Category: Harvard

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5 Reasons to join Harvard Leadership Program!

Published on April 19, 2022

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5 Reasons to join Harvard Leadership Program!

1. Learn from young & relatable mentors that treat you as their Equals!

Meet Sara Dahiya!

Sara participated as a high schooler in YLC in June 2019. Under delicate guidance from YLC mentors, she worked on The Patchwork Project, a social change project on Disability Awareness, which was implemented in 2 schools.

Her experiences and certification as a Harvard Youth Leader helped her immensely in her college applications, landing her not only a seat as a Harvard UG student in 2021, but also a mentorship position for Harvard YLC Jan 2022!

Sara Dahiya – from YLC participant to Harvard University student and mentor! 

Sara as a Trainee at YLC 2019

Sara as a Mentor at YLC 2022

Harvard YLC features mentors like Sara that have garnered invaluable experience and training at a young age, and know what it takes to implement social change. But at the same time, they know what it is like to be high schoolers in the 21st century!

YLC Mentors will treat you not as blank canvases waiting to be filled, but as bright youngsters with insightful perspectives of their own, that is just waiting to be realized by the rest of the world.

2. Garner admission in top universities across the world!

Harvard YLC features dedicated college panels – which are sessions where our Ivy League mentors give you the tried-and-tested hacks and tips on how to crack into your dream universities. Students get to ask their doubts and receive expert answers on the spot!

Sara isn’t our only alumni that has found a place in a top University; The experiences and certification gained by our students at YLC gives them an edge in their college applications, garnering them seats in the universities of their dreams!

3. Create your Social Change Project!

Like Sara, all of our students work on a social change project during YLC, in which they tackle problems faced in their communities and lives. Several groups take these projects forward and beyond YLC, developing them into full-fledged realities!

Case in point – Project Drakht!

Taahira and Sia, founders of Project Drakht

Sia interviewing villagers from Ferozepur Meo

Started by Taahira Bhalla and Sia Bishnoi of The Shri Ram School, Moulsari – both from YLC 2016 – Project Drakht was set up to provide Ferozepur Meo, an underprivileged village in Haryana, with access to clean water.

They first pitched their idea during the conference, and after it received considerable attention and support, the duo implemented it. Project Drakht ultimately helped nearly 2,200 people from 300 families and is just one example of how you can turn your budding ideas into full-fledged social change at Harvard YLC!

4. Meet a diverse group of students from all over the world!

Since 2008, YLC has seen participation of students from all across the world, including from cities like Tokyo, Boston, Beijing, San Juan, Yangon, San Francisco and many more! Our diverse students each bring various ideas and perspectives to the YLC conference, waiting to mingle with each other and produce something impactful!

5. Participate in thought-provoking activities!

Leadership isn’t a rigid concept; it is an ever-evolving idea that means different things to different people. And as such, it can’t be taught through rote teaching and memorizing. That is why YLC is intent on not feeding you information, but invigorating your unique thought process. And our mentors do it through a ton of out-of-the-box activities! 

Some of our activities include Snap to a Story, Cold-Calling, Letters to Your Future Self, and many more!

So what are you waiting for? Apply now to learn with students from Shiv Nadar School, The Shri Ram Schools, Vasant Valley, The British School and more!

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blog Harvard Leadership | 3min Read

7 Steps To Become A Successful Young Leader

Published on March 3, 2022

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7 Steps To Become A Successful Young Leader

Leadership is a journey and not a destination. A leader is always evolving and is open to new ideas and new ways of doing things by being open to different perspectives. A successful leader challenges stereotypes and grows from the opportunities.

The 7 Steps to Become a Successful Young Leader

The importance of leadership cannot be stressed enough. Leadership starts young. A good leader is focused, curious and always eager to learn. There are many steps to climb in the journey of becoming a good leader, but the 7 important steps to becoming a successful Young Leader are –

1. Pursue your Passion

Work should not seem like work. It is only when you believe in something 100% will you be able to convince others about your dream and lead them successfully. Set sails for the thing you love the most and turn your passion into your work. By starting young, you have the advantage of charting your own course.

