1. It is a peer group, not a teaching class
2. The participants are treated like adult peers as in a workplace environment
3. Non-participants, including parents, are allowed to observe but not participate.
4. We believe certain skills are more easily developed in a community environment and we intend to do that.
5. Participants will be encouraged to be aggressive towards their goal and channel their internal energy towards a positive outcome.
6. Enhance competitive personality. A participant with attitude of "I want it" is more suitable for this conversation as opposed to someone who feels "I can do without it".
7. Participants will be encouraged to challenge ubsubstantiated beliefs
8. Appreciate Deep knowledge over superficial knowledge
9. Use positive words only.

You are in high school now, and soon it will be time for the college application process... Are you ready?

Come and spend some time in between your volunteering sessions at Vidyalaya to work on skills that are pertinent to your success in the admissions process and more importantly, in life. Work with your peers to develop speaking skills, self-presentation skills, knowledge of current events and topics, and analytical thinking.

Each one of you will choose a topic. Look at the news headlines, do some research, and then present your topic (ten minutes or so). After your presentation, be ready to have a lively discussion with your peers about your topic - explain things they don't understand or allow them to share opposing views. When you listen to someone else presenting a topic, be analytical. Think about what they are saying. Does it make sense? If not, ask. If during the discussion questions arise that no one is able to answer, the presenter will go home and do some more research - then they can bring it back up at the next meeting.

You can choose any topic from history, to politics, to science, to sports, to art, etc. Find a topic that interests you and that can generate a discussion.

1. College is the first selection process that a young adult faces in academics
2. Admissions are granted based on review of profile
1. Performance - course selection and grades - is the most important part of the resume.
2. Standardized test allows a college to compare a student against others in different schools
3. Extra-curricular activities at school provides a window in the personality of the candidate.
4. All other things being equal, students with community activities are able to outshine others.
3. We provide a platform for community service activities, see here
4. Develop soft skills & knowledge that enhance resume.

1. Improve public speaking - speak clearly, convey your message, speak with confidence, eliminate fillers, proper grammar, address questions, ask questions, etc.
2. Improve self-presentation - sit or stand tall, loud clear voice, dress neatly, eye-contact, eliminate fidgeting, etc.
3. Improve ability to use analytical thought - decide what you want to research and what questions you want to answer. Think about what others may ask you, and try to get that information in advance. While listening to others, think about what they are saying and listen carefully. Does what they are saying make sense? What else do you want to know?
4. Improve knowledge of the world today. Do not remain enclosed in the bubble of your local life with friends/family. Think about the world at large, learn about current events - the relevant history and current debate, share the knowledge, and develop new ideas.

1. What does taking a knee represent? How has it been used as a form of protest historically? How has it been used recently? Why are people opposed to it? Is President Trump's reaction appropriate? Why or why not?
2. How do hurricanes form? Why do some get stronger and others weaker? Are we seeing an increase in frequency in recent years? Why or why not?
3. What is the best way to provide aid in times of natural disasters? What is being done in today's world? What prevents aid from arriving in a timely fashion? How can we improve on this? Are any new technologies being developed to address this issue?
4. Why did President Trump initiate a restriction on immigrants from certain countries? How did he choose these countries? Is this constitutional? Why are people protesting? How do you think we should ensure the safety of our citizens?
5. What is Obamacare? Why do we need health insurance in general? How do single-payer systems work (like government provided health care in Canada and the U.K.)? Would this work in the U.S.? Why or why not?

1. What exactly is the internet and the world wide web? How do they work? Where is the information stored? What are problems with the current implementation? If you could improve upon it or change it in some way, how would you do that?
2. What is the electoral college and how does it work? Why was it set up initially? Does it still work today? What are opposing views?
3. What are current movements in art? Is patronage of the arts decreasing? If so, what does this mean for the world of art in general? What does it mean specifically in the U.S.? Do you think art is important or relevant in the average person's life? Why or why not?
4. What are GMOs? How are they different from organic foods? Are they safe to ingest? Why or why not? Should we use them in agriculture? Will this affect long-term food production? Will this affect entire ecosystems?

1. Listening and Comprehension
Parse and Retain presentation made by others
2. Presentation
Express clearly, using complete and grammatically accurate sentences, expressing one thought at a time and only once.
3. Cliches
Lose cliches - "like", "you know what i mean", "that is what i meant", "get it", "believe me", "I am telling you", "God said", "My Dad says"
4. Buzzwords
Use buzzwords where they make an impact. The listener should feel substance in the expression.
5. Vocabulary
It is expected that everyone will work to improve their vocabulary and challenge peers with less common words, aka SAT words.
6. Time Management
We have divided a week into 168 hours. How many hours are we able to make use of.
7. Intellect
A participant is expected to demonstrate intellectual thought process and avoid political/religious thought process.

1. wireless communication
2. flying objects
3. theory of engines, gears
4. World wide web
5. Medicine
6. Finance - money, equity, debt, balance sheet
7. Law
8. History
9. Sports

We are all smart enough to understand these ideas but we do not know many of them. We hope proessionals among us will help us understand how these concepts work.

In a peer group, one is expected to contribute what one knows and avoid the tendency to share hearsay and imagination. Let us avoid "I am not sure", "I would think", "If I were to guess", "its hard to explain in words". Let us do some time management, allocate a part of 168 hour week to prepare and then speak. The time of our peers is just as important as our time.