Shifu: Weekly Presentation

• Sandhiya Saravanan, Vaishnavi K, Abinaya K, Preethi P, Gunavathi S, Poonguzhali, Ajay I, Tamil, Premkumar, Soundhariya, Kugan, DuraiSamy, SandhiyaBala

Learning at Shifu is a Two-Way Street

At our organization, learning is not just something we do for ourselves—it’s something we share. We believe that when we learn together, we grow stronger as individuals and as a community. That’s why Shifu isn’t just a program—it’s a space. A space to explore, reflect, express, and evolve.

The Weekly Presentation: A Core Practice

One of the key elements of the Shifu program is our weekly presentation practice. Every week, each participant—whom we call a Shifuian—shares something they have learned, struggled with, or found inspiring. It could be a concept, a personal insight, or a challenge they faced.

Before presenting, they prepare a document outlining their thoughts. They receive feedback from their mentor—someone who supports them consistently throughout the program. This feedback process helps them refine their ideas and build clarity before sharing with the group.

Why Do We Do This?

This weekly practice isn’t just about standing up and speaking. It’s about:

• Developing presentation skills in a safe, supportive environment
• Building self-confidence through expression and feedback
• Encouraging peer learning, where everyone learns from each other’s experiences

What Makes This New and Different?

In many learning environments, sharing happens after mastery. At Shifu, we encourage sharing during the learning process. This creates:

• A culture of openness, where people don’t hide their doubts or challenges
• A collaborative mindset, where feedback is normal, welcomed, and valuable
• A community of equals, where both mentors and mentees are learners

Unlike typical classrooms where one teaches and others listen, Shifu creates a circle where everyone teaches, everyone listens.


Reflections:
 
 Vaishnavi K
         My name is Vaishnavi, I stand for kindness and unity for myself and others. I’m really happy to be a part of Shifu program. The presentations kept me involved, and studying in a group made learning fun and interesting. I got to enjoy the process while also learning a lot. Presenting in front of others helped me build confidence and feel more motivated. I also learned many new things from my friends, which helped me understand different topics better. Overall, I feel proud and thankful to be part of the Shifu experience. It’s been a great journey of learning and growing together.

Abinaya K
       My name is Abinaya.k, I stand for kindness and happiness for myself and others. I have learned how to communicate my ideas more clearly and confidently. Presenting weekly helped me improve my speaking skills, organize my thoughts better, and explain what I learned in a simple and effective way. I also realized the importance of listening to feedback and learning from others’ presentations. Sometimes I faced nervousness and small mistakes, but these experiences taught me to stay calm and prepare well. Through this journey, I discovered that I am capable of growing and improving with consistent effort, and moving forward, I will continue to build my confidence and focus on presenting with more clarity and impact.

Preethi P
         My name is Preethi P. I stand for courage and happiness for myself and others. During the presentation sessions, I learned many different topics from other Shifuians.  I also learned how to present a topic with confidence. The weekly presentations helped me to grow and gave me the courage to speak up. While watching others present, I felt enthusiastic and inspired to learn new topics. Sometimes, I felt nervous to stand and speak in front of everyone, but over time, I was able to overcome that fear and I felt more confident while presenting. I am feeling proud and happy to be a part of the Shifu program. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to discover myself and to truly understand who I AM.

Gunavathi S
         My name is Gunavathi , I stand for happiness and perseverance for my self and others, From the weekly presentation, I’ve noticed reduction in my stage fear and a growth in self-confidence . While presenting, I’ve become more aware of gaps while interacting with others ,which I’ve addressed by asking questions. With each presentation, I identify areas for improvement and work on them for the next session. I’ve also realized that presenting in English has enhanced my communication skills. Additionally, when others present, I gain new knowledge and the techniques they use, as well as their unique approaches to topics I’ve previously covered. This experience has been helping me become more comfortable speaking in front of large groups and teaching children.

Poonguzhali:

My name is Poonguzhali. I stand for courage for myself and others. During the shifu program, I got a chance to present the weekly presentation. At first, I felt fear. But I transcended my fear and spoke in front of everyone. When I finished my presentation, I felt proud of myself.

This moment helped me grow. I understood that when I take courage, I learn more about myself. I also saw that my courage can give strength to others.

Courage doesn’t mean I’m not afraid—it means I still take action, even when I am. The Shifu program gave me this opportunity, and I am grateful for it.

Ajay.I:

My name is Ajay. I stand for self-awareness for myself and others.

During my time in the Shifu program, we had weekly presentations among the Shifuians. These sessions helped me improve my presentation skills. Presenting in front of others and receiving feedback each time supported my growth and learning.

It not only helped me become more confident, but also allowed my peers to understand what I was working on. Sharing my work gave them a basic idea of the topic I explored, and created a space for mutual learning.

Tamil:

My name is Tamil, I stand for courage and compassion for myself and others.

Being a mentor, I noticed that the presentation creates a space for growth for everyone. It allows the sharing of knowledge not only among Shifuians but also builds a connection between all mentors and Shifuians. As a mentor, I get to understand how deeply the Shifuians have learned the topic, and I have noticed that their confidence level has increased. What I have learned myself is that presentations help me learn more and grow.

PremKumar:

My name is Premkumar. I stand for self-confidence and equality for myself and others. During my one-year Shifu program, I was able to notice my values and felt very proud and excited. I got a chance to present my learning to my Shifu team. It was a great experience to share what I had learned in front of everyone. I also learned a lot from others who presented their learning, which helped me grow. During my first presentation, I felt fear to speak in English. But by my second presentation, I still in my stand and overcame my fear to presenting. This will give more confidence to present and my confidence level are increased.

Soundhariya:

When I joined as a Shifu , I felt happy and excited. I started learning new things like electronics, programming, and how to work with children. By explaining the concepts to children, I understood the topics more clearly and deeply. Also, I got many opportunities to speak in front of others, and shared what I learned. That gave me confidence. I worked with my team and supported others. Being in Shifu helped me to learn about myself and become stronger in my action.

Kugan:

My name is Kugan I stand for equality for myself and other. I noticed as a team, our strength lies in our willingness to learn new things together. Every shared insight, every new skill, and every challenge we overcome fuels our collective growth and success.

Duraisamy:

My name is Durai. I deeply care about dignity, wisdom, and freedom for myself and others. In the past, I mentored some of the Shifuians, and during that time, I used to give feedback to my mentees before their presentations. But this time, I was a participant, observing other mentees’ presentations. It was interesting to see how they have progressed both technically and socially.

I was able to give feedback using the “Retain, Increase, Decrease” format. I observed perseverance and growth during the presentations, which I find inspiring and want to apply in me.

SandhiyaBala:
My name is SandhiyaBala and I deeply care about care, courage and happiness for myself and others. I mentored some of the shifuians, i learnt that thier quality and rigour of thier work. Its really help me to grow myself and guided them effectively.