Changelooms: Learning and Leadership Journey

Changelooms is a 5th Space initiative that encourages the youth to dream of a society that is inclusive, just and equitable. The program offers in-depth learning and leadership opportunities to young social activists, along with deep and personal mentoring, and guides them to become leaders of change in their community. The focus areas of growth and development of these leaders are around self, relationships, their organizations and strengthening the impact of their work in their communities. The Changelooms programme was launched in 2005. It was a joint effort by Pravah in collaboration with Ashoka-Innovators for the public, with support from the Youth and Civil Society Initiative of Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Global Fund for Children. The programme offered in depth learning and leadership opportunities for young entrepreneurs along with deep personal mentoring. Following the success of Change Looms, in 2008 CYC set up another leadership journey for youth who had an inspired social intervention idea, the passion and vision to commit to it, but were not yet ready to incubate organisations. This program gave youth leaders an opportunity to enhance their leadership for social change by initiating creative social change experiments on the ground. This program was called ComMutiny Learning and Leadership Journey (LLJ). Recognising the power and connectedness of both the above programs, in 2012, Pravah and CYC entered into a partnership to merge the two programs and launched the new Change Looms: Learning and Leadership Journey in order to support both, action projects and incubations. The Changelooms: Learning & Leadership Journey offers to its co-voyagers support by: Encouraging, recognising and supporting the young change leaders who have started social change initiatives with a focus on youth development. Offering opportunities to change makers for intensive personal and organisational development. Supporting young change leaders through skills and learning to strengthen capacities as youth facilitators in core thematic areas, including systems thinking, perspectives on youth development, deep self-awareness, instructional design and facilitation, teambuilding, and exploring diversities through intensive peer-engagement. Providing mentorship linkages to facilitate and support self and organizational development Offer modest financial assistance for starting their projects