Pasch Events

(Vivek High School, Chandigarh – Alice Eleonoren Schule, Darmstadt – Germany)

Vivek High strengthens bonds with Germany

Chandigarh, Sep 3rd, 2013 – The new academic year 2013, for Vivek High School,Chandigarh started with an exciting and challenging opportunity for eleven students of the school from Grades X,XI and XII and two teachers to be a part of the student exchange program,The Indo –German Klassenzimmer. It has been initiated by Max Mueller Bhavan , New Delhi, under the PASCH program with financial support from The Robert Bosch Stiftung. It is a one year project from Apri 2013 to April, 2014.

This is the first such student exchange program to Germany, undertaken by the school. During the course of the program the students will learn about the German culture, music, religion, and experience the intercultural differences and similarities, as they would be staying with their host families for two weeks in Darmstadt, Germany the students would also get a chance to experience the German hospitality and generosity. The zealots are gearing up for the trip by attending German classes at the Goethe Zentrum, Chandigarh and are ready to fly off on September 12, 2013.

Mrs. P.K. Singh, Principal, Vivek High School remarked, “I am glad our school could offer an opportunity to its students to visit another country on an exchange program. Vivek High School is always open to such novel ideas as educational and exchange programs serve to enrich and inspire young minds through exposure to each other’s countries, including through short-term study abroad experiences.Through these programs, participants develop a better understanding of similarities and differences between the two’ cultures, as well as gain exposure to new ideas through student exchanges and homestays. Earlier too we have had students going to attend the Jugendcamps (Youth Camps) in Germany under the PASCH programme. In fact, two of our students namely Rajnit Paul and Annanay Jaitly of Grade X and XI, have just returned from Dassel, Germany after attending a three weeks camp.

The pupils and their teachers are working on a project ‘Growing up in India and Germany’. It would be a continuous project which would conclude with the fruition of the entire exchange program, the visit of the German students coming to India in November. In this project the Vivek High School scholars have identified and are penning their thoughts on thefour main factors that are especially important in shaping a person in a specific culture: society, religion, family and genetics.

Another highlight of the project would be the two exchanges when participants of both countries would in groups / teams and do extensive interviews, and experience the similarities / differences in culture by witnessing festivities and attending social functions like marriages etc. The students of Vivek High School paid visits to local areas and gathered data via videos, pictures etc.

The Indian and German students are currently using PASCH INTRANET and working simultaneously on the Project via MOODLE.

The ‘Deutsches –IndischesKlassenzimmer’ (German – Indian Classroom) is a cooperative project of the Robert Bosch Stiftung(foundation) and the Goethe- Institut Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi. It initiates and oversees partnerships whose collaboration transcends the student exchange visits that were common until now. The partner groups work together for a whole year on a jointly selected project of a topic that is a part of natural science, life science, social science or technical subjects that are taught at school. The collaborative work is carried out in a virtual’German – Indian Classroom’, in a visit and in a return visit, each of which has duration of at least two weeks. During the visits, the students live with host families and take part in classes in the host school.