Step Ahead India

Young Dreamers Program

Empowering Rural Youth of Etah for Higher Education and Meaningful Careers

Etah district in western Uttar Pradesh continues to face significant educational backwardness, particularly when it comes to higher education and career readiness. While government schools have seen increased enrolment and students study consistently up to Class 12, the transition beyond school is broken.

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Overview

Most local colleges do not offer regular classes for undergraduate courses, resulting in students simply appearing for exams without any structured learning. Bright and hardworking students, especially from underprivileged backgrounds, lose momentum after Class 12 and are left without direction. With limited awareness and access, their career aspirations narrow down to a few options—government jobs, teaching, defence, or police—for which they often prepare aimlessly for 3–5 years.

Objectives

This systemic gap in career awareness, preparation, and transition support is pushing a generation of youth into uncertainty, unemployment, or underemployment.

Solutions

Young Dreamers Program by Step Ahead India is a structured, long-term intervention that guides students from Class 9 to the first year of graduation, ensuring they have a clear career path, access to higher education, and support systems to make it possible.We work across government schools in rural Etah, currently reaching 50+ schools, with plans to expand across the district.

Our 4-Stage Intervention Model

Class 9–10: Career Awareness & Goal Identification
  • Career awareness sessions with students, parents & teachers
  • Helping students explore various fields and job roles
  • Finalizing a 10-year career path through collaborative planning
  • Issuance of a Career Card – an ID card of their chosen dream career (e.g. Doctor, Software Engineer, Civil Servant, etc.)

Class 10: Subject Selection & Stream Alignment
  • Based on the Career Card, we guide students to choose streams and subjects in Class 11 aligned with their aspirations (e.g., PCB for medical, commerce for CA, etc.)
  • Parents are counselled to support decisions, especially for girls and first-generation learners
Class 11–12: Preparation & Coaching Support
  • Detailed planning of entrance exams (JEE, NEET, CUET, etc.)
  • Study planning, guidance, mock test support
  • Collaboration with coaching institutes like Physics Wallah to provide free or subsidized online courses
  • Regular follow-ups and academic mentoring
Class 12–Graduation Entry: Admission & Scholarships
  • Shortlisting best-fit colleges, courses, and entrance timelines
  • Assistance with entrance form filling and exam prep
  • Support in applying for scholarships from partners like Azim Premji Foundation, Kotak Foundation, Axis Bank Foundation
  • Guidance on hostel, fee, travel logistics to ensure students can pursue higher education without financial burden
  • Continued mentoring until the student successfully enrolls in and completes 1st year of graduation

Impact So Far

  • Initiated coaching partnerships and scholarship support
  • Reached over 50 rural schools in Etah through the pilot phase
  • Engaged hundreds of parents and teachers through awareness sessions
  • Supported dozens of students with career cards and stream selection

Why Etah?

Etah (UP) is :

  • One of UP’s educationally backward district
  • High enrolment till 12th, but poor higher education continuation
  • 80%+ youth either drop out or fall into unproductive cycles post-12th
  • Huge untapped potential of hardworking students with no access

Future Plan

  • Expand to all government high schools in Etah
  • Onboard 2000+ students annually from Class 9 onwards
  • Build a district-level scholarship and coaching coalition
  • Develop a tech platform to track student journeys, career cards, and support

The Young Dreamers Program is not just a career guidance project—it is a movement to unlock the potential of rural youth, helping them dream, decide, prepare, and achieve.

We welcome partnerships, collaborations, and supporters who share the vision of making Etah an education-forward district and creating thousands of first-generation graduates and changemakers.

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