CAS Components Covered: Creativity, Activity, Service
I had a six-day school-sponsored vacation to Gujarat’s Dang district, Padamdungri where I participated in a rural immersion program to learn about country life. I engaged in a variety of activities throughout the trip that addressed all three CAS strands, including warli paintings, crafting bamboo vessels, mud lipan, shooting rifles, trekking, etc.
LO 1: Recognize your own advantages and identify opportunities for personal development
My inventiveness and love of art were my strongest suit. Along with making other items out of flowers, leaves, and twigs I could find around me, I truly enjoyed painting the warlis. Also I loved to teach the local school kids some new sports and play with them.
LO 2: Show that difficulties have been overcome while gaining new abilities.
I experienced a few things for the first time on the trip.Things like mud lipan, which required handling cow manure with bare hands, were beyond things I could bring myself to do. However, I came to understand that in order for me to have a deeper understanding of rural life, it is necessary for me to get uncomfortable and leave my comfort zone. I was able to learn self-management techniques from this. Additionally, there were activities that required me to speak with people in order to learn about their way of life and economic circumstances, which improved my social and communication skills.
LO 4: Demonstrate a dedication to and persistence in CAS encounters.
The immersion in a rural setting was quite an adjustment for someone like me who is used to an urban existence. Even though there were times when I didn’t want to participate in certain activities because I thought they were disgusting or I was bored with them, I didn’t give up and completed the tasks over the course of the six-day vacation.
LO5: Show off your abilities and acknowledge the advantages of teamwork.
The warli painting served as the primary display for this learning objective. We had to paint a large wall that was allotted to us. We split up into groups and got to work painting the wall. Everyone had the chance to showcase their artistic abilities and inventiveness, and the painting turned out brilliantly as a result. When my friends completed a task without hesitation, even though it was something I did not want to do, it inspired me to complete it as well. The upside of this was that, by drawing inspiration from others, I was able to step beyond of my comfort zone.
