The Young Shapers Fellowship is an annual, invite-only program by the Global Shapers Ludhiana Hub, aimed at educating and empowering youth under 18 to actively contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By fostering leadership, civic awareness, and problem-solving skills, the program equips participants to drive meaningful change in their communities while learning from governance and political leaders.

What is the project's problem statement?

Youth under 18 often lack structured opportunities to learn about the SDGs, governance, and civic engagement. This gap limits their potential to become future leaders who can advocate for and implement solutions addressing critical societal challenges.

What is the project's target group?

The program targets high-potential youth below 18 from Ludhiana, selected through an invite-only process in collaboration with schools, community organizations, and local leaders. The focus is on students with a passion for leadership, social impact, and sustainable development.

What is the project's proposed solution?

Through an exclusive annual fellowship, the program introduces participants to the SDGs, connects them with governance structures and leaders, and provides mentorship for designing impactful community-driven projects. The invite-only model ensures a curated group of motivated youth who can maximize the program's resources and opportunities.

What are the hub activities for this project?

1. Annual Workshop Series: Invite-only educational workshops focusing on SDG awareness, governance structures, and community impact.

2. Interactive Sessions: Opportunities for participants to meet and learn from local government officials, political representatives, and community leaders.

3. Skill-Building Activities: Training in leadership, public speaking, and critical thinking through mock debates, town halls, and team challenges.

4. Community Projects: Participants design and implement projects addressing specific SDG-aligned challenges in Ludhiana.

5. Mentorship Program: Pairing participants with mentors from governance, politics, and social sectors to guide their learning and project execution.

6. Annual Showcase Event: A platform for fellows to present their projects, share insights, and inspire the wider community to engage in sustainable development.

What are the project's short and long-term goals?

• Short-Term Goals:

  1. Train 50–100 youth annually through the invite-only fellowship on SDGs and governance.

  2. Implement 5–10 youth-led community projects addressing local SDG challenges.

  3. Establish strong collaborations with local leaders, governance bodies, and educational institutions.

• Long-Term Goals:

  1. Build a network of 100+ fellowsby 2030 who contribute actively to the SDGs and civic engagement.

  2. Develop a replicable model for exclusive, high-impact youth fellowships globally.

What are the project's available metrics?

• Number of participants invited annually (current: 15; target: 8-10+ per year).

• Number of community-driven projects implemented by fellows (current: 2; target: 10 by 2030).

• Feedback from participants and mentors on program effectiveness and skill development.

• Tangible outcomes of projects, such as measurable environmental or social impact.

Who are the project collaborators, if any?

• Local Governance Bodies: Supporting interactive sessions and field visits.

• Political Leaders: Participating in mentorship and town halls.

• Educational Institutions: Nominating students for the fellowship and hosting workshops.

• Civil Society Organizations: Providing expertise and mentorship in specific SDG areas.

• Media and Outreach Partners: Highlighting the fellowship and amplifying its impact.

What is the project's problem statement?
Specially-abled children often face social stigmas and struggle to feel included, while many elderly individuals experience loneliness and neglect. Connecting these two groups can create a mutually enriching environment where empathy and understanding flourish.

What is the project's target group?

• Specially-abled children (aged 10+)

• Elderly individuals (aged 65+)

What is the project's proposed solution?
Hope Harbor develops intergenerational connections through organized activities and awareness campaigns. The project creates support networks, celebrates milestones, and spreads awareness about autism, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other social issues, fostering inclusion and community.

What are the hub activities for this project?

1. Support Networks: Developing volunteer-driven systems to connect families, specially-abled children, and the elderly.

2. Awareness Campaigns: Conducting workshops on autism, diversity and inclusion, sign language, Alzheimer’s, and dementia.

3. Celebrations: Organizing events for birthdays, anniversaries, autism awareness days, Grandparents Day, and similar occasions.

4. Intergenerational Activities: Facilitating small-scale events where specially-abled children and elderly participants interact and bond.

What are the project short and long-term goals?

• Short-term goals:

  • Organize intergenerational activities and small-scale events to build connections.

