Creativity Beyond Classrooms : The Enactus DTU Experience at Rohini Centre
Have you seen the movie Taare Zameen par? Remember the art competition at the end, where everybody was drawing and painting?
And among all the students, there was Ishaan Awasthi, a child often misunderstood because of his poor academic performance.
But the moment everybody saw his painting, they did not just notice the artwork, they looked at that same child in a completely different light.
A child who used to be a nuisance for them, suddenly appeared calm, composed and especially confident, while he was painting.
Honestly, that is what creativity often does. It allows children to express the parts of themselves that usually remain buried under the expectations of marks and academic performance.
And sometimes, a child who stays quiet during lessons becomes the most expressive during activities involving art. And that is because it gives children something very important, a space where they can simply be themselves, especially in a world that often forces them to fit into fixed standards instead of embracing what makes them different.
Thankfully, there are still people who value creativity and are willing to encourage talents that often go unnoticed in these everyday routines.
On May 3rd, the Enactus DTU team visited the Rohini Centre of Pehchaan The Street School and conducted a creative activity session. There was no grand stage, no expensive supplies, no “perfect” setup, but there were students who were willing to do something new, something exciting and something that simply made them happy. And there were volunteers, who sat with the students, guided them and reassured them at every step that went wrong, saying “That’s totally okay buddy! We can start again, don’t worry”
The session involved very simple things, such as bottle caps, keychains, paints, brushes and most importantly, little students who were eager to let their creativity flow.
The day started as usual, students entering their classrooms, having chit-chats with their classmates, and stressing over the homework that they forgot at home.
And then, there came the Enactus DTU team, with a bag full of art supplies.
The team members sat with the students and encouraged them to paint the bottle caps. And the students were more than happy to participate.
Simply because they were allowed to express themselves freely through their art.
Many students painted flowers, some painted their favourite cartoon characters, some painted their favourite sweets, and some might have even painted without any plan at all.
And it’s beautiful, isn’t it? Not the paintings, not really the crafts but the moment.
The moment of students sitting together, mixing paints carefully, laughing, cracking jokes and giving each other high fives when they finally get the correct mix of colours.
And perhaps that is the beauty of experiential learning. It has a special kind of impact.
Because students remember how they felt during an activity far longer than they remember a lecture.
Think about your own experiences here for a moment. You may have forgotten definitions from a textbook, but have you ever forgotten the times when someone appreciated something you created with your own hands?
Probably not.
And to be honest, that is what activity-based learning spaces do.
They allow students to mix education with curiosity instead of the anxiety of remembering everything at once.
The Enactus DTU team did not just conduct an activity that day, they created an atmosphere where students could interact, participate, have fun and most importantly, express themselves freely.
Along with this bottle cap painting session, the team also distributed notebooks and pencils.
A notebook may not look like much to you and me, but for a child trying to stay connected to education, it does matter a lot.
For me, the most beautiful outcome of activities like these is that they do not just help students create paintings or crafts, but they also help children become more confident in expressing themselves. Because confidence definitely does not grow through marks alone. Sometimes, it grows when a child realizes that their ideas are appreciated and their creativity is valued too.
So, thank you once again, Enactus DTU team, for turning an ordinary day at the Rohini Centre into one filled with colour, laughter, and moments the students will probably remember forever.