Youreka Express!

:) Laugh out Loudly!!

2009-06-08T17:17:00.007+05:30

Skools Up!

2009-06-08T13:53:00.005+05:30

School up, time for summer camp

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Express News Service

Posted: May 15, 2008 at 2309 hrs IST

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New Delhi, May 14 With vacations round the corner, summer camps for children are already kicking off across the Capital.

Jason Lopez, project manager of Youreka summer camps, the outdoor education division of idiscoveri, says, “The idea is to challenge kids, give them an opportunity to check out the wilderness while having fun.”

Riverside backpacking and rock climbing along the banks of the River Tons, in Tirthan Valley, or Sitlakhet certainly offers children a fresh perspective. Altitudes Adventures is another enterprise set up to challenge children. Its founding member Rajiv Khare says: “It’s wonderful to see a seven-year-old taking his own decisions.”

Other than learning to pitch a tent or balance on ropes, a rural awareness programme in the mountains exposes the children to education outside the textbook. “We attach students to a village so that they can map things first-hand. How many houses are there, for instance, or where the water comes from,” says Khare.

The camps may be exciting, but they are not for everyone. For fashion designer Tanuja Jha, who has never sent her children to a summer camp, fear and cost are impeding factors. “They are risky. Perhaps, if it was cheaper we would send them,” she says.

Sociologist Srinivas Rao, assistant professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, says the camps are “institutionalised forms of engagement for children”. It is only when the children are back in school after the camps and talk about the holidays that the issue of hierarchy comes up.

“The middle class includes millionaires and government servants with low wages — the camps can create classes within classrooms.”

Summer Magic - Only with Youreka!

2009-06-08T11:51:00.004+05:30

Check the Apture Links:

Summer holidays: What a way to spend them...
4 May 2003, 0134 hrs IST, Shobha John, TNN

Forget that lazy, hazy, crazy, daze of summer. Indolent, languorous days spent either in the lap of Morpheus or climbing guava and mango trees with time to kill are now passe. Today, summer holidays for children means trips to the Himalayan foothills, mist-covered Coorg or the vales of Scotland where specialised skills are learnt in a structured manner — trekking, river-rafting, mountain biking, astronomy, theatre, magic, photography and bird-watching. Not to forget personality development and group activities. Of course, it comes with a price. But who’s complaining? Definitely not the parents.

For Sapna Bharadwaj, mother of 14-year-old Mallika, spending close to Rs 8,000 on her daughter’s eight-day trip to Sitlakhet two years back was an investment. ‘‘I found my introverted daughter a new person from the day she returned from the trip. She was open and talkative and became my friend. She also developed a bond with the outdoors.’’ She sent her son the next year and will continue to send both of them to camps as long as they want. She and her husband run a financial firm.

Many of today’s urban parents feel the skills learned during these trips will help their children cope better in a competitive world. Plus, urban living doesn’t give children exposure to the outdoors. ‘‘Parents feel that any investment made on children will make their future more secure,’’ says Prabhat Raman of Small World, which is having two-week programmes for children from 9-16 years in England and Scotland. This includes staying in a British residential school where they get to interact with foreign students, learn their culture and history, scuba dive and horse-ride. Also included are visits to famous colleges. ‘‘This enriching experience will come in handy later on in life. Last year, 8-9 children went.’’

For those who can’t afford to send their children abroad, there are camps in India that could fall within their budget. IDiscoveri Youreka for example was started in 1996 by Ashish Rajpal, an XLRI graduate and other trained professionals, with 150 children. Now close to 6,000 children have stayed in their camps in Sitlakhet, Tons, and Tirthan Valley and savoured the mountains, rivers and dales of North India and made numerous friends. ‘‘Last year, 1,000 children attended our camps,’’ he says. And it’s not just a man’s world out there. ‘‘The ratio of boys to girls is 60:40.’’

Eleven-year-old Akhil liked the campfires, adventure and the pastries he got on the last day. He took up rock-climbing and rifle-shooting and had to showcase his talent on the last day to his group of 50 children. ‘‘I cried in the end as I didn’t want to leave my new friends.’’ Sixteen-year-old Srijan enjoyed his summer camps much more than those with his family. ‘‘Friends are more fun and I learned diverse skills.’’

Most parents were gung-ho about sending their children to camps, having either gone on corporate camps themselves or heard of them from friends. Exporter Sanjay Singhal’s two sons have been going to summer camps too. ‘‘I have recommended the camps my sons went to, to 30 others. I also plan to send my elder son to a $2,000 camp in Virginia for six weeks next year. This is an investment on the mental, physical and social synergy of my child.’’

Some camps also do social service like building a wall or teaching in a nearby village, giving children exposure to those less privileged. And for those who want to have fun along with their children, there are family camps like Aquaterra’s along the Tongs river. ‘‘Both can go on walks, river rafting and rock climbing,’’ says Salil Paul. Many parents no longer want to do the rounds of hill stations as they did when they were children. ‘‘They want to savour newer outdoor experiences.’’

Youreka Takes on the Nat Geo Junior Hunt!

2009-06-06T16:00:00.005+05:30

Nice Apture Links and article here:

Entertainment-Short takes two last New Delhi
Friday, July 28, 2006

''With Nat Geo Junior Hunt, we are looking for the brightest, smartest and the coolest Indian kid who like books as much as sports, likes to make new discoveries, is adventurous, outgoing and ready to take on challenges,''Joy Bhattacharjya, Senior vice president, programming at the Nastional Geographic Channel said at a press conference here to announce the hunt.

Spanning across ten cities, the junior hunt will target approximately 3,64,800 kids between ten and 14 years of age in 380 reputed schools of the country. The initial shortlisting will be done at the school level where participants will be put through an innovative 'Think again' test comprising questions that will test the general aptitude and logical reasoning of children. Out of the 500 children shortlisted from each city, 20 city finalists will be selected based on selection rounds designed by iDiscoveri Education (an education partner of Nat Geo Junior) which includes games, puzzles, physical activities and thinking out of the box challenges.

These finalists will then have an opportunity to participate in a demanding array of individual and group challenges in the setting of Youreka (iDiscoveri's outdoor division) Sitlakhet campus and only four out of these 20 finalists will make it to the national finals. The lucky four will be groomed before they host their own show on Nat Geo Junior, a multi-faceted programming block on the National geographic channel that is very popular among kids.

The winner, to be decided by a reputed panel of judges, will be crowned with the prestigious title of Nat Geo Junior.

''The show is a reflection of the fact that intelligence today has expanded to include a lot more than just academic achievement,'' Mr Ashish Rajpal of iDiscoveri Education said.

The winner will not only get to host Nat geo junior shows on the channel for three months but will also receive a 'Nat Geo junior Hunt Fund' to finance his future education.

According to Joy, the Nat Geo junior hunt is the channel's endeavour to extend its popular children's block on-ground to provide and intelligent platform for kids to showcase their talents through a fun-filled learning experience.

!!!

