Chennai: For a group of children, a Sunday evening at sea turned into an unusual classroom, as they learnt sailing, teamwork and responsibility through a 90-minute experiential programme organised by Explorers Club at the Royal Madras Yacht Club.The initiative, led by Air India Senior Commander and Trainer Pilot Capt Soniya Jain, brought together children aged between eight and 15 with the aim of giving them an opportunity to learn through real-world experiences rather than just textbooks.Soniya Jain, who has two decades of aviation experience and served in the Vande Bharat Mission during the Covid-19 pandemic, said children needed opportunities to experience the world and step outside their comfort zones. She has also been associated with organisations including Yi, GDC Club, IWPA, RCC Magnum and JITO.The programme introduced the children to the basics of sailing, including how boats balance, wind directions and the importance of coordination. They also learnt different knots and took part in rope-based activities, including making their own wind catchers.For the young participants, the experience turned out to be very different from the simple boat ride some had expected. Pehel Ranka, 14, said, “I thought it would be a simple sailing session where we would just go on the boat, sail for a while and return. I did not expect to learn much,” Pehel said.Another participant, Darsh Khemka,14, described it as an adventurous Sunday that began with learning different types of knots and making a wind catcher before heading out to sea. The children were also given passports to collect stamps for future challenges.For Shreya Punamiya,13, who had earlier attended an NCC camp at AMET, the sailing experience offered something different. She recalled seeing cargo ships, jellyfish, and enthusiastic fellow participants, describing the day as an unforgettable experience.The initiative is built around Soniya Jain’s larger belief that experiential learning can help children develop confidence, discipline, independence, responsibility and teamwork in ways that traditional classroom learning may not always achieve.
