Students didn't learn about the world. They built systems to change it.
In just a few weeks, Kruu Scholars moved from observation to execution — designing AI systems, sustainability solutions, and real-world interventions with the depth of early-stage professionals.
The Kruu Experiential Scholars Program exists to change that. Over three weeks, students from six schools worked on real-world problems using research-driven methods, guided by practitioners who've spent decades doing this work professionally.
No grades. No prizes. No syllabus to memorise. Just the discipline of actual thinking — framing questions, weighing evidence, building something real.
Students don't need more instruction.
They need real problems.
Domains of Work
Scholars did not work on isolated assignments.
They operated across real-world domains — combining research, systems thinking, and execution.
Students designed intelligent systems that respond to real-world inefficiencies — from energy optimisation to predictive modelling.
Students explored large-scale societal challenges, building solutions grounded in behaviour, data, and feasibility.
Students studied how information, identity, and culture evolve — creating structured approaches to preservation and storytelling.
This is not a program about potential.
This is proof.
Who They Learned From
Scholars worked closely with practitioners, not just instructors — learning how real-world problems are approached, structured, and solved.
Sriram Raghavan
VP, IBM Research – Artificial Intelligence Chair, MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab
AI Track
Dr. Anita R. Ratnam
Founder, Arangham Trust & Narthaki.com Dancer, Choreographer, Cultural Practitioner
Heritage Track
Dr. Anil Srinivasan
Founder, Kruu · Professor of Practice Fellow, The Aspen Institute
Business Track
Dr. Akhila Ramnarayan
Visiting Professor of Practice, Literature & Arts Krea University
Research Thinking
Dr. Anannya Dasgupta
Director, Centre for Writing & Pedagogy Associate Professor, Krea University
Research WritingWhat They Built
Every project began with observation and ended with structured thinking.
These are not ideas. These are systems designed with intent, constraints, and real-world relevance.
Every scholar. Every project. Every internship.
All 10 Heartfulness scholars completed their projects and secured industry internships with Excelerate — the first school in the cohort to achieve 100% placement.
Inside the Cohort
Moments from a program where students moved beyond passive learning
into active creation, collaboration, and exploration.
What Changed
High confidence in research, problem-solving, and execution. Not interest — direction.
Ability to translate ideas into structured systems — demonstrated through full placement.
Readiness for college-level thinking and beyond. The highest project count of any school.
Not started. Not submitted. Completed — with stakeholder validation and structured thinking.
Actual practitioner time, per student, over three weeks. Not recorded lectures.
AI & Systems Thinking. Social Impact. Digital & Cultural Systems. Each with a real-world brief.
In Their Words
I stopped thinking about marks. I started thinking about systems.
Scholar
Grade 9
For the first time, I felt like I was building something real.
Scholar
Grade 11
The moment I realised the problem wasn't the canteen — it was the scheduling — everything changed. I had to go back to the beginning. That was the best part of the whole program.
Arnav Nair
Plate Saver · Don Bosco IS
I kept waiting for someone to tell me what to do. They never did. By week two I realised that was the whole point. By week three, I didn't need to wait anymore.
Scholar, Singhania IBDP
Change Makers
My mentor didn't just tell me I was wrong. He showed me exactly why my assumptions didn't hold. That's a different kind of learning.
Scholar, DPS Navi Mumbai
AI & Systems Thinking
I submitted the project and thought — I could actually build this. Not someday. Now. I know what the next steps are. I didn't feel that way about anything before this.
Scholar, Hiranandani Foundation School
Social Impact
This experience gave me great exposure to real world problem solving and pushed me to think more creatively about how business ideas can create actual social impact.
Vaishnavi Edara
It was informative and I got to research about how AI solutions can be implemented in everyday life
Shrishti Venkat Srinivasan
I really liked how this project made us apply AI to a real-life problem instead of just learning theory. It helped me understand how data and decision-making systems actually work in practical situations. I also liked the freedom in designing our own solution and presentation.
Sanjay Bharath
It improved my research and analysis skills.
