The Young People we work with
Karta’s School Partners: Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti
- Secondary Residential Schools
- Funded By Government Of India
- 1 Per District, Pan-india
- Merit-selection Of Rural Children
- CBSE 3-language Education
- 600+ Schools & 240k Students
- 78% Rural- 39% Girls & 40% 1st Generation Learners
Karta’s school partner: Eklavya Model Residential Schools – run by Ministry of Tribal Affairs for Adivasi children only
- Secondary Residential Schools
- Funded By Government Of India
- CBSE Education
Who we work with?
India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, but it is also one of the most unequal. We work to transform the lives of young people across rural India, who face a range of complex barriers to fulfilling their potential.
The Barriers
Students at our partnering government schools are bursting with potential, achieving a grade point average close to their privately educated, urban peers. Despite this academic excellence, students from rural, low-income communities struggle to access opportunity because of:
Low household income and limited parental education.
Limited networks and internship experiences.
Limited or no access to a laptop & internet connection at home.
Poor understanding of pathways to university or careers.
Lack of English language fluency and twenty-first century skills.
Our Work
We start working with young people when they turn 15, at the point when they are starting to think about their future. Our support helps them to navigate this period and make the most of post-school opportunities. But it doesn’t stop there. We continue supporting exceptional students through to higher education at world-leading universities with our scholarship programme.
Five ways we make a difference
1
21st Century Skill Building.
We coach essential skills, including critical thinking and problem solving, English language fluency, and digital literacy.
2
Career
Readiness.
We mentor to build confidence and awareness of different career pathways.
3
Access to world leading higher education.
We offer support with applying to world-leading universities, teamed with scholarship opportunities.
4
Workplace exposure.
We provide tangible opportunities with partnering employers to build experience and career readiness.
5
Community leadership.
We guide young people to support each other and their wider communities.
Five ways we make a difference
1
21st Century Skill Building.
We coach essential skills, including critical thinking and problem solving, English language fluency, and digital literacy.
2
Career Readiness.
We mentor to build confidence and awareness of different career pathways.
3
Access to world leading higher education.
We offer support with applying to world-leading universities, teamed with scholarship opportunities.
4
Workplace exposure.
We provide tangible opportunities with partnering employers to build experience and career readiness.
5
Community leadership.
We guide young people to support each other and their wider communities.
Our Research
Research is the bedrock of everything that we do at Karta. Where there are research gaps, we look to fill them.
We have partnered with world-leading research institutions to expand understanding of barriers to opportunity in rural India. Our findings underpin Karta’s programming for young people from low-income families in rural India.
Karta White Paper: Unlocking Social Mobility
- Together with research partner Nielsen, we conducted a large-scale comparative study of students across India.
- The study analyses disparities of opportunity access for young people in rural government schools compared with those in urban private schools.
- Our findings are clear: despite similar academic attainment, significant disadvantages arise from ‘accident of birth’. These disadvantages are correlated with exposure to higher education, English language competency, household amenities, and access to technology.
Why Karta is Different?
For age
0-14
14-25?
For age
18+
Geography Focus
Bihar & Jharkhand
- Madhubani
- Muzaffarpur
- Araria
- Buxar
- Katihar
- Jamtara
- Koderma
- Vaishali
- Hazaribagh
- Bokaro
Jammu & Kashmir
- Baramulla
- Rajouri
- Punch
- Anantnag
- Rajouri
- Doda
- Ganderbal
- Leh
Maharashtra
- Palghar
- Ahmadnagar
- Latur
- Ratnagiri
- Jalna
- Beed
- Nashik
- Raigad
- Pune
- Gadchiroli
Karnataka & Kerala
- Hassan
- Chikmagalur
- Shimoga
- Haveri
- Uttara Kannada
- Udupi
- Yadgir
- Bellari
- Raichur
- Davangere
Jammu & Kashmir
Maharashtra
Jharkhand
Bihar
Karnataka
Youth groups (Ultra vulnerable communities)
1
Shoshit Seva Kendra, Patna
Mushar youth
2
Sakhi Trust,
Hospete
Devdasi and Dalit communities
3
Mahila Jan Adhikar Samiti, Ajmer
Dalit girls and women
4
Seethampetta
ITDA
Ashram schools and ITDAs
School to University transition (Access Program)
Supplementary academic support
Comprehension and analytical skills
Bespoke career guidance
University admission support
Group mentorship &
1-on-1 mentorship
Critical thinking skills
University to work transition
(Scholar Program)
Financial Capital
- 100% tuition fee scholarship
- Living Expense Support
Social & Cultural Capital
- 1-on-1 mentoring by industry professionals
- Access to network
In-house mentorship
- Senior Karta Scholar
- Karta team
Career Readiness
- Workplace exposure
- Internships
Values
- In person workshops
- Scholars supporting students
Mental Health
- Group Sessions
- Support by Mental Health Experts
Engaging with the Adivasi Youth
Deepening our work
University Mentorship Program in Multiple Cities
Deepening our work
How do we do it?
Karta’s Holistic Approach Spanning across 5 to 8 years
2 years
School to University (Class XI and XII)
Career Counselling
4-5 years
Graduation Support
(First year to Final year)
Internships & Live Projects
1-2 years
University to Workplace
(Final Placement)
Settling into the Corporate World
How are the marginalized youth kept from quality education?
Young people
<25 years ~47%
Gross Enrollment ratio (GER) for higher education (18-23) years <28% in India
GER is <25% for youth from marginalized communities at India level;
Anecdotal experience: Its <10% for first generation learners in marginalized communities in the remote parts.
How does this marginalization affect the workforce?
Transitioning from School to University - Weakest Link
Link exacerbated due to lack of mentorship, guidance and resources .
Intergenerational Marginalization Cycle continues with no support.
Why does this happen to the youth from marginalized section?
Academia & Corporates missing out these untapped & skillful talents.
“There are missed opportunities and the immense untapped talent that can be honed to enable tremendous consequences for growth and equity”- Anirudh Krishna’s Broken Ladder ”
The Paradox and Potential of India’s One Billion