Because Character Matters

BECAUSE CHARACTER MATTERS

Help more children learn the values that shape a lifetime

A school is where children learn to read, write and solve problems. But it is also where they learn to make choices to tell the truth when it is difficult, to respect differences, to take responsibility, to lead with integrity. These are the lessons that stay with us long after we have forgotten formulas and examinations. Yet they are often the hardest lessons to teach.

For over 20 years, Vivekananda Institute of Values (VIVA), Ramakrishna Mission Gurugram, has partnered with schools across India through the Value Education Programs thoughtfully designed sessions, teacher training and experiential classroom activities that help children grow into confident individuals and responsible citizens.

Why This Is a Necessity, Not an Add-On

Value education is not a soft, optional extra layered on top of ‘real’ academics. It builds the ability children actually need to get ahead. Swami Vivekananda, whose vision inspired VIVA, held that real education is what enables a person to be self-reliant and equips them for the struggle of life. Self-belief, sound decision-making and resilience are not extracurricular niceties — they are what decide whether a child can compete and succeed in a fast-changing, forward-looking world.

“Real education is that which enables one to be self-reliant, equips one for the struggle of life, brings out the strength of character, a spirit of philanthropy, and the courage of a lion.” — Swami Vivekananda

VIVA’s 2,000+ active schools are deliberately spread across rural, semi-urban and urban India — not concentrated in metro cities, where most education funding and attention already goes. It is in these towns and villages that students, often first-generation learners from underprivileged households, have the least access to structured life-skills support, and where a values programme makes the largest difference to a child’s trajectory.

For schools, this is directly tied to enrolment retention. A child who feels capable, motivated and personally invested in their own growth is far less likely to disengage or drop out — and in under-resourced schools, where every enrolled child matters to the school’s stability and funding, retention is not a soft outcome. It is a core, measurable concern. That is precisely why value education is increasingly being built into a school’s core offering rather than treated as an optional co-curricular activity: it is one of the most direct levers a school has for keeping the children it enrols.

So this is not only about instilling values. It is a practical, necessary intervention — helping schools retain the students they serve, and helping every child, especially those with the fewest advantages, build the ability to succeed in the world ahead.

A Movement Across India

What Students Carry Forward

✓ Students take part in regular sessions that build self-belief, reflection and honest conversation.

✓ They learn to recognise their own strengths early, the way our sessions helped a student decide to become a national basketball player.

✓ These habits stay with them after school, shaping how they make choices, handle conflict and lead others.

✓ The confidence and values built now help them succeed later in college, careers and everyday life.

A Parent’s Testimony: From "I Can" to "We Can"

A Parent's Testimony on the Impact of the Awakened Citizen Programme

Shravani Shivanna is an elite basketball player from Mysore and a student of Excel Public School. Our school, under the visionary leadership of our Principal, Mr. Mathew K. G., and our Vice Principal, Ms. Gubain Mathew, has always believed that education extends far beyond academic excellence. It places equal emphasis on values, life skills, character, and the conviction that every child is endowed with unique strengths and deserves opportunities to pursue their passion.

Several years ago, when Shravani was studying in Grade 5 or 6, Ms. Deepika Rao, then the facilitator of the Awakened Citizen Programme (ACP), introduced her class to the simple yet profound "I Can" concept during a substitution period.

"That evening, Shravani came home excited and said, ‘Mama, today I understood what I want to become.’ When I asked her what it was, she replied that she wanted to become a basketball player. I smiled and encouraged her, but she immediately added, ‘No, Mama. It is because I can play basketball very well.’"

That simple classroom reflection helped her recognise her own strength. It was the day the seed of "I Can" was planted.

As a parent and also as a teacher in the same school, I became curious about this concept. Ms. Deepika Rao explained that it was one of the foundational ideas of the Awakened Citizen Programme. From that day onwards, something changed — not only in Shravani, but in our entire family.

"The language of ‘I Can’ gradually became the language we spoke at home. We realised that the concept was not meant only for children. It challenged us as parents to question our own limiting beliefs. Could we dream bigger for our daughter? Could we support a path beyond conventional expectations? Could we believe that a young girl from Mysore could represent Karnataka and India? Gradually, our answer became a confident, ‘Yes, we can.’"

Looking back today, I do not see Shravani’s journey as the result of a single programme. Rather, I see it as the coming together of many people who embraced the same belief — that every child has unique potential, and together, we can help that potential flourish.

The first person to plant that seed was Ms. Deepika Rao. Equally inspiring was the culture of Excel Public School under the leadership of Mr. Mathew K. G. and Ms. Gubain Mathew. They believed that education is not confined to examination scores but includes nurturing every child’s unique potential.

As Shravani’s basketball journey demanded increasing commitment, the school ensured that she received the encouragement, understanding, flexibility, and academic support necessary to pursue excellence in both academics and basketball. In doing so, the school demonstrated that educational institutions can become places where dreams are nurtured and unique talents are celebrated.

The "I Can" philosophy became a shared belief. Ms. Deepika Rao believed that children could discover their strengths. Mr. Mathew K. G. and Ms. Gubain Mathew believed that schools could nurture every child’s unique potential. As parents, we believed that we too could overcome our own limiting beliefs and wholeheartedly support our daughter’s dream. Her coaches believed in her potential and guided her with dedication. Most importantly, Shravani believed that she could become the athlete she dreamed of becoming.

Shravani’s journey has since taken her from local courts to representing Karnataka and India on national and international platforms. Every milestone has been built on discipline, perseverance, dedicated coaching, unwavering family support, and an enabling school environment. Looking back, I believe that the seed of self-belief planted through the "I Can" concept became an integral part of that journey.

Today, I have the privilege of serving as a facilitator of both the Awakened Citizen Programme and the AACT Programme. My conviction in these programmes is rooted not merely in facilitator training but in lived experience.

This narration is therefore more than an expression of gratitude. It is also a testimony to how a simple idea, introduced at the right stage of a child’s life, can influence self-belief, shape decisions, inspire families, strengthen educational communities, and contribute to meaningful life journeys.

While no programme alone determines a child’s destiny, the Awakened Citizen Programme has the remarkable ability to ignite the first spark. When that spark is nurtured by committed educators, visionary school leaders, supportive families, dedicated coaches, and the child’s own perseverance, extraordinary journeys become possible.

I offer my heartfelt gratitude to the creators, editors, mentors, facilitators, and every individual associated with the Awakened Citizen Programme, to the Ramakrishna Mission, Gurugram for making such a transformative programme available to schools, and to Excel Public School for embracing and implementing it with vision and commitment.

My sincere appreciation goes to Mr. Mathew K. G., Ms. Gubain Mathew, Ms. Deepika Rao, Shravani’s coaches, teachers, and everyone who became part of her journey.

Together, they did not merely help shape an accomplished basketball player — they helped nurture a confident, resilient, compassionate, and purpose-driven young woman. For this, our family will always remain deeply grateful.

Why Your Support Matters

Every year, more schools ask for value education. Many are unable to access it because of limited resources. Your contribution helps VIVA reach more schools, train more teachers, and create more classrooms where children learn values that guide them throughout their lives.

You are not just supporting a programme. You are helping shape the character of a generation.

One School. Hundreds of Children. A Lifetime of Impact.

BECAUSE CHARACTER MATTERS

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