MARIA'S PUBLIC SCHOOL

Maria’s Public School in association with Royal Global School hosted the AFS India Intercultural Programmes Regional Meet (East Zone Member Schools) from 4th – 6th October 2024. Heads, faculty members and students of AFS Member Schools namely Maria’s Public School Guwahati, Royal Global School Guwahati, Hollotoli School Dimapur, N N Nagi School Dimapur, Delhi Public School Jorhat, Lakshmipat Singhania Academy Kolkata, SAI International Residential School Cuttack and Miles Bronson Residential School Guwahati were brought together under one platform to deliberate on the theme: “Culture and Sustainability- United for a Better World”.

The event was graced by Mrs. Diya Badgel, the National Director of AFS India, Mr. Jayanth Harihar Lal, Mr. Rituraj Phukan, Secretary General of Green Guard Nature Organisation, Mrs. Nellie Ahmed, the Founder and Managing Trustee of Maria’s Public School, Mrs. Richa Parashar Vice President Guwahati Chapter, Mrs. Mausumi Mahanta Principal of Maria’s Public School, Dr. Dillip Panda Principal Royal Global School, Mrs Binita Jain Vice Principal Royal Global School, Mr Nripen Dutta, the Founder Principal of Miles Bronson Residential School, Imtina Khathing, Monalisa Borthakur Singh Principal DPS Jorhat, a host of teachers and students.

Mrs Nellie Ahmed, Founder and Managing Trustee, Maria’s Public School was declared as the Regional Director, East Zone, AFS India on the same occasion.

On the second day the participating students along with their Principal Heads visited the Akshar Foundation, a school completely based on sustainability.

During the inauguration ceremony the keynote speaker Mr. Rituraj Phukan spoke about climate change, sustainable actions and future repercussions. The students were then divided into breakout sessions where they discussed the key topic. Ms. Diya Badgel in her speech discussed the significance, operating procedure and work culture of AFS India. The session was a resounding success with formal and informal activities all designed to promote student collaboration.

The evening of October 5th began with a warm welcome to the cruise Kohuwa Bon by Principal, Maria’s Public School, Mausumi Mahanta, who emphasized about intercultural exchange. Thereafter, a video created by class 9 students showcased the rich culture of Northeast India. This was followed by lively performances of Assamese folk dances: Dahal Thungri and Goalparia.

Dr. Biswajit De, Creative Director, Maria’s Public School gave an insightful talk about River Brahmaputra. After a brief tea break, attendees enjoyed a Tiwa folk dance recital and heard reflections from Royal Global School students followed by a spirited Bihu dance performance.

Worth mentioning, AFS India was launched in Guwahati by Maria’s Public School in 2018. This Academic Year 2023-24 has been extremely rewarding as three of our students were selected for international exchanges.

Chayanika Baruah of Class XII was the recipient of the prestigious Kennedy Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program and she attended school in the United States for 9 months bringing back wonderful memories.

Niharika Bhuyan of Class XI went to Japan for 6 months on the fully funded Asia Kakehashi scholarship.

Nandini Das of Class XI was selected for the AFS Global STEM Academies intercultural exchange program and she travelled to University of Pennsylvania in the United States, along with a global cohort of peers from around the world for a total of 51 active learning hours.

The parents of Marian students also opened their hearts and homes to host students from Maa Anandamayee Memorial School Uttarakhand, as part of the AFS India domestic cultural exchange earlier this year.

The significance of the meet on October 4 to 6, 2024 was not only in being the first of its kind but in its potential to shape the future of intercultural learning in this region. The meet also paved a way to create a platform for collaboration, innovation, and growth that will benefit the schools and students in North East India for years to come. This meet is expected to empower the member schools to contribute to the global AFS mission of developing active global citizens and seen as a precursor to many more such opportunities to exchange ideas, celebrate diversity and work towards a more inclusive and connected future.