The Awakened Citizen Program is an initiative taken up by Ramakrishna Mission, Delhi which is a branch centre of Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, West Bengal. Ramakrishna Mission is a world-wide philanthropic organization founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1897 with the motto of “Atmano Moksartham Jagad Hitaya cha” i.e. “For one’s own liberation, and for the welfare of the world”. The Delhi centre has undertaken various spiritual, educational and social service activities since its establishment in 1927.
The Awakened Citizen Program has evolved over the years from earlier value education programs run by the center. Success Formula – I, a one hour value education program for students studying in classes VII, VIII and IX was launched in 2009. This was followed by Success Formula – II, a four hour program spread over two sessions and incorporating many interactive discussions and physical aids. Both the programs were very well received by the schools and there were requests to conduct longer programs. With the intention to create a deeper and more enduring impact, a three-year “Awakened Citizen Program” was envisioned with new teaching methodologies and curriculum framework. To test out the effectiveness of the idea, a 5-session pilot called “The Awakening” was conducted in 50 schools in Delhi in 2013-2014. The pilot program received a highly positive response from teachers, principals, students and parents. The current “Awakened Citizen Program” was launched in 2014.
- The program emphasizes that each child is unique and has infinite potential; education is the unfolding of this potential which can be manifested as excellence in every walk of life.
- The program is designed in a discussion oriented manner where the students analyze various explorations, real life situations and role models. The students think about, discuss and discover the consequences of various choices and hence get armed with a decision making framework for life.
- The program does not impose any dos and don’ts, but enables the children to develop faith in themselves, discover values and make responsible choices.
The program has been developed by Illumine Knowledge Resources (P) Ltd. based on extensive research into the works of Swami Vivekananda, inputs from senior monks of the Ramakrishna Order, design sessions with teachers and behavioural research. Each module has undergone multiple pilots and content iterations to ensure high quality and enable the students to discover and accept values.