Learning by doing

When a stream of 200 kids and teenagers made their way into the Movenpick Hotel on July 15th, they had very little idea of what awaited them. Giddy with excitement, the crowd of 10-15 year olds lined up for registration – their faces glowing and eager, an expression which would ordinarily not be seen at eight o’clock in the morning. But it wasn’t an ordinary day.

The eighth Junior Leaders Conference (JLC) hosted by the School of Leadership (SoL) kicked off with a bang, promising three energy-packed days of confidence building activities and interactive sessions. The very ambience of the place stood out like a firecracker in gray background, giving cheerful vibes to the bright room where music resonated off the walls and kids chatted away enthusiastically.

‘Enablers’, carefully picked out from Train the Young Trainer programme, were well-skilled in getting the kids comfortable very quickly. It was their assistance and gentle prodding that got everyone to break out of their shells and network with people their age, leaving no room for awkwardness in any session and ensuring a smooth flow of things.

Breaking down barriers was more essential in this JLC as it saw diversity like never before. Kids from less affluent backgrounds travelled from all over the country to be a part of the character-building conference. Most of the participants were partially or fully sponsored – ensuring that none got left behind in the journey to improvement.

This year’s theme, ‘I am alive’, aimed at unlearning unnecessary conditions put forward by society and redefining the purpose of life. Kids were encouraged every step of the way to think for themselves, make decisions and recognise the potential which each of them possesses. Sessions were conducted where they were invited to explore their dreams and ideas without fear of being judged. Not only did this give life to creativity, but also boosted the confidence of many who were afraid of speaking up in front of a big crowd.

Although the first day saw more of speeches and dialogues, it was soon followed by practical implementation to achieve the conference’s main objectives. “These are young kids who don’t like much talking. Which is why we prefer learning by doing,” said CEO Umair Jaliawala.

He then added that experiential learning was one of their approaches to make kids look forward to all kinds of new experiences. One of these was a trip to a school in Sultanabad where they had a wall painting activity. “It’s important to incorporate indoor activities with outdoor ones. Every kid was given a small part of the wall to paint in his own way. This was to make them realise that they all play a role in making a difference, no matter how small. Every one of them holds a piece of a puzzle, which eventually connects all of us together to form one big picture.”

Other field trips to the Civil Hospital and Darul Sukoon were to awaken the sense of gratitude that nature has blessed humans with. The director pointed out that kids these days are becoming more demanding for gadgets and a lifestyle their parents might not necessarily be able to provide for them. However, seeing the other side makes them fancy a different thing – to contribute and give away, and consequently resulting in fewer complaints.

The major focus was on exposing young minds to the many things the world has to offer. “A person who has never seen biryani, will never want it either!” exclaimed Jaliawala, using an effective analogy to emphasize the important of exposure.

To further enhance this idea, a Creative Exploration session was conducted where participants were given a variety of career options – including but not limited to graffiti, design, creative writing, dance and music – to choose from and find their passion in. This was probably the most exciting thing to happen during the entire conference, and members rushed to choose a profession to indulge in.

Teams of professionals led these stations, highlighting the discipline of music, building appreciation for photography and engaging juniors in basics of robotics amongst many other practical lessons. Young and eager, Zahra could not contain her excitement at the Health Sciences station. “I wanted to explore fashion but they were talking about road accidents and basic medical assistance over here so I felt compelled to join them. This makes me want to know more about first aid than ever.” She was also spotted making notes during break time, claiming that she had a responsibility to pass on her newly acquired knowledge to her schoolmates back in Islamabad.

Perhaps the most special element of the conference was its determination to build bridges between parents and children. During the lunch session, a team of Enablers assisted kids in opening up to their mothers, and vice versa. The next day, parents were invited to attend a panel discussion led by Dr. Moiz Hussain, Shireen Naqvi and Umair Jaliawala. It was to play an important part in helping parents understand the working of a child’s mind. Shireen Naqvi led parents through a role play activity where they were asked to respond to different scenarios that their children may face.

For three days, participants remained engaged in recycling projects, interactive sessions, field trips, team building activities and the occasional breaking out into a dance session which allowed them to bring down their walls and engage with one another. Young enablers knew exactly what was needed to energise the crowd and would randomly make them shout encouraging slogans to keep the kids up and on their toes. 

Fakhr-e-Alam divulged his personal story to inspire members to find their passion and pursue it for the benefit of our country.

Teaching technical and hard skills has never been part of the agenda of Team JLC. Instead, they ventured out to plant seeds of kindness, expression and self-confidence with the hopes that they would grow into firmly-rooted trees – bold and passionate enough to take on the world.         

The event closed with Anmol Zehra, the Conference Lead, reminding the participants to relive their experience at JLC by implementing on their knowledge, so they may benefit society as a whole. The diversity of opinions, ideas and people made JLC yet another success – one where all were encouraged to define ‘what makes [them] alive’ for themselves.