The main objective of Assam Rifles Public School's Project Empathy is to explore and express the essence of empathy towards children through creative expression.

Shillong:  Project Empathy and Assam Rifles Public Schools join hands to stage the first instance of Empathy Art Festival at Assam Rifles Public School, Laitkor, Shillong. The festival was designed to explore and express the essence of empathy for children through diverse creative expressions such as written word in the form of postcards and poetry, visual art in the form of individual and graffiti art and performance in the form of Nukkad Natak and poetry recitation in group.

The organizers are sanguine that from the festival emerged the Most Heartfelt Message, Young Voice of Empathy, Spirit of Collaboration, and Voice of Hope and Healing. Every participant acknowledged.

During the festival, students of 42 Assam Rifles Schools were engage in the various activities at each school over the 24th and 25th April 2025. 

Delegations of seven schools from the seven sister states, each composed of 8 students of classes VI to XII and two teachers, became part of the festival at Assam Rifles Public School, Laitkor, Shillong-10. 

Empathy Art Festival was the first step towards integrating empathy education into the mainstream curriculum of all the ARPS schools. The festival was a collaboration between Project Empathy founded on the vision that empathy can be taught, experienced and practiced by anyone anywhere and Assam Rifles Public Schools. The project was an innovative social experiment at developing respect for self and for everyone around through inner awakening at a very early age.    

Through this collaboration the Assam Rifles Public Schools promote emotional literacy and foster acts of kindness and understanding among students towards creating a compassionate and creative school environment where every child feels valued and respected on his/her own merits.

Renowned personalities, officials, parents, school children and general public were expected to visit the events venue to witness the celebration of empathy. Mrs. Vibha Lakhera, founder of Project Empathy and President ARWWA and Dr. Naomi Bhuyan, playwright and actor-director, Kavita Pandey, Dr. Auswyn Winter Japang, Bryan Dunlee Wahlang, Oliver Wendell Lyndeman, and Kyrshanborlang Marbaniang were among the distinguished visitors.

The festival was more than an art event. It is a celebration of kindness, inclusion, resilience and the everyday moments that bring us closer; a celebration of the conviction that we were wired for empathy.