Do the fieldwork. Help a student understand what comes next.

Project Yaadhum is building a network of college students and recent graduates who want to work responsibly with students and families in Tier 2 and Tier 3 communities. You do not need to have all the answers. You need to be willing to listen carefully, learn, and show up when a school is expecting you.

This is voluntary. Any travel or meal support for a cohort is stated before you confirm

Sit with someone. Listen properly. Write down what was actually said.
Trained by people who already do this work, inside the system.

United Nations, Education

Our team volunteers as an education coordinator, supporting students in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities with career awareness and industry readiness.

Vidyanjali, Ministry of Education

Registered mentors under the Government of India’s school-volunteer programme, working with students on career awareness and educational pathways.

Naan Mudhalvan, TNSkill

Volunteer industry mentors with Tamil Nadu’s skills mission, giving students exposure to technology and consulting careers.

Volunteers are trained and supervised by the Project Yaadhum team, and everyone who completes a cohort receives a Certificate of Contribution from Project Yaadhum recording verified work and hours. These are the volunteer mentoring roles our own team holds. The organisations above are not affiliated with Project Yaadhum and do not endorse, certify or accredit this work.

Who we are looking for

  • College students, B.Ed and teacher-training students, recent graduates
  • 18 or older for any student-facing role
  • Able to complete the mandatory training before fieldwork
  • Comfortable listening before giving advice
  • Dependable enough to show up when a school or family is expecting you
  • Tamil is especially useful for Tamil Nadu programmes

Working responsibly with students

  • Identity verification before student-facing work
  • Follow our consent, privacy and safeguarding procedures
  • Never meet a minor one-to-one without supervision
  • Never contact students privately on personal WhatsApp, Instagram or other accounts
  • Never copy, download or retain student information outside the approved process
  • Escalate any safeguarding concern to the designated programme lead

Register as a volunteer.

  • Conduct structured interviews inside partner schools
  • Sit in on classes, staff rooms and parent meetings
  • Help decide what gets written down, and how. There is no fixed script yet
  • Open to students and recent graduates anywhere in Tamil Nadu

Registering does not commit you to a cohort. We use your details only to talk to you about Yaadhum volunteering, and you can ask to be removed at any time.

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Questions

Frequently asked.

What is Project Yaadhum?
A field research initiative studying how students in Tier 2 and Tier 3 Tamil Nadu schools arrive at their stream and pathway decisions, and running small, free pilots with schools based on what we find. We are currently being registered as a nonprofit.
What do volunteers actually do?
Spend time inside a small cluster of schools, interviewing principals, teachers, students and parents, supporting student sessions, and recording what they find in a consistent form. You are not a counsellor, and you do not decide anything about a child’s future.
Do I need a research background?
No. Curiosity, patience, and the willingness to sit in an unfamiliar staff room and listen carefully matter more. Training is provided at the start of each cohort.
Is it paid, and how much time does it take?
This is volunteer work, and there is no stipend. Any travel or meal support for a particular cohort is stated clearly before you confirm attendance. The expected hours and the length of the cohort are set out before you confirm a place, so you know what you are committing to.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. A Certificate of Contribution from Project Yaadhum recording the verified work and hours you completed. It is issued by us, not by any government or partner body. Whether it counts toward academic or community-engagement requirements is your college’s decision.