2009-06-06T13:07:00.007+05:30

Courtesy: http://www.glasbergen.com/images/ed8.gif

LOL!!

2009-06-06T12:21:00.002+05:30

Courtesy: http://www.borg.com/~rjgtoons/edu.html

Cartoons

2009-06-06T12:18:00.000+05:30

Courtesy: http://www.borg.com/~rjgtoons/edu.html

Funny Cartoon!

2009-06-06T12:11:00.004+05:30

Courtesy: http://www.borg.com/~rjgtoons/edu.html

Cartoon of the Day!

2009-06-06T12:08:00.001+05:30

:) !!

The Great Indian Outdoors

2009-06-04T17:32:00.003+05:30

The Great Indian Outdoors
Pangong So Lake; Ladakh

The Great Indian Outdoors - Picture of the Day

2009-06-04T17:18:00.002+05:30

The Great Indian Outdoors
Sango Lake - Sikkim

Cartoon of the Day!

2009-06-04T16:19:00.001+05:30

Cartoon of the Day!

2009-06-03T16:00:00.002+05:30

Reflecting also on the Indian educational system!:

Hi - Another hot day - another line!

2009-06-01T14:58:00.012+05:30

We're sitting here, wondering what's going on, what to write about, and why no one's making any posts out here!

Well hello everybody, and welcome to a brand new day! How are all the sweet n cute Youreka children!? It miserably hot here in Delhi and Gurgaon, and we particularly envy the young kids who are out on the camps. Maybe I've got writer's block, because I cant think of anything specifically to say - or maybe I'm just dried out and drained out because of the heat, or maybe we've just posted too much here without any response from you guys n gals. Well what can we say?! :)

Well we hope everything's going fine and you all are going to comment and post some more on the blog here. I think meeting you guys will actually solve the problem. So what do you all say to an actual real life real time non virtual meeting?!!

Hope you all are fine. Do write to us and tell us what your response is and tell us more! We are now also on twitter at http://twitter.com/Youreka

Thanks

From all the the Youreka Team!

Welcome to all the new Tons Yourekampers

2009-06-01T14:31:00.002+05:30

Welcome to all the new campers for the Yourekamp Rocky River (Tons) which left today morning.

Welcome to all the new Tirthan Yourekampers

2009-05-30T13:06:00.006+05:30

Tirthan

Welcome to all the Yourekampers off for their Yourekamp to Tirthan at Green River Valley Campus today. Hope you enjoy your stay there. You can blog/tweet or email us for any queries doubts or postings.

Thank you

Posting to the Youreka Blog

2009-05-29T14:43:00.005+05:30

You can post directly on the blog by emailing your posts to the editor/webmaster directly at nilanjan.gupta@youreka.in

Games!

2009-05-27T17:36:00.005+05:30

Add Games To
Your MySpace |
Free Internet Games

Educational Cartoon of the Day!

2009-05-26T16:38:00.005+05:30

Educational Cartoon of the Day - Kids can you comment on it and figure out and tell us what it means???!!!

d otherpic !! YAWN

2009-05-21T15:50:00.005+05:30

Some nice pics sent by Anagha Gomathi :

im d one in d sitting row..sittin on d grass..right side..last girl wid a full on million dollar smile..n a small brown jacket9dats my frnds..i luved it..so i wore it :P )!

Anagha

--
http://yourekaexpress.blogspot.com/
http://youreka.in/
http://twitter.com/Youreka
www.idiscoveri.com

hey..anagha here!!

2009-05-21T15:46:00.002+05:30

heya..u FINALLy made me come outta hibernation X( !!dat ws oo comfortable..n yea..ive attched d pics..ive written m NAME on d pics..thnx to u i tuk d TROUBLE of doin it :P!! lol dats kk!

Anagha

http://yourekaexpress.blogspot.com/
http://youreka.in/
http://twitter.com/Youreka
www.idiscoveri.com

Navneeth's Notes!

2009-05-19T14:48:00.005+05:30

Navneeth's Lengthy notes and quotes on the Youreka Camp 2009!:

Navneeth's Notes|Notes about Navneeth|Navneeth's Profile

youreka camp!!

Yesterday at 1:20pm

My mom signed me up for the youreka yercaud y2 program for the
group, from the 18th of April to the 26th.i knew it would be awesome
fun over there because I had heard too many awesome things about
that place. I had to go to the railway station at 6 in the morning
and the platform was very cold and very stinky. They were about
a 115 kids waiting in front of the train, when the instructors showed
up they gave us our name tags on which they had put the
seat and compartment number. None of us liked our places,
so the instructors said we could change our places once
the train started moving. After the train started to move everyone
changed places and I sat with people of my age and younger
who seemed to be very nice, friendly and someone who you
can talk to. It was a 5 hour journey, so along the way we were
talking about music, movies and about ourselves. In the train
it self I made 6 new friends. The moment we reached yercaud
all of us started to sweat, it was probably 40 degrees.
We all picked our luggage and got into 14 sumo vans.
Luckily my van had a/c and there were less people.
It was 1 hour journey from Salem to yercaud; I dozed of in
the van to catch my breath. After reaching yercaud we all
saw the y1 program kids were wearing youreka t-shirts
and waiting for the sumos to return so they could go back to
Bangalore. We all chucked our luggage into a huge truck and
we had to trek to our camp. I was thinking we would have to build
our own tents but when I entered the camp I was shocked to see
that the tents were built on metal poles. After that all of us had to
assemble in a huge circle and one of the instructors named
panna sang a song called ‘ajja gujja’! It was an interesting
song which was filled with actions. Then the instructor divided
us into groups of 18 approx. I was in the wilderness backpacking
group, then he told us who sleeps in which tent.
(In each tent 9 people could sleep).I liked all the people who
slept in my tent, but their were few people in my tent who didn’t
want to stay so they changed to another tent. Our tent number
was ‘9’. After that we all ha to go up a small hill and into a hut
called the ‘kprd’! (Khana pina rona????) It was a place where
we ate, drank, chatted and partied. We had lunch there and
went into our groups; our group went to a place called the sunset
point. We had a name game to recognize each of our names
and we named our group the ‘wild spirits’! After that we had soup
and squash. We all got something called the cool book; with it
we got a cool pen and a cool bag. It was something like a diary
with lots of activities. After that we had to do it. I don’t really want
to explain it though. We had an hour time of Y.O.T (your own time)
after that we have to remain silent and do our cool books.
After that I met one of the students who had graduated in my school
when I was in the 4th grade. Her name was archana. She was
an extremely nice person! We all had dinner by 8:30 sang and
danced a bit! After that we all went into our tents and many
people wanted to sleep in our tent because we were
chatting interesting things. We invited a few people and chatted till 11.
The next day the wild spirits assembled near a place called the l
apa lapa (Mexican word for hut.)And we did a small bit of exercising
called the ‘chota hazri’. After that we had breakfast and again we
assembled in front of the lapa lapa, our group got a rucksack for
each person we put our sleeping bags and we went for a short
trek with our bags. We played few games when we reached our
destination like Acid River and arms and legs. While coming back
we had to find our own way back to the camp without the instructors
help. We came back in time for lunch after that it was the regular
program, Y.O.T and then did our cool books. Then had dinner and
partied! This I did every day. (Y.O.T till party) next day we were told
we will also be having some minor activities and few instructors
would do some tent inspection while we are doing our minor
activities. We again went for a small trek to a place called ‘raj pond’!
over there 15 people didn’t know how to pitch a tent so the other
3 were given a challenge, the challenge was 15 people were blind
folded and three people had to instruct the blinded to build a
tent without touching them. The 3 were 2 of my friends and me!
It took us 45 minutes to do that challenge. After that we were all
given another challenge, we had to be divided into groups of
2 and 1 needed to be blind folded. The challenge was to guide
your blinded partner through a rough pathway and both get a
chance to be blind folded. By then we reached another pond.
(I don’t remember the name of that pond) we sang a song and
played a game over there, the song’s name was ‘rump sum sum’
and the games name I don’t remember. We came back in time for l
unch and we had a minor activity, it was making a news paper
and I had to review the campus doctor. It was fun, and the day
ended with the usual routine. Next day we went for a 6 km trek to
a place called great view, we made coffee over their with a butane
burner and we had to make a map with the help of a compass.
(I am not telling how.) till lunch and then we had a minor activity,
‘bracelet making’. I had never seen that kind of method of making
a bracelet. You had to hold one end with your mouth and do a
weird way of tying it. I made two of them. After that same routine
till dinner, it started to rain heavily and we were very scared
of what might happen to our bags. After it stopped raining we
went to check on our bags and came back up to party.
Then we slept at 11………. Next day same thing but we were
getting ready to go for a 2 day 2 night trek to a place
called ‘singlathpadiam’ or something like that…. Just before
we left we did a minor activity called the tartan swing, where
we had to swing on a rope and had to land on different circles
(each circle had a different number of points) first three were 500,
second row was 1000 and third row was 5000! After that
we started on our trek, this time we had to find our way their
with the help of a ready made map and a compass. I had to
decide who to give the map and who to give the 2 compasses.
After that we started the trek we made few mistakes making the
directions but we finished half of the trek by 5:30 or so, we
pitched our tents and made some palouv like stuff for dinner.
And sang a bit and slept late.

