YOUTH GUIDANCE & SUPPORT PROGRAM
Bridging the gap between school and either higher education or the working world is always a major challenge and concern for youth worldwide. With this in mind, Visions has provided more than 190 scholarships to-date for high-achieving, motivated individuals to pursue their dreams across Sri Lanka, India & Ethiopia. Though there are too many to mention, here are a few of the highlights:
Scholarships for 3 young women from Sri Lanka to attend multi-year professional Bharatha Natyam dance program in India
Opening education savings accounts for 10 orphaned boys in Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Scholarships for 45 tsunami-affected dalit Indian & Sri Lankan refugee youth in India
Dozens of scholarships for youth to pursue undergraduate & graduate studies or vocational / technical training programs, or to start a small business
Multiple internships for war-affected youth in Northern & Eastern Sri Lanka to pursue professional development opportunities
The establishment of an endowment fund (the Jayalakshmi Ramachandran Scholarship Program) in India to support low-income students interested in pursuing higher studies in medicine, which has so far resulted in the disbursement of more than $22,000 to 14 high-achieving youth / future doctors
Though we continue to facilitate and make available scholarship opportunities like these for youth in the communities we serve, the Visions Youth Guidance & Support Program today seeks to provide more structured and holistic support, including:
counseling / mentorship
exam prep & registration
access to information about higher education & technical opportunities, requirements, etc.
support with drafting applications, CVs, scholarship applications, and essays
interview training
intensive spoken English training
leadership & life skills development training
field trips to prospective universities, programs, etc.
parents counseling & planning support
regular communication with Visions-supported local staff in order to track and document progress & overall development
whenever possible, provide financial assistance or interest-free loans to qualified students