Mumbai: “The experience is also honing the leadership capabilities of students by giving them exposure to important social issues,” says Dr. Uday Salunkhe, Prin. L.N. Welingkar Institute of Management Research and Development (WeSchool).

Welingkar, Mumbai, is a member institution of the Shikshana Prasaraka (S.P.) Mandali, Pune. Educational institutions of S.P. Mandali attract students from all over India as they are known for their academic excellence. Welingkar is no exception; the business school has the distinction of being the seventh best educational institute in South Asia.

During their internship over the summer, Welingkarites will be leading well-defined projects to strengthen communication efforts of Non-Profit Organizations and maximise their social impact.

Radha Shrikhande, a PGDM e-Business student with an HR specialization at WeSchool, is working on creating a social media roadmap for EDUCO that will let the NGO use social media effectively and enhance its communication. Additionally, she is helping with the documentation for various processes of the NGO. A Photo book of the NGO’s success stories is also underway.

Talking about the training that the interns underwent before undertaking the live projects, she says, “We were mentored by industry leaders on various aspects of communication, media, leadership development, documentation of case studies and stories, basics of film-making, and how we can harness the power of films to create an impact and facilitate social change. Understanding the work of these experts and their journey into this space was truly inspiring and informative,”

“The whole internship experience has changed my outlook towards the social development sector. This journey has also helped me understand the HR related challenges and opportunities in this space. There is a lot that we, as educated youth, can contribute. Apart from the everyday learning and new experiences, it gives a sense of fulfilment just knowing that we can make a difference to someone.” Welingkarite Shrikhande, currently a Fellow at Yes Foundation, shares.

YES FOUNDATION Media for Social Change Fellowship is a two-month high impact programme to develop socially conscious youth leadership in association with ISDI-WPP School of Communication and supported by International Advertising Association, India Chapter, and YES BANK. In the inaugural year, after a rigorous selection process, only 50 students were selected to be a part of the Fellowship cohort out of the 922 applications received from 166 cities and towns across India. Under the programme, high potential youth (18-25 years) with the passion and determination to make a social difference, are mentored by industry leaders in one-week intensive classroom training on marketing, communications, digital and social media. The training is followed by a 7-week, full-time placement in NGOs interspersed with fortnightly training and mentoring sessions.