The High School Achievers program is designed to help students develop their critical thinking skills and explore their leadership potential. It widens their perspective by giving them exposure to liberal arts, especially debates in philosophy, political science, sociology and economics. Field visits and projects give students an opportunity to directly engage with communities, apply their skills to address social issues and enhance their learning.

The broader aim of the High School Achievers program is to inspire people to think about their social context and to find their purpose in the larger society – be it in the public sector or the private. The exposure also helps students strengthen their profile, build a stronger resume and open up avenues and opportunities for higher education.

Still have questions? See this short video where the founders of YLAC speak about the High School Achievers program.

If you are studying in grades 9^th to 12^th and are no more than 18 years of age, you are eligible to apply. Students who are moving into class 9^th or those who have just completed their class 12^th exams are also eligible.

We look for talented students who wish to change the world around them. There are no prerequisites as such. Students are selected on the basis of their responses to the questions in a short application form.

The overall duration of the program is three weeks.

However, your engagement will depend on the modules you pick. Module I is a week long program of YLAC sessions and field visits. Module II includes a two week project for a partner organization. You can opt for either Module I, or Module I and II together.

The High School Achievers program is not designed as a residential program. Students travelling from other cities are expected to make their own stay arrangements.

In the past, we have had several students join us from other cities within India and abroad. In such cases, students often stay in the program city with either friends or family.

Students are expected to make their own arrangements for travel to and from the venue. At our end, we try and select program venues that are centrally located and easily accessible via public transport. Often our students pool with others travelling from their part of town. We usually help facilitate pooling once the cohort has been finalized.

The High School Achievers program has a two week 'live' project built into the schedule. The aim of the project is to help students apply their learning to real life problems and get hands-on experience. 'Live' implies that the output of the project feeds into/ supports the ongoing campaigns and initiatives of our partner organizations. Projects are result-oriented and tightly managed by the YLAC team to ensure the most enriching experience for our students.

A team of 3-4 students works on one project. In terms of the assignment of projects, we seek preferences from students and try our best to match students with a project of their choice, but a specific allocation cannot be guaranteed.

Signing up for the project is not mandatory. While applying to the High School Achievers program, students have a choice to pick between Module I (YLAC sessions only) and Module I and II (YLAC sessions and project).

We establish partnerships with prominent NGOs and social enterprises that work across a range of subjects and social issues such as education, health, women and child rights, environmental and wildlife protection, livelihoods generation and urban governance. During Module II, students work to assist the partners in their ongoing projects and campaigns.

On average, a student is expected to commit about 40 hours per week during Module II to his/ her project. The bulk of the project work can be done remotely at one's convenience, except for the weekly co-working sessions and field visit.

While students are not required to be physically present at the partners' offices, they must ensure their presence in the city during the entire two weeks of Module II. Attendance for all team meet ups and field visits is mandatory for successful completion.

Projects are tightly managed and YLAC program managers work with the teams during the scheduled co-working sessions to supervise and guide their projects. YLAC also arranges for field visit(s) to the office/ project site of the assigned partners, as required by the project.

Not at all! Our methodology is anything but conventional. Our teaching methods are not the usual chalk and duster lectures; we use role-plays, group exercises, peer evaluations, videos and games to make the classroom come alive.

At YLAC, we believe that learning should not be boring and we invest a lot of time and effort in making sure that we deliver on that promise! You can watch some of our student's testimonials from the previous editions here to see how they enjoyed the program.

The sessions are taught and facilitated by the YLAC team, including the founders. During the course of the program, a number of external speakers are also invited to interact with our students, and engage with them on a range of issues and subjects.

Typically, the class size is 30-40 students.

Yes, students are given a certificate of successful completion at the end of the program. Successful completion requires regular attendance at the program as well as active and constructive participation in sessions.

Yes, attendance at the sessions is mandatory. Successful completion requires that a student not miss more than one day during the entire duration of the program. Special circumstances can be considered on a case by case basis, but approval must be sought from YLAC facilitators in advance.

In case any unforeseen circumstances prevent you from joining the program, you can request our office to initiate the refund process. YLAC will refund 100% of your payment if the request is received 30 days before the beginning of the program. For requests received 15 days before the program, the refund amount shall be 50% of the payment received. YLAC shall not be able to issue any refunds in case the intimation reaches us at a shorter notice.