Awakened Citizen Programme

The Awakened Citizen Programme (ACP) is designed to help in awakening teachers to unfold the infinite potential that exists within themselves and the students they teach. It is a 3-year graded program (Year-1: Discovery of values, Year-2: Deepening of values & Year-3: Practicing values pro-actively) developed by Illumine Knowledge Resource Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai. Interested schools all over the country can register for this program online. Currently more than 4650 schools are registered with 20000+ trained teachers and 850000+ participating students. One can also join this program as a sponsor or volunteer, if interested. This article provides important details about this Awakened Citizen Programme.

Collaborators

The following are the collaborators of the Awakened Citizen Programme:

• Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

• Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti

• Central Board of Secondary Education

• Government of Madhya Pradesh

• Government of Rajasthan

• Government of Haryana

Key Highlights

• The Awakened Citizen Programme was launched nationwide on 14th February 2015.
• This is a secular program with no religious overtones and is provided to the schools without any charges.
• The program has a total of 48 modules (16 modules per year where each module is of 45 minute duration).
• 2 sets of Manuals (CFT) and CDs containing PowerPoint slides will be provided each year after the training program to the schools. These materials should be kept in the school readily available to teachers for use during class facilitation.
• Facilitation materials are provided to the schools in both Hindi and English for running the program.
• A team of Resource Persons will be available to assist the teachers through scheduled school visits and also offer phone and email support.

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Program Outline

Interested schools can implement the Awakened Citizen Program for the students of classes 6, 7 and 8 or classes 7, 8 and 9 as per their convenience. The main objective of this program is provided below.

• The program emphasizes that each child is unique and has infinite potential and education is the unfolding of this potential which can be manifested as excellence in every walk of life.
• The program is designed in a discussion oriented manner where the students analyze various explorations, real life situations and role models. The students think about, discuss and discover the consequences of various choices and hence get armed with a decision making framework for life.
• The program does not impose any dos and don’ts, but enables the children to develop faith in themselves, discover values and make responsible choices.

Pre-requisite for the programme

The school must agree to fulfill the following criteria to be eligible to participate in this programme:

• The enrolled school must run this program for a minimum period of 3 years and that too consecutively.
• It is mandatory to provide at least 1 period/week with at least 16 periods assigned in the school time table for this program in an academic year.
• School must send at least 2 teachers or 1 teacher per section for a 2-day training workshop.
• Only trained teachers can act as facilitators for the program in the schools for the specific class/year of the program.
• Only teachers who can conduct the program in either Hindi or English may be sent for training.
• Although there is no fee for the program but accommodation for the 2-day training program should be borne by the school concerned.
• During the academic year, ACP Resource Persons will visit the school for class observation and provide support to the teacher, if necessary. Principal’s support and cooperation is required in scheduling such visits.

Awakened Citizen Programme Application Process

Interested schools can register for the Awakened Citizen Programme through online mode. In the form available on the official website http://theawakenedcitizen.org/registration-for-schools, the school needs to provide details like name, address, affiliation number, state, email address, phone number, etc. Details of the school principal like name, mobile number and email address are also required. After providing all these details, click on the submit button to make submission of the registration form.

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How to enroll in the Awakened Citizen Programme?

An individual can also connect with the programme through any of the following means given below. Application form for the same can also be obtained from the official website. Applications can be submitted online or can be downloaded as PDF and filled offline.

1. Sponsor the Program- A huge amount of manpower, materials and monetary resources are required to implement the program at a national level. Those interested in sponsorship can write to the email address [email protected].
2. Join as Volunteer- Full-time committed volunteers with a variety of skills and experience can join the program. To know details about the volunteering process, one can write at [email protected].
3. Join as Resource Person/ Vivekananda Fellow- Individuals with specific skill sets with and strong academic background can join the program as a Resource Person/ Vivekananda Fellow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: What classes are considered appropriate for implementation of the ACP?

Answer: Classes 7, 8 and 9 have been considered appropriate for implementation of the ACP. Students of class 7^th are old enough to understand and make responsible choices when exposed to various options made available through slides. These ideas could be then deepened in class 8^th and 9^th which will help them awaken all their infinite possibilities.

Question 2: What facilities are required in the schools to run the program?

Answer: Schools with mere electrical power supply, laptop or desktop Computers and projector or smart boards can run the ACP successfully.

Question 3: Is it possible for the teachers to attend Year 2 and 3 programs without taking the training for Year 1 program?

Answer: No. Since the ACP is a graded program, unless a teacher is trained in Year 1, he/she will not be able to comprehend the depth and the key insights of Year 2 & 3.

Question 4: Who all can apply for the two-year fellowship program to connect with ACP?

Answer: Individuals with the following can apply for the fellowship program:

• Bachelor’s degree from a recognized University
• Good communication skills in Hindi and English
• Proficiency in MS Office – Word, Excel, Power Point
• Passionate about service to society and nation-building
• Appreciation for the Indian heritage and value system
• Willingness to be posted, travel and work from anywhere in India