John Mota (YES’13) from Bangalore attended YES Alumni Social Entrepreneur Changemakers Workshop conducted in Alexandria, VA from 19-22 March 2018. The main goal of this workshop was to create a change making project/venture and to craft a plan to achieve the desired outcomes. The workshop was split up into various focused learnings spread through four days – where you are taught and inculcated words of knowledge and wisdom, in creating and executing projects impacting the society at large. Various frameworks of assessment, solution and execution were discussed and taught. Towards the end of the workshop, one can get a comprehensive understanding of social entrepreneurship and various approaches for effective ideation, solution, and execution. The session on Storytelling was quite interesting as according to the alumna it taught him how to narrate the story in an interesting way. He also learned about SMART Goals and Objectives which helped him to set goals and objectives which are specific, measurable, attainable, and realistic and are time bound. The alumna also presented their change making project/venture to the panel.
The alumna was also a part of the ECA Conference held from 21- 25 March 2018. He actively participated in The International Bazaar which was an opportunity for the countries to show and present their culture. The alumna along with AFS India staff applied Henna and Bindis to all the female volunteers and staff who were visiting India stall; also served Indian snacks and spicy items. The workshop also included visit to Capitol Hill where the respective partner staff & partner alumni were allotted State groups with their representatives who are a mix of volunteers and host family members.
The alumna also actively participated in the session on Country Presentation of India where he along with the staff did role play to show difference between Indian and US culture.