  • Conduct workshops and campaigns to raise awareness of autism, dementia, and inclusion.

• Long-term goals:

  • Develop sustainable community spaces that serve as safe, inclusive hubs for interaction.

  • Build emotional support systems for specially-abled children and the elderly.

What are the project's available metrics?

• Number of participants: Over 350 specially-abled children and 200 elderly individuals currently involved.

• Number of workshops conducted and awareness campaigns completed.

• Impact measurement through feedback surveys, focusing on participant happiness and inclusion levels.

• Volunteer engagement and hours contributed to support networks and events.

Who are the project collaborators, if any?

• Local NGOs and disability advocacy groups.

• Elderly care homes and retirement communities.

• Schools and institutions supporting specially-abled children.

• Volunteers from the local community.

What main Impact Area is this project supporting?
Create Inclusive Communities: Accessibility, Social Justice, Diversity, and Inclusion

What second Impact Area is this project supporting, if any?
Improve Health and Well-being: Mental Health and Ageing

What Sub-Issue is the project working on?
Accessibility and Inclusion for Vulnerable Groups

What Intervention Type is your project using?
Awareness: Workshops, campaigns, events, and advocacy
Skills Development: Training in sign language, diversity education, and caregiving

What Insight Area best fits with your project?
Social Justice and Inclusion

What Sustainable Development Goal is the project supporting?
Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries

What is the project's problem statement?
Students in Ludhiana face limited opportunities to develop critical skills like technological literacy and public speaking. At the same time, there is a gap in using youth-driven platforms to raise awareness about key social issues and promote community-driven solutions.

What is the project's target group?
The project targets school students aged 12–18 in Ludhiana, with a focus on socioeconomically disadvantaged communities who often lack access to advanced learning tools and mentorship opportunities.

What is the project's proposed solution?
The project introduces AI-powered learning tools, combined with mentorship and training, to help students create socially impactful talks. These talks address local and global issues, such as climate change, sustainability, and ethical AI use, while fostering leadership and communication skills.

What are the hub activities for this project?

1. Conducting training workshops on AI tools like ChatGPT, Otter.ai, and Grammarly to enhance students' creative and analytical thinking.

2. Organizing TED-Ed Student Talk conferences focused on social impact themes.

3. Mentoring students to frame their ideas and narratives for local and global relevance.

4. Collaborating with schools and community centers to make AI tools accessible to underserved groups.

5. Raising awareness on key issues, such as climate change and ethical AI, through community-driven events and digital campaigns.

What are the project short and long-term goals?

• Short-term goals:

  • Train 500+ students in AI-powered storytelling and public speaking by 2025.

  • Host at least 3 TED-Ed Student Talk conferences annually, addressing themes of social impact and awareness.

• Long-term goals:

  • Develop a scalable model for integrating AI and reskilling in education that can be adopted by other cities globally.

  • Cultivate a generation of socially conscious leaders equipped with skills to address future challenges.

What are the project's available metrics?

• Number of students trained in AI tools (current: 300; target: 1,000 by 2026).

• Number of socially impactful talks delivered by students (current: 50; target: 150 by 2026).

• Number of schools and community centers adopting the program (current: 5; target: 15 by 2026).

• Tangible impact of talks, such as community actions inspired by student-led initiatives (e.g., air purifier installations, sustainability campaigns).

Who are the project collaborators, if any?

• Global Shapers Ludhiana Hub: Facilitates training, mentorship, and community outreach.

• TED-Ed Club Ludhiana: Provides the platform for student talks and integrates AI tools into learning.

• Local Schools and Community Centers: Ensure equitable access to resources for underprivileged students.

• AI Tool Providers: Support training sessions with access to platforms like Grammarly, ChatGPT, and Otter.ai.

