Although the severity of COVID-19 has eased across India, the post-pandemic period brought new challenges to light. The transition from remote learning back to in-person classes created difficulties for young people in terms of both social interactions and academic performance. In addressing these new challenges, C2C and our partner institution CSS focused on how to utilize the “Power of Her” in order to help girls simultaneously reestablish strong social ties and improve learning.
This approach resulted in an innovative new program called Diamond and Star, which was designed to accomplish three goals. First, we sought to rebuild socio-economic support among the girls to enhance their resilience and maintain their sense of community and camaraderie. Second, after an assessment of the current teaching pedagogy, we discovered that the girls required curriculum follow-up and consistent timetable planning to ensure learning continuity. Third, many of the girls had developed a dependence on technology during the pandemic and needed a reinforcement of basic reading and writing skills to engage them again with in-person, full-time learning.
When implementing the Diamond and Star program, we relied on the “Power of Her”—that is, we found ways the girls could learn from and support each other as they improved their academic performance, self-confidence, and social engagement. In terms of academics, the CSS girls spanned the range from high to low achievers. Many of the girls also lived in the same nearby neighborhood and often interacted with each other after school hours. These were key factors in establishing a way in which “The Power of Her” would benefit the girls on academic, social, and personal levels.
The Diamond and Star program paired high-achieving girls with one or more low-achieving girls, with reward incentives offered for homework completion and test scores. For example, each group that completed their homework on time was awarded a diamond, and each group that scored more than 50% or more on the unit test was awarded a star. At the end of the academic year, the group with the most diamonds and stars would be awarded a special gift.
By relying on a peer-learning model and the “Power of Her,” we had great success with the Diamond and Star program. We implemented it at CSS in late November 2021, and by January 2022, we began to see many positive changes in both academics and the school environment. Most prominently, we found a much higher engagement among both the higher and lower-achieving girls, with the latter exhibiting a decrease in fear and anxiety and a marked increase in confidence. This confidence came through especially in writing, a key skill that the girls had almost forgotten during the pandemic.
With the notable success of C2C’s Diamond and Star, the administrators at CSS expanded the program to other classes. One of the teachers, Mrs. Janaki, remarked, “Needless to say, the other subject teachers, particularly math and science teachers teaching grades eight and nine, benefited the most from this program.” This attests to the benefits of the program across all disciplines.
The Diamond and Star program has been so successful that 67 students will receive awards at the end of the year. Also significantly, the curriculums that were initially sluggish at the beginning of the term have gained a great deal of momentum and interest. Due to these positive results, we plan to continue the Diamond and Star program at CSS next year.
The program strongly attests to the importance of the “Power of Her” and the ways in which girls can learn and grow by working and interacting with each other. Through Diamond and Star, girls lacking self-confidence or dealing with anxiety issues have found both strength and support from their fellow students. They have learned new talents, regained forgotten skills, and discovered that the “Power of Her” can help shape their lives and future.