YES FOUNDATION Enables Over 550 High Potential Youth to Emerge as Changemakers

YES FOUNDATION, the social development arm of YES BANK, has enabled over 550 high potential youth to emerge as changemakers across India through its flagship program - Media for Social Change Fellowship 2018. The Fellowship, supported by YES BANK and in association with ISDI - WPP School of Communication develops socially youth conscious leadership.

This year, the program has nurtured over 550 fellows chosen from 7700 applicants across 535 locations in India, through a rigorous multi-stage selection process. The high potential fellows have been placed in 101 credible NGOs across Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Pune, where they well-defined communication projects during their 7-week long NGO placement. The final Delhi cohort witnessed 300 high-potential fellows, the largest amongst all 5 cities.

YES FOUNDATION, a premier organisation working towards responsible youth citizenship launched the Fellowship in 2016 as an important stepping stone towards professional careers. This edition saw participation from students pursuing engineering, arts, architecture, finance, medicine among other professional courses.  The program not only inculcates sensitivity among future leaders but also creates a pipeline of resources for the development sector. During induction, graduates undergo intensive training and mentoring by experts in leadership, communication, social media and orientation in development sector. This results in substantial personal development through immersive exposure to NGOs and social causes. NGO partners who hosted Fellows during tenure of the placement include Tata Trusts, HelpAge India, Save the Children, Magic Bus, amongst several others.

Speaking about the Fellowship program, Rana Kapoor, Chief Mentor and Co-Chairman YES FOUNDATION said, “India’s inclusive development necessitates harnessing the incredible positive energy of our nation’s youth. The country faces great development challenges, but inherent in these challenges are significant opportunities for the Indian youth to exercise their creativity, develop solutions and make a good impact.”

Prerana Langa, CEO, YES FOUNDATION, said, “We strongly believe in bridging gaps in the ecosystem. Towards this, YES FOUNDATION Media for Social Change Fellowship empowers youth to emerge as strong social leaders, while providing communication and volunteering resources to strengthen the development sector. We are delighted to see the enthusiasm and commitment of the youth and are certain that they have added value to NGOs to amplify their social impact.”

In its earlier two editions, the program supported the transformation of 258 students into socially conscious youth leaders. The fellows assisted in communication and external outreach efforts of NGOs, by designing websites, mobile apps, raising funds and developing high-quality videos, all of which received widespread appreciation on social media.