The DOC NC Social Impact Program is an annual initiative that encourages team members to take on leadership roles and show initiative. Participants dedicate over 40 hours to a selected project, working to create a positive impact on individuals or communities during the summer. Their projects not only aim to make a difference but also inspire others to get involved and contribute to meaningful change.
Participants:
Vidit Ranjan & Aarna Ranjan: Their project was to raise awareness on student mental health. After gaining insight on the topic through conversations with experts in the field and research, they created their own website to educate people on important topics related to student mental health. They reached over 200 people through their website and video.
Shreyan Sharma, Swathi Praveen, Anika Arora, Reyansh Joshi, Nissim Kal, Rudra Jain & Yug Jain taught seniors at HSNC how to play chess. From the basics to helping revive their chess skills, these members guided the seniors. This team loved the opportunity to connect with multiple generations and also learned a lot.
Medha Kuchimanchi & Arshi Ranjan, our communications and marketing heads, worked on training five interns and showing them the ropes and hard work that goes into being on the DOC NC leadership team. They and their interns revamped the website and worked on newsletters and social media engagement.
Samridh Singh focused on fundraising to provide backpacks for underprivileged children. He organized a card-making event where participants created handmade cards, which he sold to raise funds. Additionally, he raised awareness about his project through social media, encouraging others to contribute. As a result of his efforts, 65 backpacks filled with supplies were donated.
Hansitha Teluguntla & Ishitha Teluguntla‘s project was called Linked by Ink, a pen pal program in collaboration with Emerson House in Portland. This initiative aimed to connect with patients who have dementia. By understanding their experiences and forming these connections, the program helped senior patients feel cared for and allowed them to share their stories.
Rohini Joshi‘s project was the Silent Generation Podcast. Her platform prioritized the older generation. She focused on helping the older generation share their stories. She conducted interviews to learn more about their stories. Watch the video here!
Smera Aditya & Pragya Bansal continued to advocate for a society of healthy individuals free from drug influence. They educated the community on Substance Abuse, its impacts, and how to save someone or yourself from it. They led a social media and in-person Campaign to raise awareness. They also published a YouTube video to reach as many people as possible. Watch it here!
Ekansh Bhatia‘s “Growing Together: A gardening project for our community” project aimed to raise awareness and help others learn how to care for their gardens. He began by taking care of others’ gardens by watering, mowing, weeding, and more. He also taught others about gardening and how to care for their plants, plants, and more.
Muskaan Sharma, Madhushri Gupta, and Nidhi Gupta spent their summer educating children at Shiksha Prayas. Shiksha Prayash is a 24-year-old NGO located in Haryana, India. Their goal is to empower underprivileged children through educational support. These DOC NC members educated them on important topics like Waste Management, Global Warming, and Sustainability. They made a lasting impact on these children by teaching them English and sharing their knowledge about the environment and sustainability.
Nithya Kanthed and Saloni Verma focused on Autism Awareness. They conducted interviews to understand more about the challenges people with autism might face.They interviewed Sanvi and her sister who have Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS) to understand their social and educational challenges. They also learned from Dhruti, a volunteer at ASHA, how kids with autism have unique strengths and perspectives that help them excel. A meeting with Deepika Aunty and her son helped them understand how her son copes with sensory processing issues. Watch the interviews here!
Navam Bhatia focused on Sustaining the Senior Society. He aimed to help the elderly in his community by helping with groceries, household tasks, car washes, repairs, garden work and more. He connected with them and learned a lot from their stories,experiences, and wisdom.
Arsh Jha, Medha Kuchimanchi, Vidit Ranjan, Trisha Jha, Aarna Ranjan, Rishika Subudhi, OjasModak, Saanvi Nagar, Saanvi taught seniors at HSNC about different technology-related topics. Every week, they met at HSNC and covered topics like device troubleshooting, security, WhatsApp, Instagram, and more. These seniors learned how to open email accounts and the importance of different ways they can be safe from viruses and malware. This project helped these seniors become better acquainted with using their phones and computers.
Shaivi Lamichhane, Anisha Anivilla, and Agrata Dahal‘s project “Together for Mental Health: Building a Strong Sustainable Community” aimed to increase awareness and understanding of mental health issues. They brought in speakers like Ms. Pallavi Jois and Mr.Prakash Punj and offered sessions like a Mindful Parenting Session for parents and grandparents and a Teen Mental Health workshop. After speaking to some professionals, they shared their insights on how to create supportive environments and understand the state of mental health.
Gianna Gogoi-Meshram, Shreyan Sharma, Smaran Allampally, Arham, Maya, and Nupur donated backpacks to underprivileged kids in Ghana, Africa. They collected backpacks by contacting neighbors, going door-to-door, contacting friends, and putting up flyers in schools. They even fundraised by putting up a popsicle stand near a pool and used this money to buy more backpacks. They even had Ms.Abena Antwi join them in a meeting and explain who these backpacks would reach. This team donated a total of 225 backpacks, helping and making an impact on the children in Ghana.