Dynamics of Ownership Among Students

• By Nabeel Muhammad
• Saturday, December 6, 2014

For past six years, my educational journey has demanded me to perform several roles: teacher, volunteer, advisor and most important of all – friend. My experience with students have taught me many things – one thing in particular is that 'interest' varies from one youth to another. Often this dilemma is addressed in classroom with the use of taunt, discouragement and even punishment. It took me years of experiential learning to recognize my interests and I wholly understand the consequences of use of coercive measures to mold students' learning interests.

RETO believes every individual is special and has unique ways to express the potential for creative insight. Like mixture of different colors makes a beautiful rainbow, diversity of interests and expression make a classroom exciting, energetic and a place of learning. And the RETO team is there to perform a role of a facilitator that enables students to recognize their true potential.

“I am excited to run my own educational and sports program in my way, here I feel amazing when I am given the opportunity to manage learning and students’ events in my way” Kashif Ahmad, Student and Shades Team Member.

'Opportunity' and 'Ownership' are two fundamental mantras on which RETO's ideology is premised. The Shades Student Council program believes in providing students the opportunity to explore possibilities and gives them complete ownership of the initiatives taken during the project. The implementation of these principles have reaped tremendous results; members participating in the academic programs like 'Self Study' and 'Career Counseling' have prospered in their academic qualifications as well as have joined the faculty of trainers for younger students. Simultaneously, members who volunteered for community events organized by Shades, today stand at the forefront mentoring newly inducted volunteers.

My experience as well as RETO's initial intervention has revealed the positive outcome of 'faith in youth' and the power of 'guidance'. Students are profoundly impacted by the environment that surrounds them. RETO is working hand in hand with the community to create an environment that demonstrates possibilities, creates sense of ownership and invests in skill development to guide our future leaders.