Great leaders are always considered as first-class communicators, they have a clear set of values and they always believe in promoting and inculcating those values in others. Some of the greatest leaders of history have also been motivators who have been able to encourage others to work towards a common goal. This ability to motivate has largely been a result of solid communication skills. Mahatma Gandhi and Subhash Chandra Bose are the two of the most effective leaders in the Indian freedom movement who approached challenges in different ways, who had the common trait of having excelled in communication. It can be said that communication is not merely the exchange of information but is an art which is well-used in contemporary world to pave the way for inspiration and success.
Understanding this, ICT Academy has been organizing “ICT Academy Youth Talk” since 2014, with the aim to evolve the communication skills among the students, the future leaders. ICT Academy Youth Talk has now become the tradition among the students of higher education, competing against each other to exhibit their public speaking skills thus evolving the leadership capabilities. This initiative is envisioned to identify young, powerful communicators and leaders who can communicate their thoughts to inspire the youth and peers in their community.
Right from the launch, the contest has been gaining impetus midst the youth community and today, the contest is conducted across states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, New Delhi, Telengana and Uttarakhand. The contest happens in regional and state-levels and the state-level winners are awarded the title “ICT Academy Youth Icon of the Year”, a certificate of recognition, and above all a fully-paid trip to Singapore.
On this educational trip, the winners visit technology companies such as Salesforce and Palo Alto to gain industry exposure. The winners of the year 2018, namely Aafreen, Knowledge Institute of Technology, Salem, Subashree, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Engineering College, Puducherry, Karthik, Vignana Bharathi Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, Pawan Bhandarkar, NMAM Institute of Technology, Karnataka, Niharikha, Lendi Institute of Engineering & Technology, Vizag, went on the educational trip during the month of August this year.