Sometimes when things change rapidly, and there’s a lot to manage all at once

We started a major restructuring exercise at Medha last year. We formed new departments, grew the team to twice its size, and set a goal of helping 1 million young people transform their lives by 2026.

Naturally, scaling is not a one-time exercise. It is an ongoing process, and there’s a huge learning curve involved. We’ve been adapting to new changes, managing extended periods of settling in with equal parts fire and patience, and ensuring our ongoing commitments are respected – a kind of everything, everywhere, all at once.

You forget why you do what you do
and that not everything needs 'fixing'

Over the last few quarters, there have been a lot of changes and exciting new challenges at Medha.

Waiting on delayed
college admissions
post the pandemic

Figuring out work processes in new departments

Finding better
ways to collaborate
as ‘new’ and
‘old’ Medha

Understanding
students’ evolving
needs to update
our programs

In those moments of chaos, experiences with your community are what keep you grounded

In this quarter, many young people and system actors from our community took ownership and drove change on the ground. It is our deep engagement with them that's helped us steer the internal transformation and acknowledge what's working well.

01 - Nisha prioritized her wellbeing and career growth

02 - College students built their digital proficiency

03 - Parents showed trust in children’s career journeys

04 - College instructors built more engaging classrooms

A young woman's journey becomes a powerful reminder of your ‘why’

"My life, my choice.”

“Everyone used to tell me to speak slowly and not be loud as I am a girl. At Medha, for the first time in my life, I came across a teacher who was my mentor, best friend, and confidante. I grew my confidence and public speaking skills. I started dreaming more and did a two-month coaching in graphic design.

I am among the few young women from my village who have decided to stay away from family to study and make a career. Six months are left for my Masters in Fine Arts to complete. I am living independently, managing things myself, earning money through internships and paid portraits, and working towards a career in arts.”

- Nisha, student

A group of students hungry for new skills ignite your motivation

We upgraded the Technical Advancement Bootcamp (TAB), where students build digital proficiency. With topics like online networking tools, TAB 3.0 is relevant to students’ needs of the hour: remote work and using Internet to learn and advance in their careers.

“I help my peers learn more about internships.”

"I needed to be more confident about using a computer well. During TAB, I learned about Office tools and the endless possibilities of the Internet. Soon, I created my professional network on LinkedIn and started helping my batchmates and juniors do the same.

As a part of my internship, I used LinkedIn, Canva, and Meet to contact interested youth from many colleges. In a month, I successfully onboarded over 80 young people into internships in verticals like graphic design and event management. As a result, I got promoted to HR executive!"

- Srijan, student

Family members saying they are proud of their child makes you proud

“My child is more responsible now.”

In Haryana, we started parent visits to understand their perspective on students’ career journeys and their expectations from us.

With students showing improved career clarity, decision-making, and dedication towards building their skills, a parent shared, “It’s for the first time that I’ve seen my child feel comfortable and interact so much with a teacher. She wouldn’t even raise her doubts earlier.”

Parents also showed trust in the counseling and mentorship students receive: “I used to worry a lot about my children. But I’ve noticed a change in them after Medha classes. They’ve become more responsible, and that’s increased my expectations from you.”

And the system embracing your approach feels like a breakthrough for adoption

In partnership with DHE Haryana (Department of Higher Education), we have helped college instructors and placement officers use experiential learning and tech tools to stir students’ interests. Working closely has nurtured a sense of ownership in the system.

“I’m motivated to engage students in new ways.

“We have started using new tech in teaching, so more students attend classes, learn, and pick up new skills. We’ve also enjoyed doing so: it has changed the classroom atmosphere, improved both instructors’ and students’ interest, and added a ‘fun factor’ to learning.

So, in a recent meeting with students, I decided against writing content like I usually do. Instead, I was excited to use a new tool called Compose AI to teach using outlines. It caught students’ attention, too!”

- Pradeep, Training & Placement Officer

That’s when you discover, the frenetic pace of these periods eventually leads to your milestones

Amidst periods of transformation, growth, and resilience, this is the quarter when we felt things took off and translated into milestones.

We engaged 375 system actors, impacting 20,000 students in the system

400 students showcased their talents and businesses in the annual Medhavi festival

4,900 students registered for skill-building bootcamps, a 155% increase YoY

And that sticking to your why makes
your journey all the more rewarding

Like Waymond (from the movie, Everything Everywhere All At Once) strategically chooses kindness to fight chaos,
we choose to keep the student first. And that makes our journey all the more rewarding.

"When I choose to see the good side of things,
I'm not being naive. It is strategic and necessary. This is how I fight.”

- Waymond

Read more insights from the quarter on our blog