Adarsh Vidyalaya High School - a Six Month Check-In

New sessions and new experiences - all through the six months

GirlsGrow started six months ago with our first workshop in Gurgaon. Since then, we have travelled across cities and schools to spread our message across - equitable access to a career in tech. Through these six months, we have learnt even more than we have taught and each workshop has filled us with fuel to go forward and affect positive change in the largest possible manner.

This time around Adarsh Vidyalaya High School - our first workshop in Hyderabad - was an eye-opening experience. The warm teachers and excited students opened their hearts and dreams to us. In their hopes and dreams, I could see mine - albeit some 8 years ago. It made me realize how amidst the hustle and bustle of life and career - I forgot, that I am already living the dreams I once sought to achieve. Diverse perspectives truly help us to take a pause and think, something we often forget to do as we march on in our lives.

The girls had inquisitive questions throughout the session, with their eyes gleaming as they pictured themselves as young professionals in tech. While career goals differed across the classrooms, one thing remained constant - the want for independence. As a 21st century woman, independence is a non-negotiable - as it should be - and I truly feel that these workshops encourage and assure the young girls that they too can one day be independent in the truest sense of the word.

The workshop was a resounding success - with a whopping 100 per cent of the girls signing up to be a part of our mentorship programme. Such success is a testament to the hardwork that the entire team puts in for each workshop - curating the content, gathering feedback and developing educational activities. I could see how far we have come from the first workshop. We were sure-footed with our words and certain with our narrative which translated into sensational sessions for the girls.

Through our ongoing mentorship sessions, we hope to provide these young minds with all the resources they need to grow and succeed. Change can never be overnight but it fills my heart with joy to see the ball rolling in the direction it should. I wait for the day our young students will become career women, achieve all that they seek to and give back to the community.