Immersive learning experiences lasting for more than a day work best for students to touch upon different aspects of holistic learning. Multi-day educational programs like summer schools offer enough time for students to learn multiple disciplines without a sense of urgency.
In 2021, we organized a four-day summer school program on behalf of the University of Essex. This virtual summer experience hosted 90 students who engaged in a series of conducive workshops. It is a testament to our commitment to extend skill development opportunities to students even during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
The summer school program included workshops in literature, wellness, leadership, personal development and so on. The multidisciplinary learning around these disciplines created a wholesome learning experience for students. This came at a time when learning was otherwise disrupted due to the unfortunate COVID-19 pandemic.
The vision of holistic development was bifurcated into different dimensions, each inspiring a different workshop idea. We did not limit the scope of holistic development to skill enhancement. Given the health emergency that then existed and also otherwise, wellness was also a key dimension of this exquisite summer school program.