Karen Borges
I stopped thinking about marks. I started thinking about systems.
Scholar
Grade 9
For the first time, I felt like I was building something real.
Scholar
Grade 11
The moment I realised the problem wasn't the canteen — it was the scheduling — everything changed. I had to go back to the beginning. That was the best part of the whole program.
Arnav Nair
Plate Saver · Don Bosco IS
I kept waiting for someone to tell me what to do. They never did. By week two I realised that was the whole point. By week three, I didn't need to wait anymore.
Scholar, Singhania IBDP
Change Makers
My mentor didn't just tell me I was wrong. He showed me exactly why my assumptions didn't hold. That's a different kind of learning.
Scholar, DPS Navi Mumbai
AI & Systems Thinking
I submitted the project and thought — I could actually build this. Not someday. Now. I know what the next steps are. I didn't feel that way about anything before this.
Scholar, Hiranandani Foundation School
Social Impact
This experience gave me great exposure to real world problem solving and pushed me to think more creatively about how business ideas can create actual social impact.
Vaishnavi Edara
It was informative and I got to research about how AI solutions can be implemented in everyday life
Shrishti Venkat Srinivasan
I really liked how this project made us apply AI to a real-life problem instead of just learning theory. It helped me understand how data and decision-making systems actually work in practical situations. I also liked the freedom in designing our own solution and presentation.
Sanjay Bharath
It improved my research and analysis skills.
Karen Borges
I found the meetings useful as it gave me informative and real insights into the world of AI which otherwise I was using so callously. It has helped me understand the importance of AI in the current and future scenarios. I am also able to research better now.
Svastika Sridhar
The project was quite great. Helped to focus on real world products.
Nivaan Kotian
I liked the entire engaging video mentor sessions.
Om Gupta
I enjoyed how the project combined real-world observation with AI thinking. It made me look at everyday problems, like food waste in the canteen, from a systems perspective instead of blaming individuals. I also liked the structured steps because they guided me from identifying a problem all the way to building a full AI solution with ethics and impact analysis.
Megh Mehta
The project felt practical and relevant since it solved a real problem in our school. I enjoyed creating the visuals, like flowcharts and diagrams, and learning that similar AI systems already exist in real schools made it more believable.
Serah Borges
I liked how the program guided us step-by-step through identifying real community problems and creating practical business solutions. The survey design process helped me understand what people actually need. The business model canvas was useful for organizing all the different parts of the venture. Overall, the structure made it easier to turn a vague idea into a concrete plan.
Bhavya Balaji
I really enjoyed this experience as it enabled me to do something new, and engage with my community through this project.
Anushka Sharma
Overall, it was an amazing experience where I got to learn how to find sources, conduct interviews and sample data.
Kashvi Nayyar
I liked how the project guided us step by step from identifying a real problem to building a practical business solution. It helped me think about both social impact and revenue.
Shivam Shinde
I liked that this project felt realistic and connected to real world problems. I especially liked the “Sweet Spot” concept because it forced me to think beyond just having a cool idea and focus on impact, cost, and practicality. Overall, the experience taught me how applicable AI is in daily life.
Saee Sachin Patil
I found the meetings useful as it gave me informative and real insights into the world of AI which otherwise I was using so callously. It has helped me understand the importance of AI in the current and future scenarios. I am also able to research better now.
Svastika Sridhar
The project was quite great. Helped to focus on real world products.
Nivaan Kotian
I liked the entire engaging video mentor sessions.
Om Gupta
I enjoyed how the project combined real-world observation with AI thinking. It made me look at everyday problems, like food waste in the canteen, from a systems perspective instead of blaming individuals. I also liked the structured steps because they guided me from identifying a problem all the way to building a full AI solution with ethics and impact analysis.
Megh Mehta
The project felt practical and relevant since it solved a real problem in our school. I enjoyed creating the visuals, like flowcharts and diagrams, and learning that similar AI systems already exist in real schools made it more believable.
