Mahira Jain, a 17-year-old from New Delhi, has received The Diana Award, the ultimate honor a young person may earn for social action or humanitarian initiatives.

The Diana Princess of Wales Award is given out by the Diana Princess of Wales Foundation, which has the backing of both her sons, The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex.

Mahira Jain – Her Story

Mahira founded ‘FunWagon,’ an academic enrichment company that serves youngsters aged 6 to 16. Their objective is to provide enjoyable, interactive excursions that enhance experiential learning while emphasizing non-STEM disciplines’ relevance through in-person and virtual tours. FunWagon has organized visits to the National Museum, the Lodhi art area, India Gate, and Gandhi Smriti for kids from all across India and the world. They’ve collaborated with various non-profits and schools, and they’ve worked with over 1500 children.

They make their excursions more engaging by organizing exciting activities such as monument-themed quizzes, bingo, taboo, and other games. They’ve also designed a 30-page original curriculum centered on India’s history, complete with fact sheets, activities, and quizzes for public use and dissemination.

Over 11 NGOs in India have adopted the FunWagon curriculum, including AAROHAN, My Perch, Udayan Care, and Lotus Petal Foundation. During the nationwide lockdown imposed in the summer of 2020 owing to the coronavirus outbreak, FunWagon relocated its activities online and held Zoom webinars where organizers took participants on virtual tours of the Lodhi Art District, the Mahabalipuram Temples, and the Amer Fort.

In addition, Mahira launched a Virtual Walkthroughs series on her YouTube channel, in which she introduced her viewers to the history, culture, and architecture of Delhi. The Lodhi Art District, the Lodhi Gardens, Humayun’s Tomb, Jama Masjid, and Chandni Chowk were all part of this series. Mahira has also received numerous honors for her community contribution, including the 2021 Pramerica Awards and the IIT (BHU) Varanasi Social Innovation Challenge. eShe’s ‘REINVENTION’ magazine, The Statesman e-newspaper, the official YEA India newsletter, the TimesNext Super 30, TimesWomen, and the FilmyLoop website have all featured FunWagon.

Funwagon

Mahira is the founder of CulturALL, an organization that increases cultural education access for children of all backgrounds. Her goal is to establish an extensive network of cultural educators and a site that showcases the complete spectrum of cultural education alternatives available in Delhi and the surrounding areas.

Through a series of panels, enriching activities, and educational tools, she hopes to improve exposure, education, and opportunity for children from varied backgrounds. CulturALL held its maiden Cultural Conference on December 21, 2019, at PHD Hall in New Delhi. The conference featured five panelists (theatre practitioners, motivational speakers, dancers, and the Director of CHETNA, an NGO) and over 80 attendees, including educators, NGO instructors, and school teachers. Mahira was the panel’s moderator.

Culturall

The Diana Award’s CEO, Tessy Ojo, says:

“We congratulate all of our new Diana Award recipients, who are changemakers for their generation, from the United Kingdom and around the world. We are confident that earning this award will encourage more young people to become involved in their communities and continue their journey as active citizens. The Diana Award has respected and invested in young people for more than two decades, encouraging them to continue to make positive changes in their communities and the lives of others.”

WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF NOMINATION?

Adults who know young people professionally and see their efforts as a constructive contribution to society nominated the award recipients. These nominators had to demonstrate the nominee’s effect in five critical areas: vision, social impact, inspiring others, youth leadership, and service journey, through a rigorous nomination procedure.

There are 12 Diana Award Judging Panels, one for each UK region or nation and three more for countries outside the United Kingdom. Each panel has three judges:

• One young person
• A specialist in education or youth work
• A business or government representative

The panels’ principal goal is to decide which nominations from each UK region, nation, or country will win The Diana Award.

The Criteria Guide and Scoring Guide, which were established to quantify the quality of adolescent social activity, are used to evaluate nominations.

Culturall inaugural

About The Diana Award

The Diana Prize fosters and encourages good change in young people’s lives through three core programs: a mentorship program for at-risk adolescents, a student-led anti-bullying ambassadors campaign, and The Diana Award, a prominent award that publicly celebrates young people.

Media spokesperson:

Tessy Ojo, Chief Executive, The Diana Award.  

Tessy is a committed and practical campaigner with a worldwide reputation for promoting good change in the lives of young people and the impact this has on the communities in which they reside. Young people are the best instigators for achieving real, sustainable change in their lives, their communities, and the lives of their peers, according to her work. With the proper support and investment, young people are:

• The best instigators for achieving objectives.
• Sustainable change in their lives.
• Their communities.
• The lives of their peers.

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