2. Observe

Listening and observing others is a great way to learn about people and work. Different people have different ways of getting things done. A successful leader observes, understands and decides upon the best course of action having evaluated all possibilities and by taking everybody into confidence.

3. Lead by Example

A Leader leads by example. Right from being punctual, to respecting others, to taking responsibility for actions, a successful leader should set an example to everyone and lead from the forefront. Be the kind of leader you would follow yourself. When you lead by example, you inspire your team to emulate your good traits. Your habits organically trickle down to your team and it improves the work culture and raises the overall efficiency of the organization.

4. Stay Organized

Clear, concise and precise – a successful leader stays organized in thoughts and actions. From the workspace to the decisions made, everything must reflect clarity. When clarity is lacking, everything quickly descends into chaos. Finding the right space for files and utilities on the desk, organizing resource inventories, assigning the right instructions to the right people, everything requires clear organization and execution.

5. Accept Mistakes and Learn from them

Mistakes are bound to occur owing to age and inexperience, but accepting the mistake and learning from it is the trait of a successful leader. A good leader never makes the same mistake twice. 

6. Identify Strengths & Work on the Weaknesses

Successful leaders are well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of not only themselves but also of their team. They are great at delegating and identifying the best person for the job.

7. Evolve

Mistakes are bound to occur owing to age and inexperience, but accepting the mistake and learning from it is the trait of a successful leader. A good leader never makes the same mistake twice. 

Hone your leadership skills

A leadership development program can go a long way in nurturing and developing leadership skills. A leadership development program offers a great opportunity to indulge with qualified professionals who can help you define a purpose and educate you to reach your full potential. A good education consultant or counselor can tap into your potential and push you in the right direction to be a successful leader.

Unleash The Leader In You with Harvard YLC

Harvard Youth Lead the Change is a leadership development program created by professors of the Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School, and the Harvard School of education, and held by Harvard students. Held for students in grades 8 – 12, the program aims at empowering students and unlocking their leadership capabilities as they develop tangible solutions to global problems. Over the 7 day course, the students work in a group to understand a global issue and develop a social change project to address it. Through this program, students learn about core leadership skills such as collaboration, public speaking, time management, and self-knowledge. 

The Harvard trainers also hold one-on-one sessions with students who continue to serve as mentors after the program. On finishing the program, there is an opportunity to complete mentorship for an entire year, to implement their project. Presented by The Leadership Institute at Harvard College (LIHC), this Harvard student organization aims to provide and promote leadership development opportunities across the world.

 

 

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blog Harvard | 3min Read

My Unparalleled Harvard YLC Experience: Is Applying Worth The Time?

Published on June 23, 2021

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My Unparalleled Harvard YLC Experience: Is Applying Worth The Time?

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Trying Is Always Better Than Wondering

Everyone starts gearing up for their college applications from 9th grade at the latest. It’s common for students to sign up for co-curriculars they don’t really enjoy but rather commit to out of obligation. I never understood the point of that. I’ve always signed up for courses and entered competitions because I wanted to, not because I had to.

The same went for the Harvard Youth Lead The Change Conference that was held in January 2021. I learned of the workshop from my school, and it immediately piqued my interest. The workshop aimed to improve high schoolers’ leadership skills and teach them collaboration, public speaking, time management and self-knowledge. So, I submitted my application but, never in my wildest dreams did I expect to get in. But in the end, I was so glad that I applied because, as it came to be, I got in. I was amazed and ecstatic for the conference to begin as I had conducted thorough research beforehand. My expectations were high and, astoundingly enough, this programme exceeded every single one of them.

My Exemplary Experience

Right from the beginning, everyone was wonderfully supportive and an absolute pleasure to speak with. We started off by defining what it means to be a leader. Everyone had come in with their own ideas of what a leader does. So had I. I had thought of a leader as someone with a commanding and boss-like presence. But, through a few collaborative exercises and riveting discussions, most of us formulated new opinions. I personally learned that being a leader is more about collaboration and uniting a team rather than just ordering people around. This is just one of many examples of what the conference entailed. Learnings like these continued throughout the week. And I’m being completely candid when I say that this leadership development workshop was one of the most impactful ones I have ever attended.

