Stacey Blansky, ILR ‘20
In the summer following my sophomore year, I took part in the India Global Service Learning Program with the ILR School. After briefly learning about each of the four project sites (Mysore, Saragur, Kenchanahalli and Hosahalli), I decided to work in Hosahalli because I knew that I would never get another opportunity to live in a part of India untouched by Western tourism and influence. For me, travel is about veering off the beaten path and crafting an itinerary beyond that of the typical tourist.
In Hosahalli, Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM) partners with the Viveka Tribal Center for Learning (VTCL), a tribal residential school for local students of all ages. As the mentee of Dr. Ramkumar, head of tribal education at VTCL, I worked with teachers to create a standard curriculum for teaching English to students. After a few days of observation and varied attempts at leading classes, I quickly realized that teaching English was not nearly as straightforward as I had anticipated. A majority of the students had a very basic understanding of the English language, mainly limited to greetings (i.e. “Hi, how are you?”, “I am fine”). Prior to these obstacles, I expected to create lesson plans based on vocabulary lists and verb charts, a method I derived from my own personal experience with learning Spanish in grade school.
Reflecting back on that summer, I now believe that my understanding of Kannada was so limited that I struggled to initially explain the lesson plan such that the students would understand their learning trajectory. In the end, I relied most heavily on non-verbal cues (i.e. body language, imagery, music) to communicate with the students.
Besides my project involvement, I found living in Hosahalli to be quite unlike anything I have ever experienced before. Simply put, the school feels like a miniature university located within a tropical rainforest. There are two campuses, upper and lower, separated by a dirt road of approximately a quarter mile. Lower campus is where the canteen is located, along with the boys’ dorm and various classrooms. Upper campus houses the pavilion-style classrooms and a large field utilized for gym classes, recess, etc. Considering the remoteness of VTCL, the resources were surprisingly adequate. When I was there, there was electricity, running water and wireless internet—guaranteed about 50% of the time. There was always plenty of food, albeit a simple menu, and an even more plentiful sense of community.
Ultimately, Hosahalli is an excellent option for those seeking both human connection and personal challenge, though I urge you to consider this site regardless because it is guaranteed to provide you with an unparalleled service experience. I would also like to give a huge thank you to ILR International Programs, SVYM, the Off-Campus Opportunities Fund, and the generous donors that made this trip possible for me.
