For 11 students of Shri Hingulambika Kannada and Marathi Medium High School in Kalaburagi, a reward for academic excellence turned into a memorable life experience.

Thanks to a unique initiative by their teachers, the students travelled by air for the first time as part of an educational tour to Bengaluru.

In a remarkable gesture, the school’s nine teaching and non-teaching staff members voluntarily contributed from their salaries to sponsor an educational tour to Bengaluru for the students, spending nearly ₹1.20 lakh.

The initiative was aimed at recognising academic achievement while broadening the horizons of students through exposure to educational, scientific and cultural institutions.

The tour, organised on June 11, included students from Classes 8, 9 and 10 selected for their scholastic performance.

English teacher Santoshima Basavaprabhu coordinated the travel arrangements, including flight tickets, while other staff members pooled resources to make the programme possible.

During the visit, the students toured the Vidhana Soudha and, with special passes, visited the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council chambers to gain firsthand insight into the functioning of democratic institutions.

They also visited the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium and the ISKCON Temple.

The students travelled by Namma Metro to Yeshwantpur Railway Station before returning to Kalaburagi by train.

The educational tour was organised for 11 meritorious students, including three students each from Classes 8 and 9 and five students from Class 10, chosen in recognition of their academic performance and commitment to studies.

The students who participated in the tour were Shaikh Aarafat Ahmed, Swayam, Laxmi, Chandrika and Bhagyashree, who secured the highest marks in SSLC, Sharanu, Nandini and Shraddha of Class 9 and Bhavani, Bhagyalaxmi and Trisha of Class 8.

The students were accompanied by school headmaster Raju V. Hanchate and staff members Heeramani Chavan, Anasuya Kalekar, Megha Bhaskarao, Shridevi Kusnoor, Santoshima Basavaprabhu, Sheetal Hirave, Saroja Jadhav and Laxmikanth Hibare.

Mr. Hanchate said that the initiative was conceived not merely as a reward for academic success but as an investment in aspiration, encouraging students to dream bigger and pursue higher educational goals.