A group of 30 teachers, including 24 from the Army public school, 4 Government teachers of Puducherry, and two teachers from Satya Special School had enrolled for the 5-day residential workshop organised by Sri Aurobindo Society Puducherry.

The first three days of the residential workshop were conducted at Sharanam, a training center for sustainable rural transformation.  The last two days were held at the Society House at Sri Aurobindo Society.

The program is the brainchild of Ms. Roopa Arun,   Wife of General A. Arun, GOC Dakshin Bharat area.  As an academic administrator with vast experience, Roopa Arun is steering this initiative.  This faculty training model will be replicated under her leadership in all the Army Public Schools of the Dakshin Bharat Area.  The programme was delivered with partners from various expertise and backgrounds to bring a paradigm change in the Indian education system. 

Theatre, therapeutic movement, arts, puppetry, technology, drumming, and yoga were the educative tools in the 5-day workshops.

The facilitators were from the National School of Drama, Nalandaway, Square Panda, Srima International School of Transformational Yoga, Yogathalam, and the Creative Movement Therapy Association of India (CMTAI).

The 9 Links did a pre-assessment of the teachers, and the post-assessment will be done after three months to gauge the programme's success.

The teachers experienced a better teaching-learning way through the use of modern technology and integrally.

This training programme is aligned with the National Educational Policy.

A facilitator speaks: "The teachers are exposed to movements and motions that can help educate students," says Preethi Rajagopalan of the Creative Movement Therapy Association of India.  In the words of Preethi, "I believe in the power of this medium to address the lack of resources towards mental, physical and emotional wellness."

Feedback from one participant: "I can use these movements to make some boring English lessons interesting.  We can also make students recap the whole week's lessons through movements and actions," says one teacher of the Army Public school.

For a detailed report, click here.