Early morning we had to pack our tents and make breakfast, i
t was coffee, biscuits and bread butter, cheese and jam. After
that we refilled our bottles and started on the second half of the trek.
The map and the two compasses were given to different people
now. We saw a dead rat snake on the way. We reached our
destination by 3:30 made maggi for lunch. One of the instructors
made lemon tea for us, it was so tasty. Then we enjoyed the
view for an hour. Came back made our tents and played a game
called ‘where is my monkey?’ after that I made more knew friends,
about 3 of them! Then we went to bed.

Next day we packed our stuff got into 3 jeeps sang all the way
back to camp and we were all surprised to see that no one
was at camp, it took us some time to realize to see that they
had gone for their major activities….
Till lunch we were unpacking the tents cleaning the rucksacks
and getting contacts in our cool books. Then the instructors
told us we were going to do T.T. at first we thought its table
tennis, but it actually was something called ‘tera tera’. We had
to go down hill and we saw all the other groups’ river crossing.
Then the instructors told us that tera tera means river crossing
in México. We all did it; I was the fastest person to cross the stream,
I did it in less than 30 seconds. Then we went back to camp had
our minor activity, tie and dye, it was awesome fun and very easy,
so I finished mine fast and I went to see what the other groups were
doing. One of them was doing bracelet making so I joined them
and made another bracelet. We were told that they were selling
some things at the large tent behind the KPRD, so I went there
and bought a t-shirt. Then after that we had our usual routine till
dinner. They conducted something called the talent night. In
that people showed off their new talents they learnt in youreka.
It went on till 10:30, I didn’t like it that much I liked the other
night where we partied much more. After the talent show we
danced till 11:00. Then two of my group instructors performed
some awesome fire tricks and fire staffs…I was seriously
speechless by looking at them. After that we partied a bit
mare and cheered the instructors who performed for us,
till 12:00. Then we had 3 extra people sleeping in our
tent because it was the best tent out of all the 30 tents…the
next day we had a special breakfast and most of us were
crying because we had to leave….

We took some more contacts and got few hugs.
After that we dumped our luggage into a truck, the truck
took the luggage to the railway station. We did something
called the bead ceremony and then we got some
chocolates from the instructors and got our certificates….we
all left crying…I also lost a friend because someone had
something bad to him and he thought I said it….then we
waited for the sumo vans to come. When they came we
saw the y3 program kids were in it. We all said some
crappy stuff to them and we got on the vans and we were
ready to go to Salem. I dozed off again in the van but I
made another friend over their…when we reached the
railway station I made 7 more friends, we all sat together
in the train and we chatted about ourselves, music,
funny things and about ourselves till we reached
Bangalore…but we all still keep in touch through
cell phones and facebook….

Starstruck Beneath The Twilight Sky

2009-05-18T16:48:00.006+05:30

A beautiful poem written by Prasenna Rajendran on the Youreka Camp 2009 on his blog http://prassu170.blogspot.com/:

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Starstruck Beneath The Twilight Sky

Riding on a wave for now ;
Is this our chance for one last bow?
Bears & pigs are not so far,
Are we clowns in a forest? - Yes, we are!!!!!!!

Without a paddle, we're way away ;
Sharks & fishes might fall in our fray.
To do is to be, to be is to do ;
Stargazing above without a clue.........

To kick a horse's ass, takes loads of stuff!
And if we swear'd we did ; you could call it a bluff!
Minds so strong, going on a rage ;
Being headstrong, might just blow the gauge!

Showoffs & lies, now the crazy people cry ;
Now they're running off their pants - now that they've looked into the wolves' eyes!
Knowing each other, trying to get together,
Doing something stupid, to make them laugh forever.

Forgetting ourselves, going on a ride ;
Playing some pranks & getting ready to hide!
Wishing that all this could be never ending ;
Smiling away our fears - now that's mind bending!

Red eyes - one hell of an irritation,
Trying to walk on a beam - now that's innovation.
Splitting in groups, building up trust,
Jumping all around - we could never rust!

Acting all cracked up, losing all our nuts,
Doing push-ups & crunches & showing off our guts!
Is this the stairway to infinity that we've been searching for?
Spreading joy, wearing smiles - right till the strike of the midnight hour.

Days ago, we were strangers alike ;
Until this second - now that we've become campers beneath the twilight sky!
This ink, that I use, is not enough to suffice this poem.
My thoughts make words, that bleed to fight ;
It's hard to imagine, that it all ends tonight.
People - they filled the place with color & light ;
Now they fade away slowly......away from sight.

Spells of thanks from side to side ;
Tears that shower - they're tough to abide.
Going on & on like a roller coaster ride ;
Getting friends for life - they'd never hide.

