Bengaluru teen leads Project Vidya to help children speak English confidently
A 17-year-old Bengaluru student, Roshni Gupta, started Project Vidya to help children overcome fear of speaking English. The initiative expanded to schools and care homes, focusing on natural, confident communication rather than grammar drills.
Key takeaways
- Roshni Gupta, 17, founded and leads Project Vidya in Bengaluru, focusing on spoken English and confidence.
- The program emphasizes interactive workshops over traditional grammar instruction.
- Books collected in Bengaluru supported orphanages and partner schools, totaling approximately 300-400 volumes.
- The network has about 40 active volunteers across chapters and operates in India plus several other countries.
- The aim is to validate every child's voice in any language and space.
What Happened
In Bengaluru, a 17-year-old named Roshni Gupta launched and now leads Project Vidya, an initiative aimed at helping children speak English with confidence. The approach prioritizes natural expression over strict grammar drills, with workshops centered on interaction rather than correction. The movement began after Roshni reflected on a student who could write correctly in English but hesitated to speak it aloud, realizing the barrier was confidence, not knowledge. By August 2023, the project had begun organizing activities in schools and care homes, and it has since grown into a youth-led network with chapters across India and in several international locations.
The organization collected books through apartment-driven drives in Bengaluru, accumulating around 300 to 400 books that reached orphanages and partner schools. Volunteers aged 13 to 25 run Project Vidya, and there are about 40 active members across its chapters. The effort emphasizes making every child feel their voice matters, in English or any language, in any space.
Why It Matters
The project shifts the focus from rote language drills to building confidence and practical communication skills, addressing a barrier many children face in expressing themselves in English. Its expansion to multiple countries suggests a model for youth-led, peer-supported learning that centers on personal expression and inclusivity rather than punitive language performance.
Background
The founder, identified as Roshni Gupta (17), began visiting schools and care homes to understand how children respond when English is introduced in a setting that emphasizes interaction. She noted that students spoke confidently in familiar languages but fell silent when English was introduced, prompting a pivot away from traditional grammar-centric teaching toward making English feel natural and comfortable.
By 2023, Project Vidya formalized its focus on spoken English, communication, and confidence-building. The network now operates in India and has reached international locations such as the UAE, Rwanda, Kenya, and Lesotho, sustained by a cadre of young volunteers.
Key Facts
- Roshni Gupta, 17, is the driving force behind Project Vidya in Bengaluru.
- Project Vidya shifted from grammar drills to interactive, confidence-building workshops by August 2023.
- Book-collection drives in Bengaluru yielded around 300 to 400 books for orphanages and partner schools.
- The network comprises about 40 active volunteers aged 13 to 25 across its chapters.
- Project Vidya now has chapters in India and in the UAE, Rwanda, Kenya, and Lesotho.
What Happens Next
Beyond continuing its current workshops, Project Vidya intends to sustain and potentially expand its international chapters while maintaining a focus on making children’s voices heard in any language. The organization frames its goal as empowering children to express themselves confidently in everyday spaces, not solely within English-language contexts.
Sources reviewed
Project Chintan independently synthesized and analyzed information cross-checked across the sources listed above.
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