Bengaluru teen turns classroom anxiety into confidence for 1,600+ underprivileged students

A 17-year-old from Bengaluru has helped more than 1,600 underprivileged students across five countries overcome their fear of speaking English through a student-led initiative called Project Vidya.

The founder noticed that many children could understand English but hesitated to speak it in class or public settings. To address the gap, Project Vidya runs interactive workshops that use storytelling, role play, and creative exercises instead of rote grammar drills.

The program focuses on building confidence and communication skills, which the team calls essential life skills. Sessions are designed to be low-pressure and activity-based, encouraging students to practice speaking without fear of mistakes.

Since launching, the initiative has expanded beyond Karnataka to reach learners in four other countries. Most participants are from government schools and low-income communities with limited access to spoken English training.

Volunteers, many of them students themselves, lead the workshops both in person and online. Organizers say the peer-led model helps participants relate better and engage more openly. Project Vidya now plans to add more languages and life-skill modules while training new student mentors to scale the program further.