I’m Rashmi Nair, a 14-year-old student of Pathways School, Noida, from India. I was a Youth Ambassador during Cohort 2, 2024, and have been a Youth Committee member for the past 2 cohorts (Cohort 1, 2025, and Cohort 2, 2025). Throughout these cohorts, one thing that I always looked forward to was the breakout rooms, which were small groups of 3 to 5 members. Through the breakout rooms, I’ve had the chance to not only learn more about the incredible projects that Youth Ambassadors are working on, but also discover how we can uplift each other through a shared purpose. It allowed the YAP to become a truly global community that nurtures growth and ideation.
In a world where young voices are increasingly important, such discussions are very much relevant to changing the world for the better and making it a better place to live in.
Breakout rooms are a standard feature in almost every major video conferencing app, including Zoom and Microsoft Teams. They mimic in-person group discussions; if a meeting were a class, a breakout room would be a small group huddle, where everyone gets a chance to pitch in, share their thoughts, and connect on a personal level. Here, during the Youth Ambassador Program’s drop-ins, large meetings of around 35 to 40 participants are divided into around 7 to 8 breakout rooms, where each breakout room has 3 to 5 participants.
In the large room, not everyone can get a chance to speak up due to time constraints, and the discussions are rather formal. On the other hand, breakout rooms give way for everyone to share their ideas and projects, and for conversations to delve into semi-related tangents. The small number of participants allows for more personal discussions, such as about hobbies and our daily lives, giving us a chance to bond over common interests and passions. Not only do they allow us to become friends, but breakout rooms give us the chance to become collaborators. The small groups allow every participant to share their experiences and their current projects, as well as recruit more volunteers, boosting their networking skills and the success of their projects.
This proves that small, genuine conversations can spark youth-led action.
In one of the breakout rooms that I was a part of, a Youth Ambassador shared their project, which aimed to educate Afghan girls online, and was able to garner mass support from fellow participants. Accompanied by posts on our Discord server, she was able to gain multiple tutors that were interested in tutoring in a variety of subjects, ranging from English to the Sciences. In other breakout rooms, Youth Ambassadors highlighted open roles in their social impact projects and found people to fill in these roles. For example, a Youth Ambassador wanted someone to help out with designing a website for their project, and a fellow YA pitched in with the necessary help. This has greatly fostered a collaborative spirit, helping us achieve one of the goals of the program.
As a Youth Committee member, I strive to drive such conversations. One of the numerous tasks as a YC member is to ensure equal participation and foster a growth mindset in breakout rooms. To see projects develop from ideas to initiatives fills me with immense joy, knowing that I was a part of these conversations. Such discussions are crucial to ensuring the success of the SDGs, as they allow for projects to be fruitful.
Beginning discussions with pleasantries about one’s day or school life helps create a casual environment where YAs can think out loud without restrictions, and blurs the line between an interaction between 2 new friends to an interaction between 2 collaborators. This proves that small, genuine conversations can spark youth-led action. In a world where young voices are increasingly important, such discussions are very much relevant to changing the world for the better and making it a better place to live in. This experience goes to show that collaborative apps, like Zoom, when used meaningfully, can bridge distances to connect like minds to think differently.
True progress begins with honest conversations. When we create space for them, we build bridges and move one step closer to a better world.
As young advocates working together to create a fairer world, our power doesn’t just lie in the impact of our projects, but also in our conversations. Breakout rooms have shown me that there is active potential deep within every person behind the screen. Digital spaces have always been key to transforming thoughts into actions, whether it’s a brainstorming session or a casual conversation. True progress begins with honest conversations. When we create space for them, we build bridges and move one step closer to a better world.
Want to join the next Youth Ambassador Programme? Keep your eyes out for the next round of applications opening December 18th, 2025.