When hearts get close & flirts give a pose ;
This camp fires out, like a leaking hose.
It's sad that we're gonna miss our fags & fools ;
Tough to think, that there aren't any broken rules!

When the sun sets below the silver lining of the world ;
The eyes close - blinding the dream that had whirled.
- Prasenna

Written in memory of the Youreka! Camp 2009.
{ !DEVIL ROCKS! }

Youreka Training Children to become Instructors

2009-04-27T12:25:00.004+05:30

The Financial Express reports on how Youreka, iDiscoveri is training children to become more productive and useful:

Kiddie junctions

Posted: 2006-04-30 00:02:40+05:30 IST
Updated: Apr 30, 2006 at 0002 hrs IST

: IF parents see summer workshops as a break from their little brats’ vacation at home, then it’s time for you to know more. With a range of summer workshops ready to be launched in May, the season of camping holds more than just fun.

Youreka! too has done a few value additions in its summer workshops this year. It has invited Chris Agnew, a faculty from NOLS (known for their outdoor education in US).

The camp will also introduce a new graded system to pave the way for kids to become outdoor instructors. To achieve this, it has introduced Youreka! awards —bronze, silver and gold. The bronze award will go to kids (between 9 and 11 years) camping at Sitlakhet, Coorg; silver for kids (between 12 and 14 years) at Tirthan, Coorg, Kollur, and gold for grown ups (15-16 years) at Tons, Kollur.

“As these are our permanent locations for camping. Usually, the kids begin from the camps where we have the bronze award, graduating later to higher metals. So, in a way, we get kids visiting us again, and we also find something new for them,” says Anubhav Das, partner iDiscoveri Education, which conducts the camps.

And if you are still hesitant, go for shorter ones. Like, the one at the Shiamak Davar’s Institute for Performing Arts (SDIPA), which conducts Summer Funk in all leading metros in India. The finale of the Funk will be a professional show where all the participants perform. “So, it is about learning and busting the stress while having loads of fun,” says Gowri Prakash, manager, SDIPA.

At some of the camps, even parents can assist the kids. Like the one organised at Trident Hilton Hotels in Agra, Jaipur and Udaipur. The Kids Club is equipped with books, comics, toys, videos, play stations and even a splash pool: an ideal location for children aged 4-12. The package even has outdoor pursuits like badminton matches, walks and camel rides.

“It is ideal for very young children who cannot travel independently to camps, and where they also get an opportunity to meet peers of the same age-group,” adds Ketaki Narain, director, corporate communications, The Oberoi Group (organiser of Kids Club), “to make it add to the fun, children here are welcomed with a gift and a Kids Club Passport.

The facilities at each hotel include an air-conditioned tent equipped with games, toys, books and movies. Fun and educational activities such as nature walks are also organised by the supervisors.”

There is no compromise about arrangements. A first-aid box with all necessary medicines, comfortable sleeping beds, a wide range of food and equipment of highest quality while they trek are all in-built in the programme. “There is no way my kid can miss milk, fruit and proper food at the camp. In fact it is more of five star treatment for them,” says Khera.

So, are there any comparisons that follow when they are back at home. “Never. After constructive training at the camp, they never complain or demand,” she says.

Well, with more and more camps round the corner, we might just have to stop referring to kids as brats!

Beautiful Music Video of Icelander Svefn - g - Englar

2009-04-24T19:20:00.006+05:30

To watch during your Special Yourekamp!

Fwd: Welcome to Yourekamp MMB Pinewood Cliff 24 April onwards

2009-04-24T15:42:00.003+05:30

---------- Forwarded message ----------

Date: Fri, Apr 24, 2009 at 1:51 PM
Subject: Welcome to Yourekamp MMB Pinewood Cliff 24 April onwards
To:

Welcome to all the kids & participants from Max Muller Bhavan, going for the Sitlakhet Yourekamp Pinewood Cliff today!! You can call us (on 09910983335-9), tweet us, blog us or email us for any help you need. Incidentally you can also twitter us and post to the blog from yr mobile ph. on http://yourekaexpress.blogspot.com/.

Thanks!

Youreka
--
http://yourekaexpress.blogspot.com/
http://youreka.in/
http://twitter.com/Youreka
www.idiscoveri.com

Google Map of Yourekamp Pinewood Cliff Sitlakhet

2009-04-24T13:08:00.003+05:30

View Sitlakhet Yourekamp iDiscoveri in a larger map

Introductory Contest

2009-04-17T16:14:00.028+05:30

New Contest

Hi All!!

We are introducing a new contest on the Youreka Blog, whereby

1. The Person who makes the highest no. of nice Comments in 2 weeks starting from today AND joins to follow the blog with Google Friend Connect at

or from the "Follow Me with Google Friend Connect" link on the bottom right hand column of the blog gets a special Youreka mountaineering Carabiner Keychain as a Prize.

2. Also, the person who gets the maximum no. of people or his/her friends to join and follow the Youreka blog with Google Friend Connect at

or from the "Follow Me with Google Friend Connect" link on the bottom right hand column of the blog gets another one of the same prize!! The Contest is mainly meant for kids from ages 9-16, but anyone can join. I have extended the contest by one more week.

I've noticed that only I can post on the blog, and others can only comment(!). So pls submit yr entries as comments to this post, or email them directly to us at nilanjan.gupta@youreka.in and we will post them up.

Thank you

The Youreka Team

The Best Way to Unwind this Summer

2009-04-16T10:35:00.013+05:30

All in praise of Youreka! :

Saturday , April 23, 2005

Kids going over the hills this summer

Express News Service

New Delhi, April 22: Fifteen-year-old Rohit Rajagopalan’s favourite summer hangout is Sitlakhet in the Kumaon ranges in Himachal Pradesh. Post-examinations, this student of GD Goenka School, Vasant Kunj, is getting ready to keep his tryst with a trekking trip.

‘‘After slogging it out in classrooms, the best way to unwind is trekking,’’ he says. His mother, Kalpana agrees.

‘‘Rohit and my other son Bharat prefer the outdoors to indoor activities, like theatre workshops and painting classes. The outdoors are not only refreshing, they also teach kids to survive in the wild,’’ she says.

Youreka , an organisation that organises summer camps for children in the age group of 9 to 17 years, is taking kids to Sitklakhet, Tirthan and the Tons hill range in Garhwal for rock climbing and mountain biking. The eight-day camp will see the young ones living it up in the pristine hills.

The tough terrains are the flavour of the season - a cakewalk for 11-year-old Armaan Talreja, a student of St. Columbus School, Gol Dak Khana. ‘‘I went on a week long trip to Tirthan last year. We walked in the forests, it was very exciting to be there on our own. We learnt how to make and live in tents,’’ he says. Right now, Armaan is bargaining for a trekking trip as opposed to a family holiday.

