Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma attended the SPARK Summit 2025 at the U Soso Tham Auditorium in Shillong today.
In his address, Sangma emphasised that the government’s various programs are interconnected and aimed at realizing the state’s vision. He highlighted that India’s population, with a significant segment between 15-19 years old, presents both challenges and opportunities. In Meghalaya, the highest population is between 0-4 years old, with 49 per cent of the population below 20 years old.
The Chief Minister stressed the need to invest in youth at every stage of their life to reap the benefits of the demographic dividend. He noted that Meghalaya focuses on the life cycle approach, with various programs for early childhood development, adolescence, youth, and adulthood.
Referring to the adolescence stage (9-19 years), Sangma stressed the need for guidance during this challenging period. He acknowledged partners like Avenues, which drive programs like SPARK to support, nurture, guide, and counsel adolescents.
He expressed confidence that Meghalaya will achieve its growth goals despite challenges. He distributed tablets to meritorious students and certificates to schools participating in the SPARK program.
SPARK, an acronym for School Programs in Articulation, Resilience, and Kindness, is a government initiative empowering students with life skills, focusing on communication, resilience, and empathy. It is part of the National Education Policy (NEP) and has been recognized by the Education Ministry. Implemented by AVENUES, the program has shown tangible outcomes, with students demonstrating improved public speaking, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence.
Also present were Education Minister Rakkam A. Sangma, Kharkutta MLA Rupert M. Momin, Education Secretary Swapnil Tembe, and Director of School Education & Literacy Banteilang Kharshandi, among others.
