SGS Leadership team hosts CSR event at Miami

Eighteen members from the SGS leadership team recently spent three hours at the OverTown Youth Center interacting with under-privileged children at an education summer camp…

Recently, when the SGS leadership team was finalizing the agenda for a Business Planning session offsite, on a trial basis they decided to make Corporate Social Responsibility a part of  it.

So 18 members from the SGS Leadership team spent three hours at the OverTown Youth Center recently, interacting with under-privileged children at an education summer camp located in Miami. The neighborhood where the center is located is considered to be among the poorest (with the highest incidences of crime and drug use). Typically, only one out of 12 children at OverTown is able to make it through high school.

The center (www.overtownyouthcenter.org) helps keep the children out of harm’s way through the year, by running a school for them. During the summer holidays the center is converted into a summer camp, where educational sessions (focused on Math and Science) are conducted by qualified teachers. 

They encourage visits from employees working at global firms, as it would provide children and instructors with insights and exposure about the external world. After an hour-long tour of the facility, the SGS team spent two hours more interacting with the children from second grade to eighth grade.

Some of the activities in which the team participated include:

·                 Helping children with their Math and reading skills.

·                 Held sessions on Cultures of the World in each class, answering queries on a variety of topics.

·                 Conducted sessions on career opportunities with students in higher classes.

·                 Interacted with children in the playground and for a photo opportunity.

This was followed by a session spent in introspection and reflection, by the SGS team.  Feedback from the SGS leaders who attended the event was positive. It was heartening to hear about the many success stories at the center and the achievements of children. The team felt good at having touched the lives of children and for having helped them understand the importance of education, hard work and perseverance, while helping expanding their world vision and interest in travelling the world. 

“It may have been only three hours, but it is very likely that a few lives (at Infosys and Overtown) were impacted following this visit.  The SGS leadership team will try and incorporate a CSR activity in all future leadership offsites,” said Suketu Patel, Unit Head, SGS.