Over the past 25 years, Dream a Dream has been one of the early pioneers in the space of life skills and social emotional learning in the world, due largely to the efforts and leadership of Eisenhower Fellow, Vishal Talreja.
Vishal began his journey with Eisenhower Fellowships in 2013. He represented India across the United States, amongst a group of twenty other ascendant leaders from nineteen different countries. Seeking connections and insights into education reform, Vishal connected with various organizations, non-profits, foundations, academicians, researchers and government officials. He established enduring strategic partnerships with innovative education reform models that Dream a Dream could incorporate into its programs.
Upon returning from this transformational fellowship, Vishal published a paper on the Life Skills Assessment Scale (LSAS), the first observation tool for Measuring Life Skills of Disadvantaged Children in the Developing World. The paper has been downloaded over 20,000 times and received 57 citations. Over 12 organizations in India and 4 globally (in Thailand, Cambodia, Kenya, Colombia) have been trained to use the LSAS in various interventions. Today, Dream a Dream’s research is comparable to the best in the field, providing on-the-ground insights and contributing to the literature on life skills globally.
Even ten years after his fellowship, Vishal finds opportunities to collaborate with fellow Eisenhower Fellows. In a 2023 article, Vishal along with Dr. Pilvi Torsti and Joanne McEachen, wrote about a global education vision considering social development, technological advances, limited resources and economic sustainability to contribute to an international curriculum.
Dream a Dream has worked extensively towards their commitment to create a world where every child can thrive, a world more peaceful, prosperous and just. From 1999 to today, Dream a Dream’s impact reaches communities in the millions, meaningfully engaged with their direct impact programs, and through their work with six state governments across India to design, implement, and assess various life skills-based interventions impacting over 2.2 million children. Not only have NGOs integrated their inspiring models but Dream a Dream has affected the New Education Policy 2020, integrating this new vision into India’s curricula. Today, more state governments are collaborating with diverse organizations to implement life skills-based programs, a testament to Dream a Dream’s lifelong work.
After 25 years, Vishal Talreja through Dream a Dream works to empower young people in India to overcome adversity and build the life skills needed to thrive in a fast-changing world. Eisenhower Fellowships is honored to have Vishal in its community, to have a strong advocate to make the world more peaceful, prosperous and just.
About the Author:
Erin Hillman is the Vice President, Programs & Operations at Eisenhower Fellowships.