National Public School, Indiranagar is proud to be associated with 1 Million for 1 Billion, a groundbreaking social innovation and future skills initiative aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Future Leaders Programme aims to empower the youth of India to tackle social issues and actively contribute to positive change in their communities. Six students from our school have been diligently working on their projects, spanning from 2020 to the most recent one in 2023.

Isabel Shiju, Grade 9, established Project Selfless.Network to raise awareness of sustainable fashion among the youth. Ashmita Gupta, Grade 11, initiated ProjectE4E, a venture dedicated to making quality education accessible to everyone. Shloka Chandran, Grade 11, founded Project Transform with the goal of uplifting the transgender community in Bangalore. Shriya Muthukumar, Grade 11, launched The Mowgli Movement to assist communities near buffer zones in Karnataka. Shikhar Gubbi and Anurag Vadlamudi, Grade 11, spearheaded Project Agni to raise awareness of early detection for preventing cancer.

All these projects successfully advanced to the 3rd level of the Future Leaders Program, earning the opportunity to present their work at the prestigious 7th 1M1B Activate Summit at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from November 26th to December 1st, 2023.

In the heart of iconic Times Square in New York, the students commenced their pitches under the guidance of their mentors, who provided invaluable support and honest feedback. The following day, they actively participated in New York's favorite event, delivering 30-second pitches to prospective investors, proving to be the perfect opportunity to refine their networking skills. The subsequent day featured the final presentation—a three-minute showcase determining the panelists for the coveted UN 1M1B summit.

After thorough deliberation and based on clear-cut criteria, our students, Ashmita Gupta, Isabel Shiju, Shloka Chandran and Shriya Muthukumar, representing our school, secured positions among the top 15 panelists. Shikhar Gubbi and Anurag Vadlamudi achieved third place in the social media favorite category for their project, Project Agni.

On November 30th, the 1M1B Active Summit unfolded at the prestigious ECOSOC Chamber in the United Nations. Following an inauguration speech by Madam Ruchira Kamboj, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, the panels and pitches commenced. Our Principal, Ms Shweta Pathak Chand, delivered a speech on the impact of technology on our world. Furthermore, our teacher, Ms Shaini Varghese, received an award in recognition of her role as a social impactor, and Ms Shweta Pathak Chand accepted the “School of the Future” award recognising the incredible efforts of the school in empowering students to become purpose-driven and future-ready!

The subsequent day, our students had the unique opportunity to spend time at the Indian embassy with Madam Ruchira Kamboj, where they posed pertinent questions regarding her views on the future of India and received thoughtful and insightful responses based on her rich life experiences.

Our students have filled us with pride through their dedicated efforts for the community and their inspirational presentations at the United Nations Summit!