Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most celebrated festivals in India. The 10-day festival is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm by worshipping the idol of Lord Ganesha and then immersing the idol in water. However, in recent times, large idols are being made out of polluting materials such as POP and toxic paints which when immersed in water, contribute to water pollution. In an attempt to change this harmful practice, I made an eco-friendly idol of Lord Ganesha out of soil. The idol was then decorated using eco-friendly paints made from sandalwood and other similar things. Apart from this being a service experience, my creativity skills were put to use as I learned sculpture making as well.
LOs:
LO1:Identify own strengths and develop areas of growth
I am not a very artistic person and my creative skills are weak, however, this experience was all about using creative thinking and skills. To develop this area of growth I did what I was good at. For me, observational learning is strong and effective since I am able to grasp the knowledge easily once I experience it visually. Here, I took help from an expert and asked her to show me basic skills and how to do the initial steps. Once I was confident of what I had seen, I was able to put those skills to use and make the sculpture.
LO 2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process
During this CAS experience, I developed the skill of sculpting. It was challenging because I had never tried anything like this before and was not aware of the techniques which had to be used. I faced many difficulties during the process such as making a clay dough with the right consistency, shaping the body parts properly, or even preventing the sculpture from cracking or breaking. For overcoming these challenges, I took help from an expert who has studied the art of sculpting. The expert helped me understand the techniques which had to be used during the process and by applying her knowledge, I was able to complete my sculpture. This skill might prove helpful to me in the future as I will now be able to make many more eco-friendly idols and prevent pollution. Also, this might influence others to drop the idea of polluting sculptures and opt for eco-friendly ones.
LO4:Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences
This CAS experience was done parallel to my summative assessments. I wanted to make the artwork but also had the stress of academics in my mind. As a result, I utilized my weekends to complete the sculpture and went for extra classes to do it properly. For academics, I productively used my school hours and followed a timetable to help me study efficiently. It was important for me to stay committed to this CAS experience because I was determined to develop a new skill and do something for the environment without compromising my academics.
LO 6:Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance
The problem with ordinary idols is that they cause a lot of pollution. As they result in water contamination, it severely affects the ecosystem in terms of the food web, extinction of species, and more. As I came to know about this global issue, I became more conscious about the environment which led me to take an action against the same. I contributed to SDG 14(life below water) and I hope that more people take similar steps to celebrate this festival in an eco-friendly manner.
LO7:Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions
This experience allowed me to make ethical choices against general unethical practices. Society encourages us to celebrate Indian festivals but forgets the danger which is proposed to the environment during the process. I did not want to become a part of this anymore so I did what was ethical. I celebrated the festival like I would do as always but this time I chose eco-friendly materials to create a safe environment for all. This was a win-win situation where nobody’s sentiments were hurt.
This CAS experience allowed me to demonstrate several learner profiles in many different ways. I saw myself being reflective as I reflected back on my action of bringing home an idol made of POP and corrected it. I was an inquirer and thinker since I researched different ways to celebrate the festival in an eco-friendly manner. I was a communicator as well when I tried to express my thoughts to people and spread awareness about the global issue.
Furthermore, I think this CAS experience will be beneficial for others like my community since they will be able to take more steps towards saving the environment and becoming a part of this revolution. This activity turned out to be a complete success for me because I learned a new skill, sculpting, and also celebrated a festival without harming the environment. All of this made me feel proud of myself and it further motivated me to do much better things in order to save the environment. This experience helped me to develop myself, be it learning a new skill set or bringing revolution to this world. I am sure I will use the knowledge gained by this experience in the future by celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi like this in the coming years and also motivating others to do the same.
Evidence:
