Over the past 3 months, Team4Tech facilitated an impactful skilled volunteering project connecting five employees from Guidewire Software and five employees from their technology partner, EY, with staff from Reap Benefit, an education-focused nongovernmental organization (NGO) based in India. After months of virtual collaboration, skilled volunteers traveled to Bengaluru, India, to support Reap Benefit with technology solutions that will enhance skill development and engagement with their Solve Ninja learner community.
Building a Movement of Civic Changemakers in India
Reap Benefit is a nonprofit organization based in Bengaluru, India, equipping youth with 21st-century skills to drive change in their local communities. Their mission is to build a nationwide movement of 10 million changemakers—young people that they call Solve Ninjas—by 2030 to redefine climate and civic leadership through impactful, hyper-local actions. Youth are encouraged to solve everyday issues using local data, solutions, and campaigns. Technology platforms support engagement and programs for Reap Benefit’s learners.
Reap Benefit partners with Team4Tech to use low-code standard technology, behavioral science, AI, and machine learning to strengthen the Solve Ninja Platform. With Team4Tech’s support, Reap Benefit is enhancing their data visualization tools, curating behavioral nudges, and identifying and outlining actions that lead to long-term employability skills for their learners.
Skilled Volunteering Drives Technology and Engagement Solutions for Reap Benefit
This strategic pro bono project builds on previous ideas generated by Guidewire and EY employees in a February Design for Impact workshop. The volunteer team tackled three streams of work for this project:
- Changemaker Portfolio (CMP):
- Reap Benefit’s CMP is user-facing platform recording and showcasing analytics of Solve Ninja actions nationwide, powered by an AI engine that maps the skills youth activate through their changemaking actions.
- Volunteers researched and refined the CMP’s skill rubric to root it in on-ground realities.
- Digital Engagement through WhatsApp Communities:
- Volunteers designed a playbook to create sustained engagement through Reap Benefit’s WhatsApp groups.
- AI Mentorship Chatbot:
- Volunteers leveraged AI to improve mentorship and interaction through the Solve Ninja chatbot.
While on-site, volunteers put themselves in the shoes of a Solve Ninja and conducted a street audit to better understand civic issues at the local level and how learners document their observations in the Solve Ninja Mentor chatbot. Volunteers also had the opportunity to hear directly from Solve Ninjas about their experiences tackling civic and climate issues in their local communities. They also interviewed and collected valuable feedback from the learners to inform their final deliverables.
Through the skills-based volunteering project with Guidewire and EY, Reap Benefit now has access to:
- An updated skill rubric for Solve Ninjas and a mockup of improvements to the Changemaker Portfolio
- A playbook for driving digital engagement within their WhatsApp communities
- An improved AI mentorship chatbot that leverages RAG architecture
Connecting Skilled Volunteers with NGO Staff for Co-Design
Reflecting on my experience, I realize this has not only broadened my understanding of real world problem solving but also reaffirmed the power of collaboration, purpose and impact driven work. Working alongside with a passionate team committed to enabling young changemakers was both inspiring and humbling. The process helped me move beyond just “doing” to deeply understanding the “why” and “ how” behind my actions. It challenged us to step outside the corporate mindset and apply strategic thinking to real-world social issues.”
— Ruchita Shetty, EY Volunteer
This program is valuable because it allows Guidewire to make a meaningful social impact. It provides employees with the opportunity to contribute to global initiatives (skill-based), gain hands-on experience, and build a sense of purpose.”
— Talida Rosioru, Guidewire Volunteer
This engagement marks our fourth skills-based volunteering project with Reap Benefit. Team4Tech is proud to support Reap Benefit advance their organizational goals around building technology platforms that support the Solve Ninja community.
We had a wonderful time engaging with the volunteers, and we’re grateful for the trust the team placed in us. The volunteers’ energy, commitment, and the quality of their solutions they came up with have left us inspired and energized. The entire experience was deeply immersive, and it reinforced for us how powerful and lasting relationships can be built when people come together with intention and empathy. It was not just a learning moment for the volunteers, but for all of us at Reap Benefit as well.”
— Tejaswini Halthore, Reap Benefit
More broadly, Team4Tech is proud to facilitate connections between volunteers and education-focused NGOs like Reap Benefit, improving education that ultimately prepares learners for better jobs.
This is just one example of Team4Tech’s global contributions to education. Our organization continues to accelerate the impact of nonprofit organizations globally.