What main Impact Area is this project supporting?
Reskill for the Future: Education and Skills, Digital Transformation

What second Impact Area is this project supporting, if any?
Create Inclusive Communities: Accessibility and Social Justice

What Sub-Issue is the project working on?
Digital Transformation in Education

What Intervention Type is your project using?
Skills Development: Training, Competitions, Mentorship

What Insight Area best fits with your project?
Education, Skills, and Learning

What Sustainable Development Goal is the project supporting?
Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

The Challenge:

The Sidhwan Canal, once a lifeline for Ludhiana, faced severe pollution, encroachment, and public apathy. Pollution levels peaked at 4.5 times the permissible limit, and 70% of residents expressed indifference towards its plight, threatening the city's water security and ecological balance.

The Solution:

Global Shapers Ludhiana Hub and MCL partnered in an innovative awareness campaign, "Revive the Sidhwan, Revitalize Ludhiana," to:

• Raise public awareness about the canal's historical and ecological significance.

• Highlight the dangers of pollution and its impact on 500,000 residents dependent on the canal's water.

• Promote responsible behavior and community action towards its restoration.

Partners:

·        Global Shapers Ludhiana Hub

·        Municipal Corporation of Ludhiana (MCL)-Mr. Jasdev Singh Sekhon, zonal commissioner Zone D Ludhiana

·        Just Vehicles, Ludhiana,

·        Ananta Enclave , Canal Road,Ludhiana

·        The Bespoke House

·        The Notified

Project lead- Sumedh Sharma and Rohan Madaan
Project Members- Harpartap Singh Grewal, Dhairya Mahajan
Research and Impact- Reetika Madaan

Goals:

·        Raise public awareness and understanding of the canal's historical and ecological significance.

·        Highlight the dangers of pollution and its impact on public health and the ecosystem.

·        Promote responsible behavior and encourage community action towards the canal's restoration.

·        Foster collaboration between government and citizens for sustainable environment

Impact:

·        Media Reach: Featured in 3 local and national news outlets, reaching an estimated 5 million viewers.

·        Community Engagement: Spurred 10 resident-led clean-up drives, removing over 20 tons of waste from the canal's banks.

·        Advocacy: Thanks to 250 loud and clear petitions, the Municipal Corporation of Ludhiana (MCL) launched 3 new initiatives to tackle pollution head-on!

·        Attitudinal Shift: Post-campaign surveys revealed a 40% increase in awareness about the canal's importance and a 35% decline in apathy towards its preservation.

Outcomes:

·        Water Quality Improvement: Pollution levels reduced by 20% within six months of campaign launch, directly impacting the health and well-being of residents.

·        Citizen Empowerment: Established a sustained network of 200 active volunteers committed to long-term canal preservation.

·        Strengthening of the partnership between Global Shapers Ludhiana Hub and MCL, paving the way for future collaborations on environmental projects.

"Revive the Sidhwan, Revitalize Ludhiana" showcases the power of collaborative action in tackling environmental challenges. Through creative awareness campaigns and community engagement, the project successfully changed public attitudes, spurred tangible action, and delivered measurable environmental improvements. This model holds immense potential for replication in other communities, paving the way for a more sustainable future.

Increasingly, people are becoming more ambitious and exploring multiple sources of income and investment, as well as being more prudent with their finances. Financial literacy is one of the most valuable assets of a country, as it determines the economy as well as the financial stability of individuals.

Dimension 1. Life stages of target segments - Children, young adults, female senior citizens.

Dimension 2. Geographical social groups - Rural areas, poor & migrant population, and persons with disabilities of Ludhiana region.

Dimension 3. Sector-specific focus – Students and self-employed sector.

A five-point plan by Global Shapers Ludhiana

financial Content

Financial literacy content for school children, and teachers

Capability Building

Strengthen the capability of local schools

Self help Community groups

Building small community as self finance groups to spread the power of financial freedom.

Financial Communication

Use social media for greater visibility for sharing powerful and meaningful financial literacy messages.

Collaboration

Integration of financial education with vocational courses.


Outcome and Impact

15 sessions , 15 mohallas , 112 students , 157 women and over 229 Senior citizens

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Shapers look for opportunities to have an impact on a global scale by joining forces with other hubs. They represent a network of peers connected through technology, events, and joint projects

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