In a bid to take kids to the outdoors and engage in adventure, the Pune-based Guardian Giripremi Institute of Mountaineering (GGIM) has come out with the eighth edition of ‘Avhaan Nirmaan Udaan’ - a comprehensive education programme for children.
A briefing meeting for all parents and students was held at the Abasaheb Garware Auditorium at Garware College in Pune on Sunday.
“The entire world has witnessed the horrors of the Covid-19 pandemic for the past two years. As it subsided gradually, we realized the importance of being physically fit, staying connected with nature, and being empowered with life skills,” said Bhushan Harshe, Head-Operations, GGIM.
"Along with fitness and environmental awareness, skills such as leadership, teamwork, perseverance, self-confidence and so on, must be practised and mastered. It is a need of time that India’s next generation will be empowered with these values and skill sets so that they can face bigger challenges in future. Many skill development activities are implemented during this training as per the new education policy of the Central Government and State Government,” said Harshe.
GGIM, through its ‘Avhaan Nirmaan Udaan’, a yearlong adventure educational programme teaches these very lessons in the outdoor settings.
The programme involves adventure activities such as trekking, rock climbing, outdoor camping, cooking, and essential skills learning such as first aid, map reading, flora fauna, history, geography and so on.
“The lessons learnt through experience play an instrumental role in developing the individual’s personality. Every year over 400 students participate in this unique curriculum,” he added.
"GGIM’s recently concluded programmes where 250 ANU students completed the Himalaya trek and over 120 beginner students completed Sahyadri adventures, have clearly proven the growing importance of adventure learning for school students," he said.