St. Andrew’s Educational Foundation, Bandra was proud to present their third edition of Awesummer in May 2021 for youth (16 – 25 years of age). Given that the pandemic put paid to all plans to hold in-person classes, it was decided to move the programme to the online space. Courses were therefore specially curated for this purpose. While there were some old favourites like Basic French and Elementary French, new courses like Food Design and Photography, Introduction to Opera, Empowering You with Competence, Etiquette and Personal Presentation, and Art of Selling were introduced. Well-known celebrities who were experts in their field like Chef Michael Swamy and Ms. Anna Bredemeyer were roped in to teach these courses. Awesummer 2021, because of its unique offerings, was highlighted in Midday on 27th April 2021.
Despite confusion over their exam schedules, enthusiastic students took the time to enrol and attend. Since the courses were online, there were even students from Pune, Kolhapur and Mangalore signing up, eager to put this opportunity to good use.
The Basic and Elementary French courses had a mixed bag of students. While some were freshers, there were others who were looking to brush up the little they had learnt in school. Nonetheless, they had a wonderful experience learning together as they wound their way through complex grammar rules and pronunciations with Ms. Christine Syiemiong’s special mix of song, drama and art.
Food Design and Photography was another popular course with the youth. Chef Michael Swamy’s wealth of knowledge and easy-going style had the youth falling over themselves to show off what they had learnt in his class. On viewing the ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos, one could see the difference his tips made. Whether it was the play of light or the angle from which the plate/ glass was shot or the right quantity of food/ drink needed for that perfect photo, Chef shared it all with the students who kept bombarding him with questions.
Mr. Daryl Arambhan, an operatic tenor who has recently returned from London, conducted An Introduction to Opera where he took his students on a brief journey through the history of opera and then showed them how various human emotions are depicted in operatic works. He also introduced his class to significant opera composers and their respective backgrounds and styles of composing.
Despite being online, the attendees were highly appreciative of the efforts taken by the instructors to keep them engaged and motivated towards learning. At the end of their course, all students were thrilled to receive a certificate of excellence.
Feedback from students
Food Design and Photography with Chef Michael Swamy
“The sessions were very interactive. I loved the part where we all clicked pictures and got to see others’ pictures too.” (Anaida Pereira)
“I loved the interaction with Chef and his tips and pointers. He is very inspiring and motivational.” (Joshua Fernandes)
Empowering You with Ms. Anna Bredemeyer
“I learnt basic etiquette and also how to pronounce unique words.” (Feushia Anthony Dias)
Basic French with Ms. Christine Syiemiong
“My teacher very sweetly attended to all my doubts and cleared them. I did not know any French but now I can at least speak and understand basic stuff.” (Radhika Joshi)
“It was very interactive and student-friendly. Plenty of additional practice was provided.” (Zaneta Fernandes)
Elementary French with Ms. Christine Syiemiong
“Ms. Christine has an infectious enthusiasm for the French language which really helped me stay focussed in class. Also, the notes she sends every day are very helpful.” (Shanice D’Souza)
“Tr. Christine kept sending us a whole lot of worksheets and books to solve and improve our vocabulary. This course will be extremely beneficial for me in giving the Alliance Française entrance test. She also made us listen to ecoutes, read stories to us, made us speak in French and a lot more.” (Adwitiya Ghosh)
Introduction to Opera with Mr. Daryl Arambhan
“A lot of important and interesting information about opera was explained very well through various clips and a presentation. Not just objective points but the instructor also shared his own opinions on a particular matter, which was interesting to ponder over.” (Aditya Manik)
