Article by Manavi Shukla

Last month, volunteers from Deepti Designs hosted a workshop for Google employees at the Kirkland and Seattle Google campuses. They taught Google employees how to design pots, frames, bookmarks, and coasters in the Madhubani style. Over fifteen people participated in the workshop between both campuses! Volunteers from the workshop said that the workshop was rewarding for both the participants and the volunteers and that the experience was relaxing for the Google employees.

Article by Jahnavi Shukla

This year, our school had been invited to set up a stall at the annual Newcastle Arts Fair, where artists from the area came together to display and sell their creations. Two students from our school, Arunim Goyal and Abhay Bodapati, stepped up to the challenge and ran a Madhubani stall at the fair. Both volunteers worked hard prior to the fair to create Madhubani-style earrings, home decor, art kits, paintings, and prints as inventory to sell.

Then, July 20th, the day of the fair, came. From 10 AM - 5 PM, through the heat of a midsummer day, the volunteers worked hard, teaching and engaging the public and marketing their inventory. Arunim told us that “the fair was a good learning experience,” and Abhay noted that “lots of people admired the art.” Clearly, the volunteers’ hard work did not go unnoticed. Overall, it seems the experience was enjoyable for not only the visitors, but our volunteers as well!

Article by Anishka Gogoi

Deepti Agrawal recently teamed up with Creative Voices coordinator Ananya Vaidyaraman and TEDx speaker Nikhita Penugonda—both experienced Toastmasters—to create an engaging public speaking camp.

Throughout the week, participants mastered various skills, from memorization to overcoming stage fright, and progressed significantly in their public speaking abilities. The program culminated in a showcase where students delivered memorized speeches in front of an audience of proud parents. The topics for these speeches were not simple - ranging from art restoration to digital security. 

Overall, the camp was a huge hit and provided the participants with skills that last a lifetime!  Stay tuned for similar camps in the future!

Article by Jahnavi Shukla

On a warm day on July 17th, while many were out in the sunshine, Adithi Siva and Isha Parekh were found working hard at Crossroads Bellevue Community Center! They had signed up to be teachers at the Bellevue City Art Workshop Teen Makerspace, and taught the participants how to make Madhubani-style coasters and bookmarks. For two hours, they engaged the participants, helping them create masterpieces to take home. It was definitely an afternoon well spent for all at the workshop!