Schools too encourage the outdoors — something not possible in a mountainless city like Delhi. ‘‘Our kids are going to Mussourie for 10 days where they can go horse riding, golfing, and for nature walks,’’ says Madhu Chandra, Lotus Valley International School, Noida.

Springdales, Dhaula Kuan has come up with a novel idea for their summer camp. ‘‘We have 133 kids from underprivileged backgrounds. So we are organising a month-long session where we will take them on nature walks, to the planetarium and also some activities like dance, music and computer awareness classes,’’ says principal, Jyoti Bose.

Youreka Slideshow

2009-04-15T10:32:00.042+05:30

A Youreka Way of Life

2009-04-13T11:41:00.023+05:30

Now here's a really superb article from The Energy Research Institute (TERI) Magazine "Terragreen " in praise of Youreka and iDiscoveri and with a very apt relevant and powerful quotation by Schumacher (author of "Small is Beautiful - Economics as if people mattered") at the end. Really, lifestyles have changed disastrously and drastically in the last few years and Youreka and iDiscoveri are among the few organisations who are attempting to set this balance right by pioneering outdoor programs and correcting this glaring imbalance. Ed. :

We know we live in

a very modern

world, with every

amenity. You go

to school, there are cars and buses

to pick you up and drop you back.

When you study, you get onto the

computer. When you want to spend

leisure time, there are several

television channels to choose from.

Some of you may love chatting on

the telephone, playing video

games, and watching movies. Life is

beautiful.

But there’s something even

prettier there, out in the woods. Far

away from the noisy bustle of the

city, are mountains and rivers,

deserts and jungles. As you read in

the school textbooks, it is this

bounty of nature that provides

every chemical and every fibre,

every atom and molecule, which we

put together to make everything

we use on a daily basis. Just try

picking up anything in your home,

try breaking it down to where it

comes from, and it’ll take you back

to nature. Yet, living away from

these surroundings, we often miss

the stuff life is made of.

How about reconnecting? I’m

sure there are several initiatives all

across the country, but one that I

came to know of is a camp

programme called Youreka! Run by

idiscoveri, an education initiative

that takes teaching beyond

classrooms, this is one camp where

you aren’t likely to have it easy.

After convincing your parents

that you, their child, is in

completely safe hands, the

programme managers give you the

options of joining their week- long

camps at several places away from

your homes. The list includes places

like Tirthan, Sitlakhet, and Coorg.

Bang in the middle of mountains,

right next to a roaring river is where

the tents are pitched. Now the

course begins, each camper has to

choose one major course and a

minor course. Before you start

grumping, take a look at the

courses. Major : rock climbing,

white water rafting, kayaking,

wilderness backpacking, ropes

course, outdoor survival and

mountain biking. Minor – candle

making, bandana making, music

and choreography, juggling,

magic, campus newspaper,

astronomy, photography, ecowalk

and painting. Phew.

iDiscoverers, as they call

themselves, have wonderful things

to say. They love the sounds of

nature, they love the fun, the tough

acts, the independence. Says

Adnan Vahanavaty, a young gun

who went to the camp, ‘iDiscoveri

has changed the way I see the

environment, other people, and

myself.’ The mums and dads also had

good things to say. They felt that

the children came back a lot more

confident. The safety rules at the

camps and the presence of a doctor

also impressed them.

We thinks it’s a great way to drop

into the lap of nature. Every hurdle

you cross – a river or a rock – not

only makes you confident, but also

teaches one to respect nature.

When you’re so close to this beauty,

so lovingly tended by it, you’ll learn

to love it. And that’s when you’ll

learn how to keep Mother Earth

safe and happy.

Quote

‘A way of life that ever more rapidly depletes the power

of the earth to sustain it and piles up ever more

insoluble problems for each succeeding generation can

only be called violent.’

Ernst Friedrich Schumacher (1911–1977),

German economist and pioneer of appropriate technology

Please Post on anything related to Youreka

2009-04-10T16:57:00.004+05:30

Please post on the Youreka blog http://yourekaexpress.blogspot.com/, leave yr comments there and join it as a friend on the Google Friends Connect link on the right hand column of the page.

Thanks

Welcome to all the participants of the Max Mueller Bhavan Camp

2009-04-10T12:45:00.006+05:30

Welcome to all the participants of Max Mueller Bhavan at Yourekamp Pinewood Cliff from 24Apr - 3 May!

Personal Items to be carried (Kit List)

2009-04-09T17:24:00.007+05:30

Here is a list of the Personal Items to be carried (Kit List) on the Yourekamp Sitlakhet (Pinewood Cliff):

PERSONAL ITEMS TO BE CARRIED (KIT LIST)

The Sitlakhet campus has a pleasant climate during the program months. Light woollens are required in the evening. Some evenings may get

colder especially if itgets windy or if itrains.

Please pack clothes appropriately keeping in mind that a large time is spent outdoors doing physical activities. Do not carry clothes that are

very tightor delicate. Also note thatthere is no laundry facility.

Pack everything in a bag that is easy to carry. (Rucksacks / air bags only. No suit cases please). Try and have only one luggage item as you will

have to carry ityourself! Have your name tag on the luggage.

A good indicative listis:

CLOTHING:

1 thick shirt/ sweatshirt, 5-6 T-shirts, 4 pairs of jeans/trousers, 2 pairs of shorts, a track suit., something warm and loose to sleep

in, undergarments for 8 days and 1 towel, 1 raincoator water-proof jacket/ wind cheater.

WARM CLOTHES:

1 lightpullover and 1 warm jacket

FOOTWEAR:

2 pairs of Sports shoes, Sandals or Slippers, socks for eightdays .

INSECT REPELLANT :

An effective insectrepellantfor personal use (Odomos lotion, Good Knight– active shield, etc.,)

IMPORTANT ITEMS:

A cap, a water bottle with sling,small torch, a whistle and your toiletries (include a bottle of cold cream/ sun screen

cream).

If you wear prescription glasses, carry an extra pair and lip balm.

If you are in the Wilderness Backpacking group

, carry a warm pullover instead of the light one suggested and add a woolen cap &

gloves to your list.

SLEEPING BAGS / RUCK SACKS WILL BE PROVIDED ON CAMPUS

We will issue sleeping bags and mats on the campus. Rucksacks will be provided for the backpacking and nightouttrips.

RULES & GUIDELINES

1. ITEMS NOT ALLOWED TO BE BROUGHT TO CAMPUS

(A) CASH –A Maximum Amountof Rs 1000 is allowed atthe campus for purchasing Collaterals.

(B) NO MOBILE PHONES - We do notallow participants to carry mobile phones on the program. Coverage by operators is very rare on mostof our

remote campuses and the attempt to use phones disrupts the program. If carried, cell phones will be deposited with the Campus Chief & will

have to be collected from our Delhi office.

(C) NO WALKMANS/ DISCMANS / VALUABLES - We also request that no valuables like expensive cameras or Discmans are brought to the

campus. We acceptno responsibility for loss or theftof any such articles.

