Our mission is to empower women to bring about social transformation
by providing them with a dynamic and caring environment
for acquiring professional skills, through an education
that is holistic, student-centred, value-based and creative
in the pursuit of excellence.
Since 2002, the Polytechnic has also been running five extension centres in rural/ semi-rural Maharashtra for the empowerment of women and school dropouts. These are funded by the Central Government through the Community Polytechnic Scheme. The activities conducted vary from tailoring and cookery to computer literacy, chalkmaking, candlemaking, jewellery and rexine bag making, embroidery to vermicomposting. The tailoring classes are all supervised by our Staff of the Department of Dress Designing and Garment Manufacturing.
At the Polytechnic, which is the Main Centre, we conduct activities such as:
Supervision of tailoring classes, conducted by the NGO MESCO at Dharavi, by our department of Dress Designing and Garment Manufacturing.
Updating sessions in cookery skills for domestic workers.
Constant efforts are made by the Staff and Management to keep alive in the students an awareness of the 'other half ' with the hope that they will carry this awareness with them when they leave the Polytechnic.
SOPHIA COMMUNITY POLYTECHNIC CENTRES
For Wisdom stands Sophia's name
And sets our hearts with love aflame
O God, free us from craven fear
And may we know that Thou art near.
We long to soothe all earthly pain
We pledge to Thee our might and main
Our hearts we offer Thee anew
Our lives shall stand for all that's true.
Thy wisdom shall direct our way
Thy love shall be our joy and stay
Our goal shall be true liberty
Our freedom founded first in Thee.
To help our students develop and hone their professional skills so that they can excel
in their chosen line of work.
To inculcate in our students right convictions and ethical values by fostering in them a critical and reflective sense.
To sensitise our students to the social issues of our time in order to awaken in them a desire to serve
To provide our students with professionally qualified and motivated staff.
To make available continuing education to our staff.
To expose our students to the demands of the industry through professional visiting faculty, regular industrial visits, internships, etc.
To interact continuously with industry, parents and with other beneficiaries of our education.
To foster an atmosphere which engenders creative outputs.
To provide our students with upto date equipment and facilities.
To provide regular input sessions to our students and opportunities for shared interaction on issues touching their lives :
Personal growth in an atmosphere of responsible freedom.
Personal and active faith in God.
Building of community as a social value.
Caring for our environment.
Political awareness.
To expose our students to the deprived sections of society through our outreach and community polytechnic programmes.
Cookery classes at Bhiwandi
Releasing hope and energy, the Sophia emblem is replete with Indian symbols. It consists of lotus petals framed in a ring of pearls, in the heart of which lies a tree with its roots upwards. The pearl orbit with its calm shimmer reveals intelligence arising from still waters, the blooming lotus petals radiate the pure light of knowledge. The tree implies zest, evolution, energy and security. Urdhva Mula holds the essence of the emblem. The roots of the tree reaching upwards signifies that the origin of all life is in God.
A just and prosperous society
where women and men
are considered equal,
and where, together,
they live in peace, in mutual respect
and in harmony with nature.
Sophia, as the name suggests, stands for Wisdom. Established in June 1970, the Sophia Shree Basant Kumar Somani Polytechnic was founded by the Society of the Sacred Heart, an International congregation of religious sisters dedicated to the education of women.
The Society of the Sacred Heart was founded in 1800, in France, by Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, a young Frenchwoman. It was extended to the new world by Rose Philippine Duchesne. Mother Catherine Andersson brought the Society to India in 1939.
One of the distinguishing characteristics of the Sophia Polytechnic is its emphasis not only on academic and professional excellence but also on the all-round development of the students. Our students and faculty work together on achieving both personal and professional goals. The courses provide a broad education based on values and are designed to offer a choice of routes into employment, motivating creativity and bringing out the individuality of each student.
Lectures, assignments, project work, extra-curricular activities, awareness and outreach programmes have one single aim viz. to build confident, responsible citizens capable of critical, creative and constructive thinking , so as to effect change both at a personal and social level as they respond to the present social reality.
Education for Transformation is at the heart of all our courses, whether it be teaching the students that the "Guest is God", or training them to develop skills in the media, art, textile designing and dress designing. We encourage our students to dare, to dream and to do.
