The English Access Microscholarship Program Graduating and Inaugural Ceremony at Prerna Girls School (a school for underprivileged girls) was a unique event as the Access team and students had a number a of reasons to celebrate.

It was a day that marked the end of a two year mentoring program, of a total of 125 students from Prerna Girls School and Vidhyasthali Kannar School, in the learning of the English language and with it a broadening of new horizons which the Access program brings opportunity of.

This day also heralded in a beginning of a new relationship with the American Center as SHEF became a Hub for the English Access Microscholarship Program in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, with SHEF managing a total of 4 sites in Lucknow and Rajasthan.

In the ceremony 200 new students were felicitated too, into the Access program for another 2 year session of mentoring and learning.

 Dr Bradley Horn, Regional English Language Officer (RELO), U.S Embassy, and Ms Rachna Sharma, Manager of English Access Program- India, U.S. Embassy, graced the occasion to congratulate the graduating students and welcome the new batch of students eager to embark on the journey of learning.

Also present on this joyous event was Prof. (Dr) Nishi Pandey, Chief Proctor Lucknow University, who had heard of the program running successfully at SHEF and was pleasantly surprised at the great results the program has brought to the lives of the students.

The highlight of the occasion was the chat show, “Chit Chat over Chai”, organized by the Alumni, graduating and new students of the Access program. The talk show was also a great platform for the students to flaunt their skills of successfully communicating in English. The Alumni and the graduating students of the Access program shared their experiences of events and opportunities the Access program enabled them to partake in. The new students were thoroughly encouraged to make the best of the program.