(D) NO FOOD ITEMS & TUCK - We provide wholesome and nutritious food and no tuck (cola cans, chips, biscuits, snacks etc) or food items are

allowed on campus. Itbecomes a menace and makes the wilderness campuses unsafe.

2. RULES & CONDUCT ON CAMPUS

(A) Participants mustfollow all rules as told to them from time to time. Itis importantthatthey adhere to the rules.

(B) Any breach of rules or actof misconductcan resultin the participantbeing sentback from the program athis/her cost.

(C) Participants will be briefed regarding the rules and regulations, especially those related to safety and discipline, before the program starts.

They are expected to abide by these rules.

(D) The campuses are substance free. Participants found using tobacco or alcohol will be sent back without any refund whatsoever. Not

following the safety rules and guidelines or misbehavior may also resultin the above.

3. BAGGAGE

(A)) Do notpack in a suitcase. Use a single bag, preferably a rucksack/ carry bag with shoulder straps and a strong handle, thatis easy to carry.

(B) Participants have to carry their own bags during the journey and during transfers.

(C) The luggage must have a prominent name tag.

For any clarifications call us at 09910983335-9

Educative, Entertaining and Exciting (3Es)!

2009-04-09T12:21:00.020+05:30

And here is a scintillating description by Taira of her educative, exciting and entertaining experience at Sitlakhet Yourekamp on Indiatimes blogs (Click on the Title above to get the original article)!:

Sitlakhet Adventure

Camp (Educative,

Entertaining and

Exciting (3Es))

Couple of weeks ago, I had gone to Sitlakhet (Kumaon hills) for a program leader training program organized by ‘iDiscoveri' organization that does adventure camps for school children from 9-14 yrs old. I went with about 16 people from different cities and even different walks of life. That night I had to miss out on my official party as I had been looking forward to this trip to Sitlakhet since last year. I met few people en route to station and went about telling them about the monuments, buildings that we crossed. At the station met some more of them and once on the train we shared funny incidents of our previous adventure camps. Morning we stopped over at a resort for breakfast enjoying the serenity around, called up my dad and also happened to view some magnificent oleographs of Raja Ravi Verma and artworks of couple of prominent artists too.

We started our journey ahead and the drivers were really cool who shared funny information/incidents in their areas. We passed amidst a beautifully spread golf course on a highway. Sitlakhet camp site is at 7500 altitude overlooking the whole of Himalayan range. That place belonged to a British couple and when they left, it was managed by an Indian gentleman who owns about 80 acres of land atop mountains, which was once upon a time an tea estate but now houses various fruit plantations like apple, plum, peaches, apricots, etc., along with pine and rhododendron trees. Mornings were so beautiful with different unknown birds chirping aloud with Himalayas covered with clouds or just pure sunshine on top of them. What more one could ask for?

When we reached there, we were introduced to other campus chiefs who had been undergoing training as well and were leaving the same day. Tents were allotted and had a wonderful lunch. Went for a grand tour towards the close by activity sites and naturally wrecked/haunted house; took a few pictures.

Started with simple yet educative games which got each one involved physically, mentally and emotionally too. At night we watched a movie called “Pay it Forward”, which had a moral view to learn from. We retired pretty late at night. Next day started early with games and nature walk. Experienced “Trust Fall” where a member falls back with closed eyes trusting others to hold him without a fall or injury. This was interesting as when in a big group where you don’t know others so well, what emotions one may go through about trusting new people. We trekked towards the rock climbing area; got introduced to equipment and calculated risks involved. We made groups and climbed about a 30 feet high rock; learning with experience. We returned to the camp and had discussions, played experiential games followed by self-reflection period.

In the middle of the night a challenge was thrown at us like some seniors screamed for help along with animal calls. They waited for us to respond in case of an emergency. It was again a learning experience to be alert 24/7 when children are around in camps. I took the initiative of walking out alone, looked around and waited for more emergency calls. I went ahead and inquired from the guard and saw 3 seniors waiting for us to respond. Except me, no one else came out. And I tell you when I looked up in the dark sky, it was simply mesmerizing to see millions if stars twinkling up there. Next day we discussed about similar real-life situations when as leaders we got to respond no matter what. Again we played energizers’ (games) and learnt about map-study when in wilderness. We were made to play “Hurdles and Mines” and how as a group we worked about it collectively. Lot of emotional outbursts happened; some felt neglected or isolated; some took charge; some passed remarks but finally we did it.

Back to the camp, we had intense sessions about our behavioral pattern as this is exactly how children might behave when out with us. And our purpose is to give them a life time experience full of confidence. In the evening we played games and a ghost story, which was very funny. Few of us visited a nearby grave of the British lady who died in 18th century. It was simply a beautiful site to see her grave highlighted under the moonlit, charming night. Her husband had planted Cyprus trees which one could see even from far amidst pine trees. It was said that this white dressed lady with a hat and umbrella has been seen by few locals too. On the way back we were made to walk one by one without torches on the moonlit path so as to experience the natural light of darkness. It didn’t even feel a bit scary but I could purely feel the freshness around. I looked above and saw the moon amidst the huge pine trees which played hide and seek with me and all around millions of stars gazing down at me. It was my moment only.

We had bonfires, sang old English classic songs and took many pictures. The guard on the campus was a very pleasant 75 year old gentleman who had been awarded a certificate too from the Uttarakhand govt. for growing kiwis (an exotic citrus fruit) on his farm. He had wonderful stories to share with all of us. He had lost his one eye, had a mark on chin and hands while encountering a leopard in the wild. He sang such beautiful bhajans in the late hour of the night. I simply wished that the moments came to a standstill.

The next day I was little tired and had throat infection for which I kept having raw ginger and black peppers. We learnt about “LNT (Leave No Trace)” in the wild. We were divided into small groups and were asked to perform skits about LNT. I was little nervous but then played my part well and was appreciated too. In fact each one did well. Even our instructors performed. They were really cool guys who were truly experienced in wilderness and were full of humor and energy. They were the soldiers who encouraged all of us to learn and perform better each time.

I always ended up having funny discussions/challenging one of the instructors. Everyone would be in splits with our chats and that is all Youreka (extension of iDiscoveri) is all about. It is like having fun and enjoyment along with experiential learning all the time. The fifth day we learnt about basic first aid situations when in wild and were made to perform for such situations sequentially. After lunch we had to leave for Delhi so I bought whole lot of delicious kiwis and some local sweet too.

On the way back in the train we had ball of a time, enjoying every moment, sharing jokes, pictures, etc. All in all it was very educative, interactive, and above all entertaining and exciting too. I am glad I went for this amazing learning program.

posted on Monday, April 23, 2007 10:19 AM

The National Geographic Junior Hunt

2009-04-08T12:48:00.010+05:30

Here's a very nice article by Neha of Birla Girls High School of Calcutta in the Telegraph on her experience of the Nat Geo Talent Hunt:

CALCUTTA
Junior champ

The quest of Nat Geo Junior Hunt 2 was to find an Indian kid who embodied the values that National Geographic stands for. The National Geographic Channel (NGC) chose 20 students from among four lakh participants from classes V to VIII across 10 cities. Jahnvi Popat (Class VI) and I (Class VIII) were chosen from Calcutta, after a gruelling set of tests.

