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Lasse Leponiemi

Chairman, The HundrED Foundation
first.last@hundred.org

SkillARC

place India + 1 more

Helping underprivileged children navigate through life's challenges with confidence.

SkillARC bridges the gap between education and real life for underprivileged youth. Schools teach subjects, but not essential life skills. SkillARC delivers practical, age-appropriate training in confidence, decision-making, communication, and resilience, empowering young people to navigate challenges, unlock their potential, and build a stronger, self-reliant future.

Overview

Information on this page is provided by the innovator and has not been evaluated by HundrED.

Updated January 2026
Web presence

1

Countries
Students lower
Target group
Through SkillARC, I hope education shifts from marks to meaning. A system where students are taught how to feel, fail, speak, and heal not just memorize. I want classrooms that nurture confidence, emotional strength, and self-belief, especially for underprivileged children, so education creates strong humans, not just successful report cards.

About the innovation

Why did you create this innovation?

I created SkillARC because I witnessed a silence that hurt louder than failure, a silence carried by students who appear “fine” on paper but are breaking inside. Schools teach them how to score marks, but not how to handle pressure, fear, rejection, or self-doubt, especially for children who already carry the weight of limited resources and expectations.
The moment that truly shaped SkillARC was meeting a young girl who suddenly started crying during a simple conversation. There was no exam, no scolding just emotions she had been holding in for years. She wasn’t weak or incapable; she was overwhelmed. She told me no one had ever taught her how to deal with stress, how to believe in herself, or how to understand her emotions. That moment stayed with me. It revealed how many children are silently drowning while being told to “be strong.”
Through my experiences, I saw that talent exists everywhere, but guidance does not. Life skills—confidence, communication, emotional strength, and decision-making have become a privilege instead of a right. Without them, even the brightest potential remains locked away.

SkillARC was born from that pain and that promise to ensure no child feels alone in their struggles. It exists to give underprivileged youth not just skills, but a voice, belief, and direction. Because education should not only create students who pass exams, but individuals who know how to stand, heal, and move forward in life.

What does your innovation look like in practice?

In practice, SkillARC works directly with underprivileged students through interactive, safe, and human-centered learning spaces. It looks like small group sessions where students are encouraged to speak, reflect, and participate not just listen. Instead of lectures, SkillARC uses conversations, real-life scenarios, activities, storytelling, and guided reflection to teach essential life skills.

Sessions focus on confidence-building, emotional awareness, communication, decision-making, leadership, and resilience. Students learn how to express their thoughts, say no without guilt, handle failure, manage pressure, and believe in their own worth. Each session is age-appropriate, culturally sensitive, and rooted in real challenges students face at home, in school, and within themselves.

SkillARC also emphasizes mentorship and trust. Facilitators don’t act as teachers above students, but as guides beside them creating an environment where students feel seen, heard, and safe. Over time, this leads to visible change: quieter students start speaking up, anxious students gain confidence, and unsure students begin imagining possibilities for their future.

Beyond sessions, SkillARC looks like consistency, follow-up, and community impact slowly building a generation that is not just educated, but emotionally strong, self-aware, and prepared for life.

How has it been spreading?

SkillARC has been spreading through people, not promotion. It began with small, on-ground sessions and conversations where students experienced real change and carried it forward through their confidence, behaviour, and voices. Teachers, parents, and peers noticed these shifts students speaking up, handling challenges better, and believing in themselves and the impact began to travel organically.

Alongside this, social media has played a powerful role in amplifying the mission. SkillARC uses digital platforms to share real stories, reflections, student voices, and honest conversations around life skills and emotional well-being. This content resonates with young people, educators, and communities who see their own realities reflected, helping the message reach beyond physical classrooms.

As awareness grew, schools, educators, and youth groups began reaching out, allowing SkillARC to expand into more communities. At its core, SkillARC spreads through trust and relatability each student who feels heard becomes a messenger of the mission, helping the innovation grow authentically, both on-ground and online.

How have you modified or added to your innovation?

SkillARC has continuously evolved by listening closely to the students it serves. What began as basic life-skills conversations has grown into a more structured, responsive, and impact-driven model. Based on real classroom experiences, student feedback, and emotional needs observed on ground, the content has been refined to be more age-specific, interactive, and trauma-sensitive.
New elements such as storytelling, reflection circles, scenario-based activities, and confidence-building exercises were added after noticing that students learn best when they feel safe and involved. Emotional literacy and self-belief were strengthened as core pillars after repeatedly seeing students struggle with fear, self-doubt, and unexpressed emotions.
SkillARC also expanded beyond physical sessions by integrating social media as an extension of learning—sharing short reflections, relatable prompts, and conversations that allow students to feel supported even outside the classroom. Mentorship and follow-up were added to ensure continuity, not just one-time impact.
Each modification has been guided by one principle: real needs over rigid models. SkillARC continues to adapt, grow, and deepen its impact by evolving with the voices and realities of the young people it exists for.

If I want to try it, what should I do?

If you want to try SkillARC, the first step is simply to start with intention and empathy. Begin by creating a safe space whether in a classroom, community center, or small group where young people feel heard, not judged. SkillARC works best when conversations come before content.

Engage students through simple discussions, real-life scenarios, and questions that encourage reflection rather than right or wrong answers. Focus on core life skills like self-belief, emotional awareness, communication, and decision-making. Listen more than you speak, and allow students to share at their own pace.

You can also connect with SkillARC through its social media platforms to understand its approach, content style, and values. For deeper involvement, collaborate with schools, youth groups, or mentors who believe in holistic education and want to bring life skills into learning spaces.

Most importantly, approach it with consistency and care. SkillARC is not about one session it’s about showing up, building trust, and walking alongside young people as they grow.

Implementation steps

Create a safe space
Begin by setting an environment where students feel respected, heard, and free from judgement. Trust comes before teaching.
Start with conversation, not content
Open with simple, relatable questions about daily life, emotions, or challenges instead of formal lessons.
Introduce one life skill at a time
Focus on a single skill confidence, communication, emotional awareness, or decision-making using real-life examples.
Use interactive methods
Engage students through stories, role-play, reflection circles, activities, or scenario-based discussions.
Encourage expression, never force it
Allow students to share at their own pace. Listening is as important as speaking.
Reflect and connect
End sessions with short reflections, helping students connect the skill to their own lives.
Follow up and be consistent
Revisit conversations, check in with students, and build continuity. SkillARC grows through regular engagement and trust.

Spread of the innovation

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