On December 8th, 2023, the auditorium of Government Inter College, Dehradun was packed. 300 students from 8 schools had gathered for Yashit Foundation's year-end career counselling camp — our largest single event of 2023.
The Need
In government schools across Tier-2 cities, career counselling is almost non-existent. Teachers are stretched, parents often lack formal sector experience, and the result is that thousands of capable students choose careers based on what their neighbours or cousins are doing — not based on their own interests or aptitudes.
Our camp was designed to change that for at least one day.
15 Mentors, 8 Fields
We recruited 15 mentors from diverse professional backgrounds: engineering, medicine, law, arts, hospitality, teaching, civil services, and entrepreneurship. Each ran a 45-minute interactive session with 30–40 students, followed by an open Q&A.
"A Class 10 student asked me how much a software engineer earns. I told him. His jaw dropped. Then he asked me what he needed to study. That question made my entire morning." — Mentor, software engineer from Bangalore
- 300 students from 8 schools attended
- 15 mentors across 8 professional fields
- One-on-one counselling slots for 45 interested students
- 92% of surveyed students said the camp changed how they think about their future
What We're Planning for 2024
We're planning quarterly camps in 2024, with a dedicated girls' session in March to focus on non-traditional career paths for young women. We're also exploring a pen-pal mentorship model where students can email their mentors monthly with questions.