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This blog post is written by Shrikant Patil, one of the founders of GenWise, which hosts the Gifted Summer Program every year in Manipal, India. Genwise is one of the founding partners of Gifted World, and in this blog, Shrikant enunciates what makes the summer program a crucial experience for growing students.
Since 2016, the GenWise team has been conducting residential programs. The students for the 3-week residential program are selected by the ASSET Talent Search test that identifies students with extraordinary potential. The program yields extraordinary outcomes, both on the academic and the socio-emotional front. When the students arrive, they are unsure what to expect. In a week they loosen up, make good friends, in week three they are at their peak in every aspect of the program, and then it is time to leave. The children have a memorable experience on all fronts: intellectual, social and emotional. After every successful program, we could never zero in on that one key ingredient that makes the experience extraordinary. We finally figured it out, it is called the “4th place”.
What is the 4th place? If the 1st place is the home, 2nd place is work, 3rd place is like parks, cafes, libraries, etc. and finally there is the 4th place. A physical space that facilitates meaning-making through intentional programming, it is here that students experience and explore advanced topics in their areas of interest. It honours the identity and authenticity of each student’s quest, whilst fostering deeper relationships, in a safe, consistent and supportive environment.
For 3 weeks, from 7am to 10pm, the 4th place is a living and learning village. We have mentors, who have spent the majority of their lives in areas such as Engineering, Consulting, Economics, Research, etc. teach the classes. Outside of the class room, we have residential counsellors (RCs) who program every activity, such as sports, quizzes, DJ nights, etc. Through the program the RCs support the emotional needs, monitor nutrition, ensure sufficient sleep and more. The device-free program is held every year at MAHE (Manipal Academy of Higher Education) in Manipal, on the outskirts of Udupi. The world-class campus supported by a state-of-the-art hospital provides that additional peace of mind for all of us.
The ‘no-device’ policy is a major feature of the program. After a wide public discussion, the Oxford University Press has selected “brain rot” as the 2024 word of the year. In an age of absolute and instant access, in the absence of any inconvenience and friction, the young have easy access to information, friends, food, grocery, etc. at the mere touch of the screen. With this kind of friction-free convenience this generation has inherited some kind of absurdity and chaos.
Modern life has made many advances in technology but has robbed the child of many character-forming experiences. Less than 100 years ago the village brought up the child - the parents went to work, the grandparents took care of the kid. Today, the child is brought up in a very different environment from what existed even 50 years ago. My childhood was filled with many role models in my joint family, we spent the whole day in safe unsupervised public spaces to play, shared equipment with our friends (like a soccer ball or a cricket bat), and returned home only for the next meal when hungry. Nowadays children get almost none of these.
The primary goal of the Gifted Summer Program is to nurture talented students. Parents sign up because they want their child to have the best education, leading to a good job and a happy life. But real life is very different, more like a boxing game, every round is different. In one round you could knock down your opponent and in the very next round the same could happen to you. A good education supplemented by character-forming experiences will help the child negotiate and navigate the challenges in real life.
Through the 3 weeks, the child’s identity and values are built from first principles. This period also helps the child to discover themselves. One student shared, “I love GenWise because it has taught me that you don’t need luxury to live comfortably and that studying doesn’t have to be something you dread but something you look forward to”.
There is an inexplicable chemistry as the child transitions from a state of apprehension, to leaving the program on a high note. The program is nothing but a makeshift village that recreates what life was 100 years ago, with gurus that ensure world class instruction supported by the love and care of the residential staff. There is a palpable sadness in the air as the program draws to a close. The students start realising that it is time to leave and that good times don’t last forever. The catharsis via some deep relationships makes it hard to leave. One student put it best, “I am dreading the last day because the best people create the worst goodbyes”.
It takes a village to bring up a child – today’s children are missing the village we grew up in. Every year GenWise creates a village, through the 3-weeks, every activity is meticulously programmed.
We absolutely believe that every child should attend residential programs at least once in their formative years. Living and learning in the 4th place is a life changing experience.
To learn more about the Gifted Summer Program 2025, visit www.genwise.in
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