I learned about many leadership, interpersonal, and public speaking skills through entertaining activities. The project groups we had been divided into were unquestionably one of the most effective undertakings of the entire conference. In these groups, we had to choose and understand a social issue we felt really passionate about and find solutions to address it. Our mentor was wonderfully supportive and I met incredible new people that I’m still in touch with. Initially, our group debated the global issue we were going to choose. Everyone presented amazing arguments and eventually we chose menstrual hygiene. Our project was named Project Abhya, and it involved providing individuals residing in rural areas with eco-friendly sanitary equipment. It’s our way of taking a stand and driving change, and it was provided to us by this workshop. Honestly, to even come with a viable solution for such an important issue was an honour and I was delighted to have worked on it.

The mentors conducted college panels, where we could gain clarity about college and applying for it by people who had already been through the anxiety-inducing process. It was definitely comforting and relieving to get answers. However, my favourite part of the conference was probably the introspective exercises that the mentors conducted. One time, we talked about our public and private narratives and how they may have changed during the pandemic. We were divided into breakout rooms with 1-2 other attendees and got to share our fears and thoughts. It was really interesting and comforting to see how the others felt and overall, it was an amazing exercise. On the last day, we even sent letters to our future selves talking about the personal and intellectual growth we had undergone.

The End

The ending of the workshop was undoubtedly bittersweet, but the connections we all made and the things we learned are irreplaceable. The Harvard Youth Lead The Change Conference was outstandingly effective and enjoyable. I’m enormously grateful that I signed up for it as it was quite a touching and informative experience. I feel like attending the Harvard YLC conference really helped me grow as a leader and I have definitely been able to use the skills instilled in me by the conference in multiple real-world scenarios. So, in my opinion, if you can, you should definitely apply for this conference.

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blog Harvard | 2min Read

Reflection Of Harvard Youth Lead the Change Program

Published on January 28, 2021

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Reflection Of Harvard Youth Lead the Change Program

Harvard Youth Lead The Change Leadership Development Program

The Harvard Youth Lead the Change Program (YLC) is a week-long workshop for high school students, aiming to teach them about Leadership. This year’s Winter 2021 workshop hosted 112 students from 78 schools, 51 cities and 4 countries, through a rigorous selection process.

In the workshop, I learned about the various aspects of leadership such as types of teams and how a leader can handle each: elevator pitches to quickly promote ideas and crowdfunding to support initiatives one takes. There were several lessons based on these topics, paired with comprehensive examples and efficient doubt clarification by the mentors. We even had a grammar session focusing on common errors in diction and writing!

Early in the workshop, we were placed into project groups by our mentors, where each of us had to think about a problem affecting our society. Once we had listed down our ideas, we selected one that we felt would be the most fitting and got to work.

My group, Project Amet, had chosen the topic of eco-friendliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. It focused on creating a product that would use PPE waste generated during the pandemic and turn them into everyday items, such as fuel and handbags. We had to create a funding plan and communication outlets to ensure that once we took our project off the ground, it would be successful.

There were multiple ups and downs throughout the planning of our ideas, from how we would fund them, to the creation of our pitch deck, which we would present in front of not only the entire conference, but our parents as well! All of us were nervous about the quality of our presentations, but we were able to present them with clarity.

Over the course of the Winter 2021 YLC, I learned many new things about leadership and how to optimise the productivity of a team, how to maximise the efficiency of crowdfunding for initiatives one wants to take, and how to clearly and concisely promote ideas. Additionally, this workshop greatly improved my leadership skills.

My favourite part about the Harvard YLC Workshop was the college panels, where we asked questions through an online platform and the mentors answered them. It was extremely compelling learning about life in college and unique experiences at Harvard, such as the annual football matches with Yale.

In conclusion, I believe that the Harvard YLC Workshop was exceptionally effective in teaching all of us about the basics of leadership and provided many of us with an unforgettable experience.

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