The camp, held at the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Fine Arts School in Edulabad, Ghatkesar, from April 22 to May 6, focused on traditional arts and skill development
Hyderabad: To make summer vacation productive for students, Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TGSWREIS) conducted a 15-day skill-based summer camp, aimed at building both creativity and career readiness. By the end of the camp, students expressed confidence in pursuing what they had learnt as a career option, hobby or means of self-employment.
The camp, held at the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Fine Arts School in Edulabad, Ghatkesar, from April 22 to May 6, focused on traditional arts and skill development. The camp offered eight activities: Vedic maths, Banjara embroidery (for girls), art and painting, writing skills and journalism, pottery, cartoon and caricature, Cheriyal painting and photography.
Students from 238 TGSWREIS schools were selected — two from Class 8 and three from Class 9 — representing all 33 districts of Telangana. Each student chose two activities, one for the morning and one for the evening session. Eminent personalities were also invited for interactive sessions.
Vedic maths helped students improve their speed and accuracy in calculations. Vedic maths trainers said the training not only improves skills but also enhances mental well-being and logical thinking. Usually, students feel scared of maths. With this teaching, they have become confident. “This 15-day camp boosted my confidence to score full marks in maths,” said B. Bindu from Jangaon. “I missed mangoes but enjoyed the ‘mango method’ for solving multiplication,” she shared. M. Anushka from Nagarkurnool said, “I learnt sutras from the Atharva Veda that help solve questions in under a minute — very useful for competitive exams.”
In the journalism course, students learnt the role of a journalist, how to gather and compile news and the difference between feature and news stories. The sessions also covered grammar tips, idioms, proverbs and poetry writing. Banjara embroidery taught mirror stitching, beadwork and other traditional stitches. “Students learnt with great interest. I showed them international celebrity designs from the Met Gala 2025 using Banjara embroidery, which increased their enthusiasm,” said textile designer K. Kavitha Reddy.
“I learnt 15 stitches in 15 days,” said L. Bharathi from Sircilla. “Our trainers explained how to start a business and sell our products.” P. Shruthika from Karimnagar said, “On the first day, I didn’t even know how to thread a needle. Now I want to make a gift for my mother.”
Cheriyal painting, a 16th-century scroll art form with a Geographical Indication tag since 2007, was another popular choice. “We sketched first, then applied red as the background and used black for borders to make the images vibrant,” said M. Naveen from Nizamabad. “We depicted stories from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bathukamma.”
In the art and craft sessions, students learnt basic drawing, Gothic lettering, stencil work, still life drawing and Madhubani painting. “They also created socially themed works like ‘Save Water’ and reused waste materials to make paper bags and flower vases,” said art teacher Dr G. Lingaraju, adding that it would benefit students aiming to join NIFT or pursue fine arts education.
Pottery sessions began with sketching ideas using geometrical shapes, then moved to making small pots by hand and on electric wheels.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, TGSWREIS secretary Alagu Varshini said, “When I proposed this camp, I hoped even 50 per cent of the students would benefit. But after interacting with them, it’s clear that 100 per cent have gained. We are planning more such programmes for the next academic year, including during the half-yearly holidays.”
