Connecting Across Continents: OneProsper’s Teens Teach English, Learn Empathy
Photo: Andria Xu (Left), Nandika Nambiar (Right)
India-West Staff Reporter
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Raju Agarwal’s first visit to a school in Rajasthan’s Thar Desert left a lasting impression. He saw students struggling to speak English and realized that access to quality education was a barrier to their future opportunities. Years later, conversations with students at a private school in San Francisco sparked an idea: why not create a program that connects teens across continents through online English lessons?
The result was OneProsper International’s English Learning Buddy Program, launched in 2020. What began with 20 student volunteers in San Francisco paired with 20 learners in India has grown to over 2,500 volunteers and an equal number of students in India. The program pairs “Buddies” — teenage volunteers — with girls from low-income families attending government schools, helping them practice English, build confidence, and gain exposure to new worlds beyond their own communities.
For many student volunteers, the experience has been transformative. Andria Xu, a sophomore at Homestead High School, described her sessions with a student in India as “an incredible experience. The student I was assigned to was very respectful, eager to learn, and fun to work with. Not only did I enjoy teaching her, but I also learned a lot from her. The fact that we came from drastically different backgrounds made it an extremely unique experience and broadened my perspective of the world.”
Pallavi Bomareddy, a junior at Basis Independent Silicon Valley, highlighted the cultural exchange as much as the language lessons. “I enjoyed how much I was able to interact with them in general and help them with their English pronunciation and reading comprehension,” she said. “I also liked how I was able to learn about their lives and their interests. I could tell that they were very engaged every week, and seeing that truly made this program a great experience for me.”
The program also gives teens a chance to reflect on larger issues of equity and gender. Sofia Jorgenson, a senior at Convent High School, explained, “Is education a human right? If yes, then how can we get quality education to girls in low-income areas? OneProsper does a great job of accomplishing this goal. I am honored to talk to girls from across the world in India and do my part to instill confidence in them and emphasize that no matter their gender, they deserve an education. It is a gift to read a book with them and see their progression in pronunciation and comprehension of the English language each session.”
Today, OneProsper operates entirely with volunteers, combining technology, mentorship, and cultural exchange to bridge education gaps between urban and rural communities in India. Beyond improving English skills, the program gives volunteers a window into lives very different from their own, fostering empathy, global awareness, and the knowledge that even a weekly lesson can make a world of difference.