Serah Borges
I liked how the program guided us step-by-step through identifying real community problems and creating practical business solutions. The survey design process helped me understand what people actually need. The business model canvas was useful for organizing all the different parts of the venture. Overall, the structure made it easier to turn a vague idea into a concrete plan.
Bhavya Balaji
I really enjoyed this experience as it enabled me to do something new, and engage with my community through this project.
Anushka Sharma
Overall, it was an amazing experience where I got to learn how to find sources, conduct interviews and sample data.
Kashvi Nayyar
I liked how the project guided us step by step from identifying a real problem to building a practical business solution. It helped me think about both social impact and revenue.
Shivam Shinde
I liked that this project felt realistic and connected to real world problems. I especially liked the “Sweet Spot” concept because it forced me to think beyond just having a cool idea and focus on impact, cost, and practicality. Overall, the experience taught me how applicable AI is in daily life.
Saee Sachin Patil
The project was very relatable, which made it extremely interesting and engaging. It helped me connect real-life systems with AI in a meaningful way.
Aanya Bhanushali
I really liked how the project allowed us to identify a real problem in our community and think creatively about solving it through a business model. It helped me understand how social impact and profitability can work together. The step-by-step structure also made it easier to organize thoughts from problem identification to building a full Business Model Canvas.
Ranbir Vij
I really liked how this project pushed me to observe real-life systems and think critically about where waste actually occurs, rather than jumping straight into using AI as a buzzword. The step-by-step structure helped me understand how data, decision-making, and ethical considerations come together in designing an AI solution.
Shaurya Sabarwal
It was a fun learning experience, I learnt a lot about things i didnt know of, it really improved my way of researching and brought out my creativity.
Shreeja Mukherjee
Doing the projects was definitely very fun to do. It is something that I would never learn at school, it will help me in the future for sure.
Hazel Jose
This project exposed me to proper research techniques and has enhanced my skills in real-life problem-solving. It has also expanded my vision on the term "research" and has provided me valuable experience in my goal to become an engineer.
Shreeum Srivastava
This proved to be an interesting opportunity and experience. I will definitely consider participating again the next time. I liked how there were detailed descriptions of everything that was asked of us, as it really helped me understand what was required where. Sincerely thank you!
Aakriti Sinha
I loved the process of learning and being able to apply concepts in a practical way.
Advika Sharma
Great experience
Kyathi Satish Shetty
It was a good experience.
Anantika Singh
The project was very relatable, which made it extremely interesting and engaging. It helped me connect real-life systems with AI in a meaningful way.
Aanya Bhanushali
I really liked how the project allowed us to identify a real problem in our community and think creatively about solving it through a business model. It helped me understand how social impact and profitability can work together. The step-by-step structure also made it easier to organize thoughts from problem identification to building a full Business Model Canvas.
Ranbir Vij
I really liked how this project pushed me to observe real-life systems and think critically about where waste actually occurs, rather than jumping straight into using AI as a buzzword. The step-by-step structure helped me understand how data, decision-making, and ethical considerations come together in designing an AI solution.
Shaurya Sabarwal
It was a fun learning experience, I learnt a lot about things i didnt know of, it really improved my way of researching and brought out my creativity.
Shreeja Mukherjee
Doing the projects was definitely very fun to do. It is something that I would never learn at school, it will help me in the future for sure.
Hazel Jose
This project exposed me to proper research techniques and has enhanced my skills in real-life problem-solving. It has also expanded my vision on the term "research" and has provided me valuable experience in my goal to become an engineer.
Shreeum Srivastava
This proved to be an interesting opportunity and experience. I will definitely consider participating again the next time. I liked how there were detailed descriptions of everything that was asked of us, as it really helped me understand what was required where. Sincerely thank you!
Aakriti Sinha
I loved the process of learning and being able to apply concepts in a practical way.
Advika Sharma
Great experience
Kyathi Satish Shetty
It was a good experience.
Anantika Singh
The experience was great. I learned a lot about real-world problem solving and research.
