Want to raise a future leader? Enrol your daughter in this course
Some are born leaders while others need to be trained for developing leadership skills. According to the captains of various industries, training for this life skill should begin at an early age. In India, participation of women in the workforce and their presence in leadership positions are far from being impressive.
Keeping this in mind, Varsha Adusumilli, an engineer and venture-capital professional, has recently launched an initiative for girl students of class VIII to XII. Known as the Wonder Girls Student Leaders Fellowship, this 10-week-long programme is designed to hone leadership skills and potential among adolescent girls. The aim is to raise the best female leaders of tomorrow.
This 60-hour-long virtual programme will be spread across 10 weeks and 18 modules and the sessions will be held over the weekends. The online classes will be accompanied by reading materials and activity sheets. Advisors have been drawn from prestigious institutions like BITS Pilani, Harvard Business School, University of Oxford, and Columbia University for the course. Eminent personalities from all walks of life including economist Roopa Purushothaman, philanthropist Rohini Nilekani, award-winning photographers Joshua Karthik and Joseph Radhik, publisher Chiki Sarkar, business leader Radhika Piramal, Teach for India founder Shaheen Mistri, organisational psychologist Rachana Bhide and celebrity chef Pooja Dhingra among others will be guiding the students in this programme.
The application process is going on or this fellowship programme, scheduled to start from October 11 and conclude on December 19. The application form is available on the website of Wonder Girls Academy.
What will the students learn?
Soft skills and high emotional quotient are the cornerstones of a great leader. So, the curriculum of Wonder Girls Student Leaders Fellowship includes lessons on communication, networking, social awareness, and handling failure among others. Financial education and entrepreneurship are also part of the modules. Apart from getting fellows to interact with notable leaders and young achievers, this programme also offers students internship opportunities with partner organisations. This gives them a real-life experience of the work environment.
How are the fellows selected?
A total of 50 fellows will be chosen for this course. Interested candidates need to apply by filling up a form available on the official website of Wonder Girls Academy. Shortlisted candidates will be called in for an interview round. After cracking this final round, they can join the programme.
Course fee
The fees for the programme will be INR 40,000 plus taxes. Ten per cent of the amount will be donated to the ‘iTeach Schools’ and ‘Talk to Me’ foundations.