ACE in India 2016

Through the ACE in India program, ten Duke and Stanford student-athletes spent three weeks living and serving in New Delhi, India this past summer. The program focused on teaching and coaching children and youth, with a focus on educational and leadership development through sports and English lessons.

Student-athletes taught middle and high school students at the VIDYA School in Gurgaon, a community just outside New Delhi. The NGO-funded school offers high quality education to more than 1,000 low-income students from the surrounding community. ACE participants developed lesson plans and taught conversational English as well as coached sports and played with students during their free periods.

During their time in India, ACE participants lived in the Hauz Khas area of South Delhi. Student-athletes were able to maintain their training at a nearby park and sports facility built for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. In addition to their service work, ACE participants engaged in group reflection and cultural-immersion activities.

Examples included participating in an Indian cooking class; learning about Odissi – an Indian classical dance form; exploring religious traditions in India including visiting a Muslim mosque, Sikh temple, and Hindu temple; and going a day-long trip to the Taj Mahal.