The Importance of Youth Leadership

In many countries around the world, personal leadership & life skills development is not part of the standard curriculum or the overall educational experience of youth, especially those from underprivileged communities facing hardship and marginalization. Yet, the opportunity to develop these abilities & talents is essential to realizing one’s full potential and leading a more meaningful life.

Utilizing Visions’ own uniquely designed curriculum, we aim to shape engaged, informed, and socially conscious youth leaders and global citizens. Visions regularly conducts leadership trainings for youth and adults, and has 17 village-based Youth Learning & Empowerment Program centers through which more than 645 youth receive regular academic training and support.

The youth who attend these Learning & Empowerment Program centers (girls and boys aged 5 – 17) hail from mostly rural dalit and other low caste communities, the vast majority of whom live in either poverty or extreme poverty and lack access to a quality education. Through Visions India’s efforts, they receive:

• Daily after-school tutoring and mentorship by young adult “Community Organizers” (one per center) who are themselves from the communities they serve.

• Community Organizers also provide periodic spoken English training, leadership & life skills training once per week (after being trained themselves by Visions staff), General Knowledge education, and regular service opportunities to put their newfound skills and talents into practice for the benefit of others.

• Students receive literacy development support, which is enabled through the provision of books arranged by subject and ability.

• A personal hygiene and health curriculum, along with environmental education (including ongoing tree planting campaign), teaches youth to properly manage both their health and their communities.

• Students and parents alike hold each other accountable in ensuring children regularly attend school and these after-school sessions.

Our approach is to motivate and equip youth who are often at the bottom of the social hierarchy to invest in themselves first and take action for the benefit of others & their community at-large second. Everyone deserves the right to live their best life, and everyone has the ability to make the world a little better – through Visions’ leadership development efforts, youth across the globe are doing just that.

DREAM Youth Leadership Magazine

Building off the continued success of our leadership development trainings & programs, Visions began publishing a “DREAM Magazine" – the only Tamil-language publication in the state of Tamil Nadu focused exclusively on the idea of promoting youth leadership, especially amongst marginalized communities.

Through this publication (a few thousand of which are printed & distributed per edition), we are able to share stories & knowledge, insights about the role of youth in society, critical educational and personal development resources & opportunities, contemporary and historical examples of strong leadership, educational games & activities, and more, as well as to create a sense of community and support for youth across Tamil Nadu and India at-large. The magazine incorporates articles and submissions that touch on the following:

• Leadership & Life Skills Development

• Topical Information (ie: Gender, Environment, Law, Agriculture, IT, Health & Hygiene, Career Opportunities, etc.)

• Higher Education & Guidance

• Scholarships, Loans, & Government Schemes

• Interviews

• Inspiring Poems, Songs, & Proverbs

• Games & Activities

• Community Service & Civic Duty

• Profiles of Exceptional Leaders

• Featured Stories on High-Achieving Youth & Teachers

• Editorials & Letters to the Editor

To access our past publications, please use the following links:

• 14th Edition (August 2019): “Power of Visualization”

• 13th Edition (January 2019): "2019 Loves You"

• 12th Edition (July 2018): "Knowing Your Limits"

• 11th Edition (April 2018): "My Studies, My Decision"

• 10th Edition (January 2018): “Dreaming Big"

• 9th Edition (October 2017): "Building Inclusive Communities"

• 8th Edition (July 2017): "The Power of Positive Thinking"

• 7th Edition (April 2017): "Planning for your Future"

• 6th Edition (January 2017): "New Year, New Opportunities"

• 5th Edition (October 2016): "Civic Duty"

• 4th Edition (June 2016): "Overcoming Adversity"

• 3rd Edition (March 2016): "Youth Leadership During Natural Disaster"

• 2nd Edition (December 2015): "Youth Leadership at School"

• 1st Edition (September 2015): "Introduction to Leadership"