“We are Team ROOTS, magical ROOTS'', the ROOTS anthem repeated for the 2nd virtual ROOTS 2021 held from 15 to 17 April 2021. This annual youth program explored the concepts of sound mind, body, and soul with children aged 6 to 12 from more than 18 countries, including those from Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East. Delivered over 3 days, ROOTS brought together over 130 participants who came in with tremendous excitement, energy, and enthusiasm. Counselor Faiz Rajan commented, “I remember that I was extremely nervous before the first day, but the participants were so bubbly, cheerful, and excited that the whole experience felt effortless”.
Day 2 of ROOTS consisted of 3 main activities – Parkitect, Animotion, and Arcade Arena. These activities were geared toward the objectives of building participant self-expression, teamwork, and interpersonal skills. Parkitect, an activity designed around the notion of encouraging competencies of decision making, communication skills, and introducing financial literacy, involves participants building their ideal ROOTS theme park. The attendees had limited time and budget, which focused them on what components were most important in terms of money, time, and need. In the latter half of the day, participants were furnished with primary information and resources to kickstart developing their stop motion videos at Animotion studios. This not only helped them to get acquainted with technology but also helped them realize how important it is to have these means and tools of self-expression. After a period of intense intellectual activity, Arcade Arena encouraged physical recreation using dance and music, where participants were prompted to get up and move around. This aided in lightening up the mood while also encouraging the participants to engage in a form of physical exercise.
Day 3 of ROOTS reinforced and revitalized what the participants had already learned with two activities - Soul Island and Treasure Realm. Soul Island – the Uncharted Journey taught participants about the importance of ethics and morals in decision making. They were immersed in a journey where they were introduced to a variety of characters looking for different things in life, while simultaneously developing their own stories through creative thinking and writing. Treasure Realm took participants on a virtual 3-D tour of the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Canada. Organized as a ‘scavenger hunt’ activity, the participants learned more about the artifacts at the Museum, with a particular emphasis on Islamic history and culture.
To round off the three-day adventure, participants took part in one final activity called the Mindful Palace, where they made souvenir glitter jars that represented their emotions as a way to consolidate their journey. Reflecting on ROOTS and the major takeaways, Sabin Lakhani, Program Director, noted that “Technology is a tool to enable us to do more. It is not a limiting factor to creating content and engagement, but rather a tool to build creativity and cognitive ability while breaking barriers.”
As the event came to a close, everyone who had a hand in making it a success went home with wide, ear-to-ear smiles, plenty of memories, and most importantly, the skills to be the leaders of tomorrow.
