Helping economically disadvantaged young people to acquire life skills

The socially distanced ceremony marked the completion of two years of the Access journey of the students, which started in November 2018.

The English Access Microscholarship program, funded by the Regional English Language Office of the U.S. Embassy New Delhi and the U.S. Consulate General Kolkata, is a two-year program which provides a foundation of English language skills to bright, economically disadvantaged 13–20-year-olds through after-school instructions and intensive sessions.

This English Access program, in partnership with Jungle Crows NGO and Learning Links Foundation, was the first Access program that was conducted out of the American Center.

This graduation ceremony was the culmination of two years of growth and learning for the Access students of Jungle Crows Foundation.

Access is much more than just a scholarship program to learn English.

The U.S. Consulate in Kolkata ensures, through the Access program, that the students are equipped with English skills, cross-cultural skills, computer skills, and critical thinking skills.

Since March 2020, the program has mostly been virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Consul General Patti Hoffman said the graduating students will be joining the global Access family of more than 100,000 students across 85 countries.

She said, “I feel so proud to address this Access graduation ceremony. You all are humans of courage, and you have chosen to challenge limitations, challenge stereotypes, and challenge yourselves. Each of you has shown indomitable strength and resilience through the pandemic to step into leadership roles in your communities, and to commit to a better future for yourselves and your families. I congratulate each and every one of you.”

Speaking about the life changing experience, Sonam Shaw, a student said, "Today's presentation was a portrayal of all that we learnt during our journey, right from tableau, forum theatre, skip, rap, and dance, to our progress in spoken English and communication skills. We have tried to showcase social issues such as women's education and gender equality through our performances."

Shakti Nag, another student, said, "Our journey in these two years has taken us from being just rugby players to becoming well-rounded and confident individuals whose English speaking and writing skills have undergone remarkable improvement. As we bring the curtain down on our Access journey, we can only look back and marvel at how much we have developed our English skills which will go a long way in helping us make our mark in our community."