Hosted by Keystone Foundation, Nilgiris | June 27 – July 4, 2025
By Monisha-Community Wellbeing
In collaboration with the University of Colorado Boulder, Keystone Foundation facilitated a field-based program on “Development and Social Wellbeing: Understanding Policy and Practice with Fieldwork in India,” from June 27 to July 4, 2025, as part of CU’s Summer Study Abroad initiative.
During this one-week immersion, six students from CU Boulder and two students from Aracode visited Keystone to gain first-hand exposure to development practices in India, with a focus on the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve. The students interacted with Indigenous Adivasi youth, engaged in field visits, and explored themes such as sustainability, community well-being, and environmental governance.
Orientation & Campus Sessions
The program began with a warm welcome and orientation at the Keystone campus in Kotagiri. Students engaged in full-day classroom sessions on Keystone’s mission, history, and core programmes. They interacted with founders and key team members, setting the stage for deeper field-based learning.
Students also participated in hands-on participatory exercises such as Problem Tree and Body Mapping to explore the socio-environmental challenges faced by Indigenous communities.
Highlights of the field visit
- Pillur Inbavanam: The visit included travel through the Pillur region, with a community interaction held in Inbavanam, with active engagement in Community Forest Rights (CFR) and Individual Forest Right (IFR) processes. Students took part in an interactive session with community members discussing forest governance, resource use, and local conservation efforts. They also learned about the role of community mapping and rights assertion under the Forest Rights Act (FRA).
- Konavakkarai: Focused on tribal rights, health, and wellbeing, this visit included discussions with community health workers and Community Leaders of various Gram Shaba on challenges faced in collection of NTFP and about the local healthcare access the students also visited the PHC at Settupattai and interacted with the chief Doctor and the various ailments encountered by Tribal population, challenges in remote tribal contexts, and traditional healing practices.
- Aracode: In this tribal village, students observed forest-linked livelihoods, interacted with Key community Stakeholders and women from the community on the impact of climate change on health through body mapping, and explored how traditional ecological knowledge supports community resilience.
- Kotagiri Town: Urban field visits covered informal settlements, waste management systems, and local landmarks.
Debrief and critical discussion were followed by each visit. These Discussions focused on intersections between environmental governance, health, climate change, social justice, and livelihoods by using tools like Problem Tree and Body Mapping.
Daily Reflections & Dialogues
Following each visit, students participated in structured debrief sessions, where they reflected on the intersection of environmental governance, health, climate change, social justice, and livelihoods. Participatory tools helped surface critical insights, deepen learning, and connect field experiences to broader policy frameworks.
Closing Reflections
The Student Immersion Program 2025 created a meaningful platform for intercultural and interdisciplinary learning. Students from the University of Colorado engaged deeply with the Nilgiris’ tribal communities, understanding the complexities of forest rights, indigenous knowledge systems, health challenges, and climate governance. Keystone Foundation’s facilitation emphasized respect, reflection, and relationship-building, offering students a rare and grounded view into the lived realities and resilience of Indigenous communities in the NBR.
Photo Credits -Monisha
