10 Reasons to apply for Punjab Youth Leaders Program (PYLP)
Lately, there has been a burst of programs to get young professionals involved in social causes in India. If you are thinking why so many, the reality is that India ranked 130 on the Human Development Index in 2014 and 110 on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Index in 2016, lagging behind its peers on both readings, according to a Bain’s Report. And hence, the need of such programs which get the best and most courageous lot to work on complex social issues is more than ever before. There is a dire need of innovation and fresh energy in India’s social sector and many of these programs have served as great platforms to enable exactly that.
The Punjab Youth Leaders Program (PYLP) kicked off its Founding cohort in June 2019 and all the young leaders have been off to a great start. Sharing in this article with you about what makes PYLP interesting and why should one apply for it.
- Build deep systems understanding
If you are someone who wants to ‘fix’ the broken systems, PYLP gives you that opportunity to work with system stakeholders across levels (school, village, cluster, block, district, state) and across the spectrum (bureaucracy, media, politics, academia).
2. Learn innovative ways of scaling up
At PYLP, you will be leveraging both formal and informal networks to bring change. On one hand, you will have your own cluster where you will strive for deep impact, and on the other hand, you will have a scale cluster where you will scale your work through system stakeholders.
3. Implement sustainable design
Sustainability is embedded in everything that happens at PYLP. The intention is always to strengthen the existing system and build ownership amongst the stakeholders in a manner which ensures long-term impact.
4. Make life-long friends
PYLP’s selection process is largely value based, which leads to nil attrition and a cohort which seeks out each other and contributes to each one’s growth. The diversity ensures that it becomes an enriching experience for youth coming from all over the globe.
5. Strong regional focus
Since PYLP aims to build a community of change-makers for Punjab, there is a very unique element of learning about Punjab as a region. Apart from building a deep understanding of the education system, there are sessions on Punjab’s history, its culture, its literature which enable you to build a perspective on why things are the way they are and deeper cultural nuances of the community.
6. Travel and learn
Travelling across Punjab and also beyond to build connections, to learn about different models of change, and to build a wider perspective is an integral part of PYLP.
7. Shadow a leader
In your journey of developing yourself as a leader, you get to shadow a senior leader from a domain of your interest (bureaucracy, corporate, media, politics) which will not just give an insight into their day to day work but also help you gain access to critical networks and resources for your long-term growth
8. Experiment with your idea
PYLP celebrates entrepreneurial spirit and encourages its young leaders to try out their ideas and help evolve them into full-fledged initiatives.
9. Access to diverse mentor pool
Mentorship from someone who can guide through the 2-year journey and beyond is a critical component of PYLP investing in your learning and growth.
10. Become a part of a movement
PYLP is part of the larger movement which Sanjhi Sikhiya aims to bring about in Punjab and since you will be a part of the initial few cohorts, you will have the rare opportunity and responsibility to shape up the program.
The applications for the second cohort are currently open till 25th Dec, 2019.
You can refer a candidate here: bit.do/refer_pylp
You can apply here: bit.do/pylp2020
#ItsTimeToLead #PYLP2020 #Cohort2
