STARS (Students and Alumni for a Responsible Society)

Title of the practice

STARS (Students and Alumni for a Responsible Society)

The context that required the initiation of the practice

A global citizen needs to have empathy for the lot of the fellow human beings along with having a sound academic base. This initiative by the College is aimed at zeroing in on the students who have the potential to make a positive change to the society, work on their emotional and intellectual faculties and thus facilitate their transformation into contributing citizens. This becomes even more necessary in a College such as ours which is situated in a rural area with the students having a limited exposure to the outside world.  

Objectives of the practice

To mould students into responsible citizensTo promote active involvement of alumni in developing a culture to cater to the needs of the local societyTo encourage interaction between students and alumniTo enhance the employability skills of the students 

The Practice

A core group of 40 students are selected as volunteer leaders of STARS, every year. They are groomed under reputed alumni and teachers. The immediate need of the society is identified from time to time and necessary interventions are made. For instance, during the floods which ravaged the state in August 2018, the STARS volunteers intervened in the situation of shortage of basic needs in relief camps, by distributing food, clothing and other essentials. A delegation visited the flood affected students to evaluate the extent of loss that occurred and identified 20 students who were severely affected by the flood. Cash compensations of Rs. 5000, Rs. 25,000, Rs. 50,000 were given according to the extent of damage. A flood proof house was constructed for a severely affected student residing in a flood prone area, made possible by contributions received from the alumni, parents and teachers. As part of STARS, 10 best outgoing students are selected every year through a four level selection process and three among them are adjudged as the “Stars of Moore”. The first level of selection is a preliminary written test for all outgoing students. The second level is a verification of the academic and co-curricular achievements of the students selected in the first level. Those selected at the second level are given training for interviews and group discussions. The third level is a personal interview conducted by a reputed panel which includes an academician, a psychologist and an eminent person from the corporate sector through which 10 best performing students are selected. The final round is an open stage performance. The three STARS of MOORE are selected after taking into consideration the cumulative score of the final three rounds. The awards to the best students are distributed by renowned persons in ‘PATHEYAM’, a programme dedicated to bid adieu to the outgoing students.

Obstacles faced if any and strategies adopted to overcome them

Myriad obstacles faced were surmounted over the course of the years. The first most important obstacle was convincing the students who are used to subscribing to a conventional academic timetable on the relevance of such an initiative.  Teachers are assigned with the task of sensitizing the students of the benefits of such an outreach programme. Paucity of funds too is a handicap. This is overcome  by ensuring contributions from alumni and other stake holders. Finally tweaking the time table of the final semester students is not an easy task but over the years it is fine tuned to a smooth transition.

 Impact of the practice 

The STARS initiative has been one of the success stories of the College. It has helped in consolidating a culture that is in sync with the humanitarian values that the College espouses. STARS has helped the students achieve a happy union of the best of the heart and the mind. Besides this, more material and immediately visible contributions to the society such as the contributions made by STARS at the time of natural catastrophes too is significant.  

Resources required

#Funds

# Core Team of Teachers and Students

# Resource Persons

# Infrastructural Resources