Pankhuri Singh
The project helped me dig deeper into my interests and understand concepts better.
Preeshita Agarwal
It was very informative and helped me understand how real-world solutions are developed.
Arushi Ganguly
This project gave me valuable exposure and improved my thinking and research skills.
Krithick ArthiRavi
To be honest, I loved the way this project is designed, it asks detailed questions about your problem statement and makes students scrutinise, examine their problem deeply.
Soumil Mandik
I liked that this project allowed me to think creatively and apply AI concepts to a real-world problem. It helped me understand how data can be used to improve the making of decisions and reduce waste. I also appreciated that we had flexibility in designing our own solution.
Anaya Jaiswal
I liked how the resources provided were user-friendly and easy to understand. The alternative approach—using guided worksheets instead of rigid, formal research papers—definitely helped a lot and made the process quite enjoyable. In my opinion, I particularly enjoyed completing the Phase 2 worksheet: Ideate. The daily teacher support was also very useful.
Kiarah Khedekar
I was really excited when I attended the first session and I was really intrigued and really looking forward to learning new things and solving local, national or global problems. I did the research project by my own personal experience so I have this emotional connection with the research project submission that I've done and I'm really grateful to the Kruu Scholars Program for giving me this opportunity. If it wasn't for this, I would've never avoided the problem that I faced (mentioned in Phase 3).
Praniti Deshmane
I liked how the project was supported through regular guidance, mentor sessions, and feedback opportunities, which helped clarify the direction at each stage. The structured checkpoints made the process manageable and encouraged steady improvement. Overall, the support system made the project clear, engaging, and well-organized.
Bela Punjabi
It was a great experience overall. Being able to start thinking about the community and learn how to properly ideate a business model is a very useful skill that this project helped me build. Research-based thinking is also a very important skill that I was able to build; I'm grateful to this program for that.
Megan Salian
The experience was great. I learned a lot about real-world problem solving and research.
Pankhuri Singh
The project helped me dig deeper into my interests and understand concepts better.
Preeshita Agarwal
It was very informative and helped me understand how real-world solutions are developed.
Arushi Ganguly
This project gave me valuable exposure and improved my thinking and research skills.
Krithick ArthiRavi
To be honest, I loved the way this project is designed, it asks detailed questions about your problem statement and makes students scrutinise, examine their problem deeply.
Soumil Mandik
I liked that this project allowed me to think creatively and apply AI concepts to a real-world problem. It helped me understand how data can be used to improve the making of decisions and reduce waste. I also appreciated that we had flexibility in designing our own solution.
Anaya Jaiswal
I liked how the resources provided were user-friendly and easy to understand. The alternative approach—using guided worksheets instead of rigid, formal research papers—definitely helped a lot and made the process quite enjoyable. In my opinion, I particularly enjoyed completing the Phase 2 worksheet: Ideate. The daily teacher support was also very useful.
Kiarah Khedekar
I was really excited when I attended the first session and I was really intrigued and really looking forward to learning new things and solving local, national or global problems. I did the research project by my own personal experience so I have this emotional connection with the research project submission that I've done and I'm really grateful to the Kruu Scholars Program for giving me this opportunity. If it wasn't for this, I would've never avoided the problem that I faced (mentioned in Phase 3).
Praniti Deshmane
I liked how the project was supported through regular guidance, mentor sessions, and feedback opportunities, which helped clarify the direction at each stage. The structured checkpoints made the process manageable and encouraged steady improvement. Overall, the support system made the project clear, engaging, and well-organized.
Bela Punjabi
It was a great experience overall. Being able to start thinking about the community and learn how to properly ideate a business model is a very useful skill that this project helped me build. Research-based thinking is also a very important skill that I was able to build; I'm grateful to this program for that.
Megan Salian
This is not where learning is going.
This is where it has already arrived.
This is not a program.
This is how students should learn.
Kruu Scholars is building a new standard for what high school education can look like.
"The rigor of what these students produced was not what I expected from high school. The thinking was serious. The problems were real. The work was done."