01 / OBSERVE
Look beyond first impressions
Explore the village, notice everyday systems and resources, and examine the assumptions we bring into unfamiliar contexts.
A Tale of Humankind initiative
Community Leadership Bootcamp
Discover communities. Understand change. Develop agency. A six-day immersive experience for young people to learn with communities, explore local realities and understand what responsible leadership looks like in practice.
Explore the application ↗A learning experience rooted in listening, collaboration and shared understanding.
Residential programme · Six days₹35,000 · Need-based scholarships available
About the programme
Leadership begins when we learn to see the world through the experiences of others.
Move beyond learning about change. Learn how change happens.
Community Leadership Bootcamp (CLB) is a six-day residential programme by Tale of Humankind for students in Grades 9-12. Set in Jahota, Rajasthan, it invites participants to engage with the everyday realities, strengths, aspirations and challenges of a community.
Through observation, conversations, collaborative exploration and reflection, participants will develop a more grounded understanding of community life and the many dimensions of change. They will learn to question assumptions, listen to different perspectives and explore possibilities alongside local people.
CLB is not a rural tourism experience or a conventional volunteering trip. It is an opportunity to learn with communities, approach local contexts with humility and develop the judgement and agency needed to contribute responsibly.
The CLB experience
Six days of learning through the real world.
The programme combines field-based learning, facilitated conversations, collaborative work and reflection. The emphasis is not on arriving with ready-made answers, but on learning how to ask better questions and work with others.
02 / UNDERSTAND
See how change takes shape
Explore local initiatives, institutions and forms of leadership to understand how people organise and create change.
03 / LISTEN
Make space for perspectives
Engage in conversations, listen to varied experiences and develop a more nuanced understanding of local priorities.
04 / CO-CREATE
Imagine possibilities together
Work with local collaborators to explore ideas that respond to what has been heard and understood.
05 / TEST
Learn by trying and improving
Explore small, supervised ways to test ideas, seek feedback and learn from what works and what does not.
06 / REFLECT
Carry learning forward
Share learning, reflect on responsibility and identify meaningful next steps beyond the programme.
The six-day journey
A progression from understanding to responsible action.
Each day builds on the previous one. The precise activities and community engagements will be shaped with local collaborators and the realities of the context.
Day 01 · Arrive & connect
Getting to know the place
Settle into Jahota, explore the village, meet people and begin noticing the strengths, relationships and assumptions that shape how we see a community.
Day 02 · Understand change
People, institutions and initiatives
Explore how local leadership and collective initiatives work, and map the actors and institutions that contribute to community life.
Day 03 · Listen deeply
Learning from lived experiences
Practise listening and inquiry through community conversations. Bring different perspectives together to frame areas for further exploration.
Day 04 · Create together
From insight to possibility
Work collaboratively with local perspectives to develop ideas, make simple prototypes and plan how they might be explored.
Day 05 · Test & improve
Feedback, iteration and learning
Where appropriate and agreed with local collaborators, test ideas on a small scale, gather feedback and reflect on what needs to change.
Day 06 · Share & reflect
Learning that travels forward
Share the journey, reflect on learning and responsibilities, and identify personal next steps that participants can carry beyond Jahota.
The learning setting
Why Jahota?
Jahota is not simply the location of CLB. It is the setting in which the learning unfolds. Being present in a community creates opportunities to notice the relationships, institutions, everyday decisions and collective efforts that are often invisible from a distance.
Participants will be encouraged to approach the place with curiosity and respect, recognising that communities are not problems to be solved. They are made up of people with knowledge, agency, aspirations and existing ways of shaping their futures.
01Learn with, not just about.
Treat local knowledge and lived experience as essential to the learning process.
Treat local knowledge and lived experience as essential to the learning process.
02Begin by listening.
Let local realities and perspectives shape the questions we explore.
Let local realities and perspectives shape the questions we explore.
03Act with responsibility.
Value collaboration, consent, feedback and continuity over quick fixes.
Value collaboration, consent, feedback and continuity over quick fixes.
Who can apply?
For curious young people ready to engage with the world.
CLB is designed for students who want to understand people, places and the processes through which communities shape change.
01 / SCHOOL LEVEL
Grades 9-12
Students currently studying in Grades 9, 10, 11 or 12 are eligible to apply.
02 / APPLICATION
Apply individually
Applications are open to eligible students. You do not need to apply through a school or as part of a group.
03 / MINDSET
Curiosity matters
You do not need a project idea or prior experience. Openness to learning, listening and working with others is important.
Programme fee & scholarships
Everything you need for the six-day residential experience.
Programme fee
₹35,000
Need-based scholarships are available for applicants who require financial support. Scholarship requests will be considered as part of the application process.
Apply for CLB ↗Included in the programme fee
- Six-day residential programme in Jahota
- Accommodation for the programme duration
- Meals during the programme
- Local transportation during the programme
- Bus transfers between Jaipur and Jahota
Travel from your home city or state to Jaipur and back is not included and must be arranged independently by participants.
Dates2-7 January 2027
LocationJahota, Rajasthan
ParticipantsMaximum 50
FormatResidential · 6 days
Applications
Take the first step.
Applications are open to eligible students through the CLB application website. Review the programme details and submit your application online.
Explore the programme
Read about the learning experience, eligibility, dates, fee and scholarship availability.
Complete your application
Visit the application portal and provide the information requested in the form.
Hear from the team
The programme team will communicate the next steps and relevant details using the contact information you provide.
Frequently asked questions
Good to know.
Who is eligible to apply?
Students currently studying in Grades 9-12 are eligible. Applications are open to individuals and are not restricted to school-nominated groups.
Where will the programme take place?
The programme will take place in Jahota village, Rajasthan.
What does the programme fee cover?
The ₹35,000 fee includes the residential programme, accommodation, meals, local transportation and bus transfers between Jaipur and Jahota.
Is travel to Jaipur included?
No. Travel from a participant's home city or state to Jaipur and the return journey are not included. Participants must arrange these independently.
Are scholarships available?
Yes. Need-based scholarships are available. Applicants can indicate their need for financial support through the application process.
Do I need to come with a project idea?
No. CLB begins with observation, listening and understanding. Participants will explore possibilities through the programme rather than arrive with predetermined solutions.
How many participants will be selected?
The cohort will have a maximum of 50 participants.