St Joseph's University

Outreach Programme at St Joseph's University

The Outreach programme at St Joseph's University is based on the college's aim of forming students for the service of others. The programme expects students to be sensitive to the poor and to become persons of concern, compassion and conscience.

What is Outreach

Outreach is the practical expression of the Jesuit view of higher education. This view focuses on the all-round development of students, with special attention to critical praxis that connects academic excellence, character development and personal concern for social transformation.

Students who go through Jesuit higher education cannot remain separate from the economic, political and cultural realities of society. The Jesuit ideal holds that solidarity with people can only be achieved through direct contact and participation in the daily life of the marginalized. Personal involvement with the suffering and injustice of others is seen as the catalyst for solidarity, which then leads to intellectual inquiry and moral reflection.

The University Grants Commission (UGC), the higher education authority in India, has recognised 'Extension' as an integral part of the learning process. The UGC expects universities and colleges to use their knowledge, human resources and infrastructure to become positive change-makers who empower the marginalized sections of society.

Why Outreach

The Outreach programme draws its inspiration from the college's vision of forming women and men for others. It gives students a platform to develop critical thinking, leadership skills and techniques for meaningful interventions aimed at building a just and equitable society.

The programme is rooted in the philosophy of Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, which follows the cycle of Action, Reflection and Praxis. In line with the UGC and National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) recommendations on Extension, the objective is to extend knowledge and institutional resources to the community, and also to bring community knowledge back to the institution.

Outreach is a two-way process between the institution and the people. It is an intellectual intervention in the community's living problems, which are addressed through an educational process. The programme blends theory with practice and orients students with skills required for community development.

The programme is named BEMBALA. It aims to reach deprived groups and vulnerable sections of society and create opportunities for education, awareness and skill enhancement. It also intends to create a learning process for faculty and students through exposure to community needs, problems and issues.

The programme hopes to achieve the following:

• Design need-based interventions for the community
• Generate research on community issues
• Facilitate networking and linkages of the community with NGOs, institutions and government agencies
• Support effective service delivery and advocacy
• Link up with the corporate sector within the parameters of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Structure and Process

The Outreach programme has two stages. The first is the Preparation Stage and the second is the Practical Stage.

Preparation Stage

In this stage, students are equipped with the required knowledge through Human Resource Development (HRD) classes, talks and documentaries. During this process, student leaders are identified. These leaders undergo special training to lead the class for the outreach activity.

Practical Stage

In this stage, the actual outreach begins. There is continuous evaluation and assessment of the experiences gained in the programme. Ongoing formation talks are also conducted during this stage.