Innovation Across Borders: India
Ravi Theja Bale, former Youth Innovations Lead, UNICEF India, discusses the national deployment of UPSHIFT, a social innovation accelerator for young people.
Across 190 countries and territories, UNICEF colleagues and partners are on the frontlines of the greatest challenges affecting the lives of children and young people. Innovation Across Borders highlights the experiences, successes and learnings of innovation champions, committed to making positive social impact.
What has been the impact of your innovation?
In India, only 46 per cent of graduates are considered employable, so we are building the skillsets of adolescents and young people. With scale in mind, we developed a digital transformation of UPSHIFT, delivered through blended learning in secondary schools.
After an initial pilot – and several iterations – we have a solution that is being integrated by 55,000 schools across several states, with over one million adolescents completing the UPSHIFT learning journey and we are continuing to scale.
What challenges have you encountered?
The initial challenge lay in identifying the skills gap among young people, then tailoring an engaging and accessible curriculum that catered to a broad age range. Implementation then required overcoming significant technological barriers and ensuring language accessibility.
Convincing stakeholders of the necessity of integrating 21st-century skills into the national educational fabric demanded persistent advocacy, with teachers, school authorities and students.
What were your highest points?
The first breakthrough was the realization that our programme truly resonated with students: seeing young minds light up with understanding and creativity fuels my passion.
Another significant high point was the successful digital launch and adoption of the programme by state and national governments.
What was your experience collaborating with partners?
Collaborating with partners to bring change in education systems is particularly challenging. The co-design process is hard work, but worth it when we see our collective vision materialize in the form of tangible programmes that reach large groups of young people. The journey from ideation to impact was not just about achieving our goals but also about the relationships built and the collaborative spirit that drove us forward.
What has been the biggest lesson learned?
An enabling environment is key: without the right team, the flexibility and the space to try, the permission to fail and pivot, and the funding to think long-term, no project can be truly transformative.
What are your hopes for the future of this innovation?
My vision is for our innovation to not only become widespread but also to strengthen its ability to impact the educational landscape profoundly.
What message do you have for colleagues around the world?
Our project is making a real difference in education, blending innovation with practical learning to prepare students for tomorrow's challenges. Together, we can transform educational and skilling outcomes globally.