We were then taken to an adventure camp organised by NGC in collaboration with Youreka at Sitlakhet, a scenic spot in the mountains, about 35 km away from Ranikhet in Uttaranchal. Here, we were tested on our adaptability skills among other things, and eventually, three other participants and I reached the finals.

We then went through extensive grooming sessions with the British Council in Delhi, where we were given tips on how to improve our public speaking, extempore, debating and teamwork skills.

At the end of it, my joy knew no bounds when cricketer Rahul Dravid announced my name as the second Nat Geo Junior. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a great learning opportunity. I hope that such programmes are conducted in the future as well to provide students with more exposure and a platform to showcase their potential.

Neha Jain,
Class VIIIB, Birla High School (Girls)

March 20 , 2008

Comments

2009-04-08T12:41:00.003+05:30

Please put all your posts, comments, pics, videos, clips etc. all up on the blog in ample measure but make sure they are within limits! Hurry.

Thanks.

The Sitlakhet Sky

2009-04-07T13:03:00.010+05:30

Here's a beautiful photograph of the Yourekamp Pinewood Cliff Sitlakhet Sky and lovely poetic short post from the Blog: "http://stupstoconquer.blogspot.com/2007/09/sitlakhet-sky.html" by Anustup Nayak. Wow! What a photograph! That really brings out all the freshness and beauty of life for me!

Meaning Making
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Sitlakhet Sky

'Lead me from the darkness to light' - the play of colours on this photo seem to tell me. The morning sun has just splattered its iridescent orange glow on the snow capped Himalayas. The valley down below, yet to be touched by its rays, is still waking from its dark slumber.

This is a photo of the spectacular Trishul range, shot as I stood one morning at the iDiscoveri campus at Sitlakhet in Uttaranchal.
Posted by Anustup Nayak at 9:02 AM

Close to Nature

2009-04-06T10:28:00.012+05:30

(Click on the title above to get the original article)

Here's a lovely article by the Hindustan times and carried on msn.com on how Youreka can help you get closer to nature, and in fact how well it does so!:

Spend your vacations close to nature

For all those who are yet to decide about how they would spend the summer holidays, don’t despair, for there are activities and workshops galore that are just about to begin. And there's more stuff that you can do this summer. Read on to find out!

With school summer vacations just round the corner, it’s once again time for students to gear up for a trip to the cooler climes of hill stations, or to join any among a plethora of hobby classes — swimming, pottery, clay modeling, painting, art and craft — that are on offer. While the mercury rises menacingly, there is also the choice of staying glued to the television sets and computers, enjoying computer games, watching movies or simply surfing the Internet.

And last, but not the least, there is also the opportunity to catch up with one’s friends and relatives spread across the country or to have some of them visit you.

For all those who are as yet undecided about how they would spend the summer holidays, don’t despair, for there are activities and workshops galore that are just about to begin.

A firm, iDiscoveri, conducts the Youreka Summer Programme, an eight-day adventure-based learning experience for kids in the 9-15 age-group.

These are conducted at three campuses in the north Sitlakhet (near Ranikhet, at an altitude of 7,000 feet), Tirthan (on the banks of the river Tirthan, bordering the Great Himalayan National Park), Tons (on the banks of the River Tons, at an altitude of 4,200 feet, and at two campuses in the South, namely, Coorg (Honey Valley Estate in the Western Ghats has coffee, cardamom and pepper plantations) and Yercaud (at an altitude of 5,100 feet, amidst coffee plantation and orange trees).

The programme fees ranges from Rs 9,500 to Rs 11,500 (excluding travel charges), depending on the activities selected. The programmes are divided into three broad age groups -- 9 to 11 years, 12 to 14 years and 14 to 15 years.

"There are seven major activities to select from — rock climbing, ropes course, wilderness, backpacking, outdoor survival, white water rafting, mountain biking and riverside backpacking. These activities are aimed at acquiring new skills, character building and introducing an element of stretch to facilitate learning outside the comfort zone. The programme aims at instilling confidence through adventure activities, developing relationships and numerous 'I did it' moments," said Yogesh Chopra, of Youreka.

Referring to apprehensions in the parents’ mind about aspects such as food and other comforts, as well as about the security of their children, Chopra added: "Our campuses are eco/child friendly and have been designed to ensure safety, security, hygiene, etc. of the children. The leader to child ratio is 1:5 and we also have specially assigned woman leaders."

"We provide all the equipment for adventure sports as well as supervision of instructors qualified from Himalayan Institute of Mountaineering, Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, National Outdoor Leadership School and access to medical facilities at the nearest hospital," said Shinde.

Addressing parents, promoters of these programmes claim that apart from recreational value, adventure activities are also a great learning experience for children.

"Keeping in mind the change in social and psychological behaviour of present-day kids, our activities are planned in such a manner that they enhance the spirit of camaraderie and leadership skills in an individual. With such an exposure for children, their overall grooming and development as an individual only progresses in the right direction, towards making them healthy social individuals," Shinde added.

With so much adventure and excitement in the offing, can children resist the temptation of sampling what’s on offer? Instead of getting impatient, they can just hit the terrain running. For more information on the subject, just visit http://synapses.in/footsteps.html and http://www.youreka.in. Get going buddies.

Youreka You Tube Videos

2009-04-04T14:29:00.000+05:30

Click above to watch

Click on the Youreka Video!

2009-04-02T18:50:00.014+05:30

Click here to download the video

Youreka! Discover excitement

2009-04-02T11:11:00.016+05:30

Online edition of India's National Newspaper

Saturday, May 03, 2003

Young World
Youreka! Discover excitement
YUSUF AHMAD KHAN

Step out of your comfort zone this summer; be adventurous so that you have many "I did it" moments with the iDiscoveri people.

Rapture on rafts...

Summer vacations have this quality of quietly slipping by. There you were watching TV till 2 a.m. and waking up to a lazy breakfast at 11 a.m., and then suddenly there are less than 10 days for the schools to reopen. You are confronted with the familiar hollow feeling of not making the holidays count by doing something productive or of any worth.
The summer vacation is a good time to get away from the closed confines of urban life and experience the refreshing wilderness. Outdoor activities like rock climbing, trekking and river rafting present fulfilling challenges that are great confidence boosters.
To provide a learning experience set in the wilderness, iDiscoveri has organised a series of summer camps of eight days each called Youreka! 2003 which continue till June 30. The camps are located at Tirthan near Kulu-Manali, Sitlakhet near Nainital, Tons near Mori in Uttaranchal and Coorg in Karnataka.
The iDiscoveri philosophy is that for a powerful learning experience, one has to step out of one's comfort zone. A safe environment has been carefully designed for the participants to experiment and acquire new skills. These camps instil confidence through engaging activities, rich relationships and numerous "I did it" moments. Each day participants choose one major activity and two or three minor ones. Five hours each day are spent on the major activity, which could be rock climbing, trekking, white-water rafting, outdoor survival skills, photography, rifle shooting, theatre, aero modelling or mountain biking, while two hours are spent on the minor activities — such as astronomy, first aid, campus radio or newspaper, magic, painting, music or choreography.

