Jan. 5: They may be young, but entrust them with responsibilities and they are as good as any grown up.

If children are our future, then catch them young and groom them to be socially and morally responsible persons.

With this in mind, Samaroh, a city-based socio-environmental organisation, is planning to organise a three-day Teens Festival. The first of its kind, the festival will begin at Lakhiram Baruah Sadan on February 2.

“The aim of the festival is to search for children who are well informed and understand well about their social responsibilities. In the absence of any responsibilities, our young generation is going berserk. We want to instil a sense of responsibility into the children,” said Ranjan Baruah, a member of Samaroh. “Moreover, the festival will be a platform for the students to showcase their talents and skills in various fields.”

The best part of the festival is a model “United Nations”, where the children will get an opportunity to learn more about the international socio-economic and political dynamics. A group of 10 children will be selected for an exposure tour to other states and one of the neighbouring countries after the festival, said Baruah.

The festival also features two workshops for the youngsters — Children for Sustainable Future and Vision 2020:Teens’ Perspective — besides a seminar on Challenges in Creating Resources for teachers and parents. There will also a children’s film festival, where some award-winning short, feature and documentary films, highlighting issues of children, will be screened. Besides these, on the programme list are essay, poster, quiz, dance, singing (solo and group) and drama contests.

Students up to Class XII can participate in the essay and the poster competitions and there are no joining fees for these two events. The topics will be “Assam in 2020” and “Assam of my dream” respectively. Essays and posters can be sent to the Office of Teens Festival, Sui Generis, Narendra Bhawan (1st Floor), Gandhi Basti Road, Silpukhuri, Guwahati. For more details, people can contact the organiser of the festival on telephone numbers 9864227589 and 9864029308, said Baruah.

“We are in touch with schools to ensure that maximum number of children participated in the event. We will also invite some underprivileged children to the festival,” said Baruah. He said those interested in participating in the event can register their names till January 31.

“It is a unique festival. Such events will help bring out the hidden talents and in children besides boosting their confidence. Most of the children-related festivals focus only on song and dance contests. But this one will intellectually motivate the children to take an active part in social development,” said Anamika Das, a schoolteacher.