This research paper shares findings from a 2014 study by Johns Hopkins University in partnership with Reap Benefit, focused on environmental education in Indian schools. Based on research conducted in government and private schools in Bangalore, the study looks at how hands-on and game-based learning helps students understand issues like waste management, water conservation, energy use, and biodiversity. The findings show that students developed stronger environmental awareness, but that long-term behavior change beyond school remained a challenge. The paper also outlines a monitoring and evaluation framework to track student behavior change and environmental impact over time.

This report outlines Reap Benefit’s Skill Activation Rubric, a framework developed to measure how school students build and apply 21st-century skills through civic and environmental action. Drawing on global research and education frameworks, the rubric defines key skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, empathy, grit, and entrepreneurial skills. It explains how these skills are activated through real-world projects, community engagement, and hands-on learning. The framework supports Reap Benefit’s approach to assessing student learning beyond academics, helping track skill development and real-world impact among young people.

This Lean Data report presents findings from a 2018 study of Reap Benefit’s programmes, based on surveys with over 400 students across government and private schools. The report examines how Reap Benefit’s hands-on civic and environmental learning model supports problem-solving skills, social awareness, and student engagement in governance. The findings show strong student satisfaction, increased belief in citizen-led action, and widespread use of hands-on solutions to address local issues. The study also highlights areas for improvement, offering data-driven insights to strengthen youth-led civic engagement and programme design

This impact report documents the outcomes of Reap Benefit’s Solve Ninja programme implemented between 2019 and 2020 in New Indian Public School and Shri Padmashree High School in Bengaluru, with support from the Godrej Foundation. The study tracks how students identified, investigated, and solved local civic and environmental issues related to waste, water, sanitation, and air quality. The findings show increased civic awareness, stronger problem-solving and leadership skills, and a significant rise in student-led civic action. The report highlights how hands-on, school-based civic engagement can build 21st-century skills and empower young people to take sustained action in their schools and communities.

This report presents findings from Reap Benefit’s Chennai Lean Data study conducted in 2019, based on surveys with 211 students across 11 government and private schools. The study examines how Reap Benefit’s civic and environmental programmes influence students’ problem-solving skills, civic awareness, and engagement with local government. The findings show improved confidence, stronger problem-solving and communication skills, and better understanding of governance and citizen responsibility. The report also captures student feedback on programme strengths, mentorship, and areas for improvement, providing data-driven insights into youth-led civic engagement in urban India.

This research paper explores how Reap Benefit’s youth-led programmes help young people take meaningful civic and environmental action in their communities. Drawing on qualitative research with youth participants across multiple states in India, the study shows how mentorship, peer learning, and technology-enabled tools support young people to identify local problems and work with communities and governments to solve them. The report highlights increased civic awareness, problem-solving skills, and sustained action on issues such as waste management, water conservation, sanitation, and climate action, demonstrating the potential of youth-driven civic engagement to strengthen participatory governance.

This research study examines how last-mile and marginalised citizens access government services through digital public grievance redressal systems in India. Based on fieldwork and data analysis across Andhra Pradesh, Chennai, and Punjab, the report highlights key barriers such as low awareness of digital platforms, limited digital literacy, lack of trust in the state, and structural vulnerabilities related to housing, migration, caste, gender, and disability. The study shows that many citizens rely on offline intermediaries—such as community leaders, NGOs, political workers, and ward officials—to access public services. It recommends strengthening offline support systems alongside digital platforms to improve inclusive, equitable, and effective access to government services.

This research paper evaluates the short-term impact of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Development Program (EMDP), a large-scale school-based intervention implemented in government schools in Andhra Pradesh. Using a randomised control trial, the study finds that the programme strengthened students’ confidence, decision-making, financial literacy, and career aspirations, while also improving English and Math learning outcomes. The impact was particularly strong for girls, with evidence of increased agency, improved gender attitudes, and stronger entrepreneurial skills. The findings highlight the potential of low-cost, scalable entrepreneurship education to support youth employment, gender equity, and future economic participation in India.

This report summarises key learnings from Reap Benefit’s work in FY22, using data from student feedback, skills assessments, and civic action tracking across programmes. The findings show a clear link between student-led civic action and the development of 21st-century skills such as problem-solving, communication, leadership, grit, critical thinking, and empathy. The report highlights improved student engagement, strong mentorship outcomes, and higher rates of civic action in programmes with deeper mentor involvement. It also documents operational learnings related to skill measurement, programme design, and participant retention, offering insights to strengthen youth-led civic and environmental initiatives.

This research paper examines how ward committees function as a unit of local governance in Bengaluru, based on a study of 22 ward committee meetings conducted between July and October 2019. The study analyses the types of civic issues discussed, citizen participation, meeting processes, and the effectiveness of ward committees in addressing local problems. It identifies key gaps such as irregular meetings, lack of standard procedures, limited access to data, and unclear accountability. The report offers practical recommendations to strengthen ward committees through better planning, transparency, citizen engagement, and data-driven decision-making, highlighting their potential to improve decentralised urban governance.