One of my most important roles will be as a western influence to the children so that they can succeed as world leaders with strong English skills taught to them by a native speaker. The school is based highly on the family values that are prevalent in Sikkim, and so it wishes to develop productive, long-term relationships with the few foreign people who volunteer and work there in addition to the local support. I intend for my trip to be the beginning of one such long-term relationship that will continue to offer both the school and myself opportunities for learning and growth long after the summer is over.
For a full account of his adventures so far, visit Five Treasures. Enjoy!