Playbook/Vizag: Connecting students with mentors, projects and career opportunities
Steward: Sai
Summary: Many students at government and under-resourced colleges in Vizag lack access to practical learning, mentors and real projects. Rather than build a new programme, Logos Circle Vizag connected them with two learning communities that already existed. Five Circle members ran a conversational session at RTIH, where 25 students put their own questions to three practitioners in AI/ML, systems engineering and entrepreneurship. Students left with a route into ongoing practical learning and began forming their own interest-based peer groups. The whole initiative cost about $50.
The issue
Many students, especially at government and under-resourced colleges, lack access to practical learning, mentors, peers, real projects and affordable courses.
Why was it winnable
The Circle had existing connections and resources it could build on: Aegion Dynamic already ran weekly Build Hours, while EduMoon had an established student network and access to opportunities. This meant the Circle did not need to create a new programme from scratch; it could focus on understanding what students actually needed and connecting them to existing people, spaces and opportunities.
Who was affected
? Students at smaller under-resourced colleges. The Circle also supported two existing initiatives: Aegion Dynamic, which runs weekly Build Hours on Sundays from 11 AM to 1 PM, where students can learn, practise and build projects with support; and EduMoon, which connects students with community groups, projects, hackathons, internships and other learning opportunities.
The goal
Help students, particularly those at under-resourced colleges, access practical learning opportunities, connect with experienced professionals and peers, and better understand possible career pathways. Identify the barriers they face and connect them with existing resources, such as Build Hours, mentors, real-world projects and affordable courses, so each student can identify a concrete next step and continue engaging with these opportunities beyond the initial activity.
What they did
- Define the winnable issue. Circle members agreed that student access to practical learning and opportunities was a concrete local issue worth acting on.
- Talk to students first. The Circle planned a short student survey and visits to local colleges to understand what students needed before deciding what to offer.
- Bring students and practitioners together. On 20 September, the Circle held a 3.5-hour session at RTIH with 25 students and 3 practitioners working in AI/ML, systems engineering and entrepreneurship. Five Circle members coordinated the session.
- Make it conversational. Instead of giving a long presentation, practitioners responded to students’ questions about how to get started, what to learn, how to practise and where to find opportunities.
- Create a next step. Connect interested students to existing opportunities rather than ending with the session: Aegion’s Sunday Build Hours for ongoing practical learning, and EduMoon’s communities, events and opportunities.
Who they worked with
Aegion Dynamic, EduMoon, and practitioners including Sampreet who shared his experience as a systems engineer and answered students’ questions.
What worked
Students talked directly with practitioners. Continuity through the regular sessions offered by Aegion Dynamic and Edumoon mattered more than the single event. Students also started forming peer groups between themselves based on shared interests expressed in the session.
What didn't work
Since the Circle contributed to existing initiatives run by its members, the winnable issue was relatively straightforward to execute.
The outcome
25 students from under-resourced colleges, many with no prior contact with working professionals in these areas got direct answers from 3 practitioners about how to get started in AI/ML, systems engineering and entrepreneurship. Every student now has a route into continued practical learning through Aegion Dynamic’s weekly Build Hours and EduMoon’s network of hackathons, internships and communities. Students also formed their own interest-based peer groups, building a support network that can keep going without the Circle.
What was learned
Bringing students and practitioners together was a good start. The next step is to follow up on Build Hours and see what students actually learnt, built or gained access to through these connections.
What could another Circle replicate
Rather than building a programme from scratch, partner with a learning community that already runs regular sessions and use your Circle to connect students to it. Start by asking students what they need, through a short survey or college visits. Then run one conversational event where 2–3 practitioners answer students’ own questions instead of presenting. The most important step is deciding beforehand which ongoing opportunity students will join afterwards, such as weekly Build sessions, because that continuity matters more than the event itself. The whole initiative cost about $50, covering a rented display screen, small plant pots as thank-you gifts and refreshments for practitioners.
Resources
Student survey link: https://tally.so/r/44lvAO