The document summarizes an education program held in three towns in India for students in classes 10-12 and their parents. Over 100 students and parents attended the program, which aimed to inspire students and help shape their futures. The program involved students creating collages of their dreams and aspirations, then confidently presenting them. It helped students visualize and affirm their goals. Parents were supportive of their children's dreams. The program emphasized the importance of dreaming big and achieving dreams through education.

1. …because education has the power to change a family’s destiny
An Altius Foundation Initiative
Young Talent …………. Shaping minds for a better future
We kicked off our Student Interaction
Program in Krishnagiri, Cuddalore & Pondicherry; all
towns nearly 200kms from Chennai on the 28th of
September & 2nd of October. These programs, for
students of Classes X, XI and XII and their parents,
were aimed at igniting their minds and shaping
them for a better tomorrow.
An enthusiastic set of trustees, team members,
volunteer facilitators and other volunteers got
off to an early morning start on both days...In all
we had 37 students in Krishnagiri, 55 students in
Cuddalore and 45 students in Pondicherry along
with their parents taking part in the program. It
was indeed a wonderful opportunity to interact
with 137 students and their parents and
understanding their needs.

2. Seeing them turning out in full strength and ahead
of time gave our facilitators an extra impetus to
take the program to the next level. The bonding
between the students, parents & facilitators was
amazing which was the key to the effectiveness of
the program at all 3 centers.
What was the program all about?
The session started with a Then followed the most interesting part. Each team
round of introductions where of child and parent was given materials like a chart,
the parent had to introduce old magazines, news-paper, glue, scissors and pens.
the child and say two things They were asked to create a collage that would
that he/she liked and vice represent their dreams and aspirations and then
versa. Significantly, most individually present it to the entire group.
parents were very supportive
of their child’s aspirations
and did not impose their
opinions and ambitions on Gift a future status update
them. Associated with 125 schools
Changing the destiny of 486 students
Plans to reach out to 175 schools by this quarter and
change the destiny of 900 students by this quarter.

3. ‘Dreams in confirmatory tone’?
The facilitators, through
a process known as
‘dream visualisation’
helped the students
present their dreams as
an ‘affirmation’. If a
child’s dream was to be
a teacher, he /she was
asked to declare “I am a
Teacher !!”
There were engineers, doctors, aeronautical engineers, physicists, animators, automobile
racers, beauticians, lecturers, IPS officers and soldiers in the group. They had confidently
suffixed their names with IAS, IPS, BDS etc in the chart. They also dreamt of buying big
houses, cars, growing trees, learning martial arts, yoga, music and building schools for kids
to give free education. Wow! The children exhibited such confidence, interest and clarity of
thought!
The session ended with children with closed eyes to a big smile.”
“All we could see were the facilitators asking the kidsandclose their eyes and imagine, “It
is not 2010, it is 2016 and you have become what you wanted to be. It is your first day at
work, look at yourself in the mirror, how smartly you are dressed, how your colleagues
welcome you to the office. Now there is your cabin. Do you see what’s written on the
name board? Days go by and you get your first pay cheque. What’s the amount on it? You
go home with gifts for your family. Do you see the smile on their faces? You learn yoga,
dance and music and do all that you wished for once. “
“All we could see were children with closed eyes and a big smile.”

4. MESSAGE GALORE
“Dare to dream big, reinforce your dreams, live your dreams and
realize your dreams” This was the message that the volunteers of Gift
a Future drove home to the students and their parent(s) who had
gathered for a student interaction program on October 2 at Blessed
Mother Teresa School at Pondicherry. Sudha’s fluent and easy style
and constant encouragement with “very nice” kept the group
motivated throughout the program.
Mohan Krishnan, Donor
I came with an open mind and was in little doubt (as always) about city
bred teams delivering content to rural kids. As always i was wrong : )
What i saw amazed me.
The team from chennai took over the moment they landed and had a
perfect plan in place. They split the group into 2, children and parents.
The hesitant children opened up so well in 3 hours, thanks to the team ,
that i could spot Doctors, Engineers , musicians , artists et al. It was all
inside them and all they needed was a helping hand and what a helping
hand Team "Gift a future" is.
It was a sight to watch the parents opening up and standing by the
commitment to take the children forward, come what may.
K.G Murali,Supporter/Wellwisher
We wish to THANK all those who chose Gift a
I was craving to do this on my own over
future to support education of students in spite the last 4 years by short listing children;
of the innumerable options available in front of but it just remained an idea. Thank you
them. very much for introducing me to this
movement. Pleasure & satisfaction I
We THANK the people who have volunteered have derived from my participation are
their time and effort. But for them we would unlimited. Team of Altius Foundation
not have reached the stage we are in today. has been ensuring to reach the
wherewithal to these bright needy
We also THANK the donors, supporters and well children and this is the need of the hour
wishers who took time out for being a part of to broaden our country’s growth story.
our first interaction programme.
All the very best!!
Team Gift a future Vijay Prasad, Donor
Best Regards,

5. C. Srikanth, Managing Trustee
Every year, lakhs of children drop out of schools due to economic impediments so much so that it is an established UN
statistic that for every 100 children in India who join Class 1, less than half go on to finish schooling. This is a fact the
Nation has recently woken up to and the Government has announced steps through an Education policy that is focused
on remedying this situation.
It is with this motive in mind that we at Altius Foundation are presenting to you 'Gift a future - a web based social
initiative.
Gift a future is based on the firm belief that EDUCATION can change a family’s destiny. For this to happen, two things
must happen:
1. The child should complete his/her education
2. The child should have complete education
That is exactly what was achieved in the first session: opening up the minds of the children and giving them the power
to dream. I, along with the entire GAF team, am extremely thrilled at what our ‘catalysts’ Vikas and Sudha achieved
with the children and their parents in the very first interaction and eagerly look forward to building on the great
beginning in our future programs.
Please do send in your views to giftafuture@gmail.com .