Unique Features of YLDP:

Individual Involvement:

• Each session will be of 4 hours training session. Taking into account the various learning styles of young people, the YLDP would be an interactive approach that actively involves participants in the learning process. As the saying goes:
  
  • Tell me and I listen
  • Show me and I remember
  • Involve me and I learn!!

In general, people remember 90% of what they do as opposed to things they see, hear, or write. Involving youth in the training through discussion and hands-on activities helps them retain more information and stay motivated even after the program.

Workshops:

• The training is not only limited to learning theoretical skills through seminars but it involves the participants using group discussions through various workshops to develop interpersonal skills. The speaker ultimately leads these workshops however the entire class will be divided into teams and each will have a leader to lead the team discussion.

The Team Concept:

• All the participants will be divided into teams. Each team will have five members; one among them will act as team leader for one week. Next week another member will lead the team. This way all members of the team will have a chance to lead the team during the whole course of the YLDP and also it gives each member a two-way experience of how it feels to lead and at the same to be led. To advise and to closely monitor the team performance, the YLDP assigns a mentor or team advisor to each team through out the program.

  Developing the team concept introduces the ideas of responsibility and accountability through practice instead of preaching. Using the team experience, the YLDP involves the participants in situations that they will ultimately have to deal with in the real world. Working with teams helps the participants learn how to sharpen their skills in dealing with others.

Field Project:

• The purpose of field projects is to provide the participants an opportunity to utilize their newly acquired leadership skills by applying them in real life situations. Field project topics will be designed in such a way that they require participants to interact with the local community which involves personal interviews with community members, etc. Every week, each team chooses a topic for the field project (topics will be provided by the YLDP). Each member may have to spend 1-2 hrs per week on the field project. It may involve community survey, interviews with various people within the local community, etc. At the end of the week, the team will prepare a brief report (1-2 pages) on their project and the team leader would present it for the class.

Team Mentors:

• Dynamic youth, mostly university students, who have had certain exposure to leadership skills/training on/off campus, have played leading roles in their schools/communities will be appointed as Team mentors/advisors. Basically their job is to guide the teams during the week on how to work on their field projects and how to utilize their leadership skills acquired through the weekly seminar/workshops, etc.