KiiT-IS Treads New Path With Panache
KiiT International School successfully launched its TED Ed Meet in KIIT Convention Centre, on 23rdOctober 2019. As thefirst school in the state and only the second in the country to be a registered TED Ed school, it has truly paved the path for ideas and innovation as its hallmark. . Founder, KIIT and KISS, Prof (Dr.) Achyuta Samanta congratulated the school for this wonderful initiative as it would set the benchmark for the highest level of transformational entertainment and design ideas for not just the school, but the state of Odisha.
For the event, the KiiT-IS TED Ed Club hosted Sister Deepa, Senior Member Awakening India, Brahma Kumari Society, Prof. Falguni Vasavada, Head of Strategic Management, MICA, Ahmedabad and Padma Shri Sudarshan Patnaik,renowned sand artist from Puri, Odisha as guest speakers. The theme of the event was Concoction of Spirituality, Modernity and Art. Mehel Mukul of Grade 4 was the first TED Ed speaker from the School and the youngest TED Edspeaker from India.
Sister Deepa dwelt on the spiritual aspect of life, as she emphasized the need to tap ones spirituality from within. Spirituality is innate and in the journey of life we often lose sight of our purity and in turn, our spirituality. She said that the mind is the instrument of spirituality while meditation is the technology to recharge positive thoughts. The story of the journey of a dew drops that she spoke about made her talk relatable and meaningful for all.
Mehel Mukul of Grade 4 of KiiT International School, spoke on the blue vs pink issue, highlighting the fact that the colors of the spectrum are for free, and we can draw our own rainbows with them without being straddled by the gender stereotypical color bias. Mehel had just the perfect energy and confidence to set the stage for Dr. Falguni Vasavada’s take on modernity.
Dr. Falguni Vasavada spoke on modernity, saying that it was more than just a better way of life. Modernity is all about evolution. Evolution is defined by the choices we make; choices that are meaningful for the individual and not made because we seek external affirmation and gratification – My life and My rules is what we should live by. Modernity also encompasses role reversals by choice. Gender equality and an internal makeover makes us more modern than any cosmetic brand. In a social media driven world, body positivity and acceptance of other body types without defining ourselves only on body image was very important. Dr. Vasavada said that she became a fashionishta at the age of 40 who encourages people to love themselves the way they are. She understands the value of a positive body image because of her long standing struggle with obesity. Each one of us must live their life without FOMO (fear of missing out) because of YOLO(You only live once.) The students’ response to her was overwhelming as her thoughts resonated with young people who struggle with low self-esteem.
Padma Shri Sudarshan Patnaik, renowned sand artist said that creativity, like spirituality, is innate. Difficult circumstances in life can often become stepping stones of opportunity to explore ones creative potential. As a child who loved art, he could not afford to buy art supplies. The beach that he lived next door to became his canvas. What is a fun activity for every child on the beach became an iconic medium of creativity for social awareness through his beautiful sand sculptures. Confidence, passion and self-belief is the key to unlock creativity.
The icing on the cake was a live sand animation by Swayam Sahay, a student from BJEM School. Swayam enthralled the audience with his magic as he created sand animation with a voiceover to support his message on the importance of environment and the future of mankind.
Dr. Mona Lisa Bal, Chairperson welcomed the speakers and spoke about the importance of ideas in changing the world.She reiterated that ideas transform themselves to innovation when they are articulated, discussed and debated in platforms like TED. Visible thinking processes are transformational. Principal, Dr. Sanjay Suar thanked the speakers and lauded the KiiT-IS TED Ed Club led by TED Ed Coordinator, Ms. Chinmoyee Pattnaik for the outstanding organization and execution of the launch event. Mrs. Saswati Bal, President, KIIT and KISS felicitated the speakers on behalf of the KIIT family.
An extremely successful launch event, it truly paved the path for metamorphosing KiiT International School to the world stage. Kudos KiiT-IS TED ED Club!! We are hungry for more, already!!