Changemakers Update - Tell Your Story

Earlier this year, Aaryani from Grade 11 was selected to take part in the Ashoka Young Changemaker program. The programme is a hub and network that encourages and empowers youth to become leaders and make a positive change in the world. Together with Chandani from Grade 11, Aaryani wants to bring the ‘Everyone’s a Changemaker’ movement to the TISB community, by making stories of change and leadership a regular feature in TISB’s communication channels. We reached out to Aaryani to find out why and how they will include more TISB students.

These stories will focus on the journey and learnings of TISB students – Aaryani, Grade 11

Aaryani and Chandani have been inspired by their own journeys and feel that it is important to spread the enthusiasm to other young people – encouraging changemakers all around us. They see storytelling as a powerful tool to do so. “When we see those like us creating change and challenging the status quo, we feel inspired to take action and discover our own self-agency”, says Aaryani, hoping that it will motivate others to take action and provide a platform for those who would like to make a difference in the world. “We encourage students to share their stories, because it will serve, not only to celebrate their work, but also inspire more TISB students to start their own initiatives”, says Aaryani, whom herself has been strongly inspired by other young people in the Ashoka Network. 

Now Aaryani and Chandani want to bring this to TISB, through their initiative ‘The Changemaker Update’, where they encourage students from all age groups to send in their stories to inspire others. From the start of the new academic year, news stories and updates about a student-led initiative will be regularly posted on the TISB website and in social media channels. The news and updates will contain unique stories, insights and tips from students at TISB who have started their own initiatives. They will also contain volunteering and internship opportunities for the student body. The opportunities will be in initiatives run by TISB students, as well as global organisations in the Ashoka Young Changemakers and Fellows network. The Ashoka Network consists of changemakers and social entrepreneurs from over 90 countries, who champion new ideas that transforms societies, providing benefits and improving the lives of everyone.

Submissions are not limited to students who are running formal organisations or regular activities, but open to all students who feel that they have created change and contributed to their community. “We hope that this initiative will create a culture in which the journey of a change maker is celebrated”, says Aaryani, who wants the initiative to focus on journeys, including challenges faced and how these challenges were overcome. “When stories of changemakers are talked about, the narrative primarily focuses on their achievements and what their initiatives accomplished”, says Aaryani, explaining that this is important, but often leads to a false perception that successful leaders do not face challenges or fail. “We want to communicate to the students of TISB – and young people in general – that to succeed they don’t need to have all the answers immediately, they just need to believe in themselves and start”, says Aaryani.

‘The Changemaker Update’ will be completely student-led, overseen by Aaryani and Chandani. On 12 June and email will go out to students in Grades 9-11 to join the team. Keep your eyes open for the possibility to join the power of storytelling.