As students from underserved urban communities move from school to college and into their first jobs, successful transitions depend on more than individual effort—they require coordinated, stage-appropriate support over time. This panel spotlights Akanksha Education Fund’s school-to-work (S2W) learnings and alumni-informed insights from urban India, framing S2W as a multi-year journey rather than a single intervention.
- Date: Tuesday, 27 January, 2026
- Time: 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM IST | 1:30 – 2:30 PM UTC
- Venue: Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi
The discussion, moderated by Arjun Bahadur, Lead, Education Practice, will focus on four critical enablers of successful school-to-work transitions: academic and skills support, compassionate adults and mentoring, financial assistance, and exposure to the world of work. Drawing on lived experience and organisational practice, panelists will examine where transitions most often break down, what good support looks like in practice, and the trade-offs involved in designing these enablers at scale.
Bringing together practitioners and ecosystem leaders working across education, mentoring, funding, and employment pathways, the panel will explore how these enablers must work in integration—not silos—to strengthen youth agency, informed decision-making, and long-term outcomes. Participants will leave with concrete insights and practical shifts that educators, funders, and organisations can apply to better support school-to-work journeys.
Panellists:
- Saurabh Taneja, CEO, The Akanksha Foundation
- Sejal Desai, Executive Director, Akanksha Education Fund
- Raj Gilda, Co-Founder, Lend-A-Hand India
- Kiran Salave, iTeach Mitra
For more information, visit Learning Planet Festival.