Over a period of time, Youthreach has found common cause with clear-sighted and committed NGOs on the one hand and socially responsible corporate entities on the other. The partnerships have been enriching and a source of learning for us, primarily in the areas of trainings and programme management. We have designed, implemented and monitored projects in Life Skills for Employability, Workplace English, Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Volunteer Management – and we have done this invariably with building on the strengths of each of our partner NGOs through trainings, capacity-building workshops and handholding support.

Given its rich and diverse experience in capacity building and programme management, Youthreach has a degree of proficiency to offer companies, corporate foundations and NGOs ways and means to broaden the reach of such programmes. The objective of the Resource Cell is to equip agencies mentioned above to amplify their community engagement programmes to effect maximum output.

The Youthreach Resource Cell offers:

• Need Analysis or Need Assessment Studies – One of the key services of the Resource Cell is conducting Need Analysis Studies for communities and individuals, NGOs and corporate entities. The objective of such a study is to identify the needs of both the provider and the recipient of the services / solutions, besides the kind of resources that will go into the making of those solutions. Youthreach also has the capacity to further develop and design the solutions and transform them into structured programmes.
• Content Development – Youthreach is well equipped to implement content in spaces such skill development, youth employability and livelihoods. Our resource cell team has also developed original content such as short courses in Life Skills and Workplace English. We are also in the process of developing content in Career Counselling for the lesser privileged youth. We have partnered with telecom major Nokia to develop a user-friendly mobile phone application available on Nokia handsets to serve the common man from both rural and urban India.
• The resource cell has been instrumental in conducting and documenting research work to understand the strengths and challenges of two of our key stakeholders – NGOs and volunteers. Supported by Sir Ratan Tata Trust,Youthreach conducted research on the impact of volunteerism on volunteers as well as on NGOs; factors that motivate volunteers to give their time, skills and energy to a cause and ways through which they find opportunities to volunteer. The study is valuable in that it explores strategies, best practices and challenges faced by other organisations. It looks at NGOs’ needs for volunteer management systems that can be adopted to promote and sustain volunteers. The study can be accessed online at:Read our case study on Best Practise in Volunteerism
• To further the cause of volunteerism in the city, the resource cell also conducts volunteer management workshops for partner NGOs. The trainings aim at building capacities so that an NGO can be an effective volunteer manager, appreciate its volunteers and utilise their potential effectively. We also conduct trainings for employees of our corporate partners, foundations and other institutions to encourage them to volunteer and organise activities for them to gain ground-level experience in volunteering.
• The resource cell conducts Training-of-Trainers programmes on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health under which we work with youth in urban, semi-urban and rural areas in the age-group of 11-30 years.

Past work in Awareness initiatives have enabled the resource cell to work competently in the spaces of:

• Writing, printing and publishing content, designing books, annual reports, newsletters and similar materials
• Preparing multi-media instruments
• Producing films for general awareness on social issues
• Doing events to raise awareness on critical social issues
• Organising walks to rivers / communities / wilderness
• Adopting parks / roads / cleaning and maintaining residential areas
• Effective garbage disposal, rain harvesting and vermi-composting

Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health Programme (ARSH Programme)
Under the Planning for Life programme, Youthreach endeavours to raise awareness on the importance of reproductive health of youth and family planning. The idea is to integrate these two important aspects of health into youth development programmes. A cadre of trainers and peer educators are equipped with knowledge and facilitation skills on Adolescent Reproductive Sexual Health, so as to and impart healthy reproductive and sexual health behavior patterns amongst youth.

The ARSH programme has been implemented at: The Kutumb Foundation, Urvi Vikram National Adolescent Centre, S.N.S. Foundation, Shine Foundation, Salaam Baalak Trust, Centre for Equity Studies, Hope Foundation, Udayan Care, Lady Bamford Charitable Trust (JCB India), Samuel Foundation and Nipun.

Life Skills Programme
Youthreach has implemented and managed the Life Skills Programme which was developed by experts from the US and India, who brought in the latest expertise and research conducted in the area of life skills world over and at the same time rooted it in the Indian context of disadvantaged youth. The curriculum covers psycho-social and inter-personal skills which help youth make informed choices communicate effectively and develop self-management skills that help them lead a healthy and productive life.

The Life Skills programme was implemented at: Lady Bamford Charitable Trust, Don Bosco Technical Institute, Urvi Vikram Charitable Trust, Kherwadi Social Welfare Association, Shine Foundation, Samuel Foundation, CCFID, Bhutan Youth Development Foundation, Hope Foundation, and NAZ Foundation for the Goal Programme and BMC Trust.

Workplace English
In 2008 Youthreach commissioned the development of an interactive curriculum in spoken English for the Workplace, which is primarily activity based and interactive. The curriculum has been designed at the baseline levels of spoken English that disadvantaged youth have, given the kind of environment they come from. The curriculum has 70 lessons covering topics like conversing with a first time acquaintance, introducing oneself, describing one’s family, writing a resume, facing an interview, handling a difficult customer, writing out a leave application etc. The focus is less on grammar and more on spoken English.

The Workplace English programme was conducted at: Lady Bamford Charitable Trust, Don Bosco Technical Institute, Urvi Vikram Charitable Trust, Kherwadi Social Welfare Association, Shine Foundation, Samuel Foundation, CCFID, Bhutan Youth Development Foundation, Hope Foundation, Naz Foundation/Goal Programme, BMC Trust.

Aptitude Assessment and Career Orientation Programme
Youthreach with the support of Wrigley and its partner NGOs designed an Aptitude Assessment and Career Orientation Programme for the youth. The programme consists of a two day interactive workshop to be covered in 12 hours over a period of 2 days. It aims at helping the youth realise their potential and provide information over career choices to reduce attrition thereby ensuring sustainable and productive employment. Youthreach conducted a total of 13 sessions with Edulever, Don Bosco Technical Institute, UVCT, Shine Foundation, SBT, LBCT, Vidya, Udayam, Hope Foundation and ANK