Asha for Education - Boston/MIT

Why apply to the Penpal Program?

Every once in a while, we find ourselves having something to give to the world. We either choose to step up, or decide to wait for when we have more time, means, or strength. We hope this opportunity urges you to gift some of your time to enriching someone’s life, and in the process, add to your own.

Each one of us reading this has worked hard for an opportunity to study in one of the top educational institutes in the world. Together, we share the collective responsibility and ability to be role models and cheerleaders for those who seek to grow further in their lives. Our knowledge and experiences are untapped resources, waiting to be shared with those who go through daily struggles to get a chance to learn and grow.

Asha for Education– Stanford, in partnership with Stanford India Association (SIA), is collaborating with Teach For India to start a “Penpal Program” through which any interested Stanford student can become a “Big Brother/Sister” for a child in a Teach For India 4th or 5th grade classroom in Delhi. He or she will exchange emails with the child bi-monthly for a period of at least 6 months and may continue doing so in case he/she feels motivated.

Through this program, we wish to provide a chance for the underprivileged kids to understand the value of education, see a life outside of their world of poverty and be inspired by students studying overseas. We wish that the kids are encouraged to face their struggles in over-coming odds and develop a vision for a brighter future.

In addition, the email exchanges will help them improve their English reading and writing skills. It will also give each one of us a chance to understand the problem of educational inequity in India, and to volunteer to help in a small yet significant way!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How long is the program?
You can participate in the program as long as its running, but at least a 6 month starting commitment would be nice to avoid changing up the “penpal” too soon.
What is the time commitment?
Time commitment should be very light, since no more than two email exchanges a month are necessary to be part of the program.

About Teach For India

Teach For India is a nationwide movement of outstanding college graduates and professionals who teach full-time in low-income schools for two years, and are transformed to become life-long leaders, across sectors, in the pursuit of educational equity.

Currently in their fifth year, they have 750 Fellows teaching 20,000 students in 180 schools in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai. They come from diverse college and corporate backgrounds (ranging from the IITs, IIMs, Accenture, Godrej Industries, Goldman Sachs and McKinsey), and are honing their leadership, problem-solving and management skills in addition to developing an understanding of the real-life obstacles to excellent education in India.

Teach For India’s 430 Alumni are today spread across India and the world, working with organizations such as McKinsey, Leader’s Quest, NIIT Foundation, Akanksha etc. and studying at universities such as Harvard, Chicago Booth, Columbia and Cornell.

Please visit teachforindia.org to learn more!