Nepal Teen Leaders: Going beyond the basics

Bishal KC, executive director, Career Point Education Services Pvt Ltd, believes youngsters need to be nurtured to live up to their potential. Nepal Teen Leaders (NTL), an exclusive student-centric year-long program designed for teenage students, aims to hone them into smart, talented, and creative individuals. The goal of the program is to ensure the students have bright futures. KC says fostering young people’s development helps build future leaders and the nation, which is why he is so keen on it. Career Point Education Services Pvt Ltd is basically an educational consultancy for higher studies. NTL, an initiation of the consultancy, was started in 2018 and is currently in its fourth year. From choosing the right career to developing their personalities and improving their social skills, NTL focuses on many different aspects of career-building. KC believes good communication skills help people make better decisions and develop an analytical viewpoint. Thus, working on public speaking and communication skills is an important part of the program. Additionally, the program brings in experts from different fields under whose mentorship or guidance the students get to learn. To be eligible for the program, the candidates must have cleared grade 11 or equivalent level and should show an avid interest in working on pressing social issues.

[caption id="attachment_32179" align="alignnone" width="300"] Bishal KC[/caption]

The program, which is KC’s brainchild, came out of his desire to work towards a better tomorrow. This, he says, can only happen if the new generation is exposed to new things and opportunities and are able to compete in this fast-paced world. For that, one needs to be focused and confident and that’s where NTL comes in. “I did my schooling in Nuwakot and I didn’t have a lot of opportunities and facilities. I realize the importance of them now, of how it can shape one’s life,” he says. He moved to Kathmandu to pursue higher education and later on got involved in politics. He became a member of the US Embassy Youth Council and that’s when he felt driven by the need to start his own project that could help other students like him. “I thought even if I could impact the lives of say 10 students, I would have done something good,” he says. But nothing of consequence can be done overnight. KC’s goal was to establish a platform that would help shape students' futures but a lot of things needed to be worked out for that. KC faced a lot of challenges. From sponsorship to branding issues, it was a struggle to give form to NTL. The initial budget, of Rs 500,000, was a meager amount but KC persevered and NTL is where it is today. Educative director of Career Point Shiva Danai says they are committed to contributing to the society by preparing teenagers to be the best versions of themselves. Danai feels there’s a gap between what we are taught in classrooms and its practical application in daily life. NTL aspires to bridge that gap. Besides training students, NTL also holds various awareness programs. They did the ‘No Tax on Pad’ and ‘No, Not Again’ (a campaign asking not to repeat old faces in politics). [caption id="attachment_32180" align="alignnone" width="300"] Shiva Danai[/caption] The good thing is that it’s the students who organize these campaigns. They also do career fests, set up libraries in schools that need them, and plan other similar events. This, KC says, allows them to learn through practice as well as work on their networking skills. Sahil Das Kushwaha, a member of NTL’s first batch, says NTL gave him the opportunity to do things he wouldn’t normally get to do. It also made him confident and gave him a chance to meet people from different walks of life. Similarly, Chetana Shrestha, who was a part of the second batch, says it was a great experience, one that helped her enhance her skills and discover some hidden talents as well. Shishir Marasaini, NTL third batch member, agrees with her. He says he has realized being creative fuels confidence. It also makes you curious and thus knowledgeable, he adds. Students today generally follow trends. They are largely driven by peer-pressure. This makes them unable to form solid opinions and ideas. Their minds are always changing. KC believes the right guidance can help them be true to who they are and thus able to make better decisions. “Parents and teachers only focus on academics. Good scores are all that matters for them. But along with academic success, creativity and skills are equally important in life. The sooner we all realize this the better,” says KC.