Competent course leaders conduct the activities. The emphasis is on learning by doing instead of listening and watching. The activities are designed to be progressively challenging. Very memorable is the "Trust Fall", which requires participants to fall backwards from a raised platform into the arms of fellow participants. You might wonder what the fuss is about, until your turn comes to fall, and you find your body instinctively refusing to obey your mind and fall. Many enduring friendships are formed, and participants go back with the feeling that they were part of a unique experience.

It is significant that iDiscoveri has an impeccable safety record, with more than ,9000 participants having been through the camps without any untoward incident. Each camp has a doctor and adequate supply of medicines.
Downloadable registration forms for the Youreka! summer camps can be obtained from the website www.idiscoveri.com or from iDiscoveri offices in New Delhi (phone 26524331-32, 26517578-79, 26530701-05), Lucknow (phone: 2332397, 2331809) and Chandigarh (phone: 741046).

Trip to Sitlakhet

2009-04-01T16:44:00.005+05:30

Here's a nice essay on Youreka, written by a student called Arnav, entitled "Trip to Sitlakhet":

Trip to Sitlakhet

I got to know about an outdoor camp (YOUREKA) managed by idiscoveri from my father. It was a nine day camp which was for my age group available at Sitlakhet. It had six camps with three major activities - Outdoor, Rock Climbing, Backpacking. I got interested in Outdoor activity for the 5th Batch. My father rung up the organisers and told them to book my trip. But they insisted that we come to their office or fillup the forms at one of their associates house. My father fixed up the timing for meeting the associate.

When we reached the associates house, I realised that we had forgotten the filled application at home. So, we took another application from them to fillup. I asked for Outdoor activity but was told that for the dates I had wanted the group was already filledup. So, I had 2 options, one to take backpacking or take the next batch. I decided to take backpacking on the dates I had wanted.

When I decided to go to the camp I felt disturbed as I was going out for 9 days. This was the first time, I was going to be away from my family for such a long duration. On the D-Day, I reached the station with my mother and father. We already had the seats allocated for us. The organisers were there to assist us and were very well managing the crowd. I felt uncomfortable initially and quietly sat on my seat. When the train started for Kathgodham, I went to sleep. When the train was about to reach Kathgodham station, we were all woken up.

When we got down from the train, it was raining outside. There were 9 jeeps waiting to take us to camp site. I jumped into one of them and when everyone had sat in the jeeps, the caravan started to move to sitlakhet. Enroute we stopped at one of the resorts to freshenup and for taking breakfast. After that we again boarded the jeeps and started moving again.

We finally reached the camp site at sitlakhet. In the morning the camp was also of fun I learnt many things, like pitching a tent living in a tent following mountain manners etc it was great fun. We made food ourselves, went for trekking in the forest and did mountain climbing. The food was scrumptious and at nights we boys used to talk and talk and tell jokes interact out happening in the day. Everyday we used to have a major and a minor activity, the instructors were very soft and polite but as in every organization there were some rude instructors also but the place would always take you far away from crying as it was so green and beautiful. There were very few brick houses. In the evenings there was a fun time to play, talk and interact. We did plays, made candles, made brace lets for my friends, did first aid and theatre.

In all it was a great fun and I enjoyed every moment during my stay in that camp. I look forward to going there again to learn about my true self.

Eureka! - Welcome to Youreka!!

2009-03-26T18:13:00.007+05:30

Hi Everyone and welcome to the Youreka Blog - Youreka Express!

What is Youreka? Youreka is the outdoor education wing of idiscoveri, a private education company and a social enterprise - a learning teaching and research organisation seeking to bring good education and work to society. Youreka Summer Program is an 8 day outdoor program, specially designed for 9-16 year olds. Children acquire new skills, build on character traits and have fun. The program instills confidence through adventure activities, rich relationships and numerous 'I did it' moments. Youreka is a 12 year old organisation that has touched the lives of over 24,000 children around India.

This blog is yours and mine - and - meant for US to have fun!

We want Parents to know what their kids are upto. What they are learning and on what we are focussing on. It is about Youreka and what we are doing. But it is also about YOU - and you having fun! If your having fun, you're happy, energetic and therefore more productive.

This blog is meant for Everyone but particularly Students, Parents, Teachers and Youreka - to all get INVOLVED and get to know each other. It is meant, for you, to have fun and inform and involve each other through your suggestions, comments, feedbacks and experiences. Its focus is on the Outdoors and children, and is a forum through which all of us - kids and adults can iconnect. So please go ahead and do just that - idiscover and iconnect!!

Please start posting on it as fast as you can on any and everything related to Youreka and the outdoors!

Thanks!

Youreka Express!

:) Laugh out Loudly!!

Skools Up!

School up, time for summer camp

Express News Service

Summer Magic - Only with Youreka!

Youreka Takes on the Nat Geo Junior Hunt!

!!!

LOL!!

Cartoons

Funny Cartoon!

Cartoon of the Day!

The Great Indian Outdoors

The Great Indian Outdoors - Picture of the Day

Cartoon of the Day!

Cartoon of the Day!

Hi - Another hot day - another line!

Welcome to all the new Tons Yourekampers

Welcome to all the new Tirthan Yourekampers

Posting to the Youreka Blog

Games!

Educational Cartoon of the Day!

d otherpic !! *YAWN*

hey..anagha here!!

Navneeth's Notes!

Starstruck Beneath The Twilight Sky

A beautiful poem written by Prasenna Rajendran on the Youreka Camp 2009 on his blog http://prassu170.blogspot.com/:

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Starstruck Beneath The Twilight Sky

Youreka Training Children to become Instructors

Beautiful Music Video of Icelander Svefn - g - Englar

Fwd: Welcome to Yourekamp MMB Pinewood Cliff 24 April onwards

Google Map of Yourekamp Pinewood Cliff Sitlakhet

Introductory Contest

The Best Way to Unwind this Summer

Youreka Slideshow

A Youreka Way of Life

Please Post on anything related to Youreka

Welcome to all the participants of the Max Mueller Bhavan Camp

Personal Items to be carried (Kit List)

Educative, Entertaining and Exciting (3Es)!

Sitlakhet Adventure

Camp (Educative,

Entertaining and

Exciting (3Es))

The National Geographic Junior Hunt

Comments

The Sitlakhet Sky

Close to Nature

Spend your vacations close to nature

Youreka You Tube Videos

Click on the Youreka Video!

Youreka! Discover excitement

Trip to Sitlakhet

Eureka! - Welcome to Youreka!!

d otherpic !! YAWN