Student-volunteers in the spotlight

“Catalysts of Change” is an initiative by Chennai Volunteers to recognise and celebrate sterling efforts by college students and their institutions to make a difference through volunteering. The 2025 edition of this awards event is taking place on February 25 at Church Park on Anna Salai

“Catalysts of Change” is a platform that recognises college students who have volunteered with sincerity, compassion and commitment, impacting less privileged people, through Chennai Volunteers.

This event appreciates outstanding students and faculty from 13 colleges in Chennai, on February 24, 2025 (between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.) at the Sacred Heart Tamil Medium Girls School auditorium, on Church Park campus.

This youth service award was instituted in 2023 as a platform to inspire young student volunteers to become a better version of themselves and motivate many more students to start volunteering for causes, according to a communication from Chennai Volunteers.

It is hosted closer to the end of their annual term in college and is based on consistent and committed outreach or volunteering through the year. This year marks the third edition of this event.

The power of college students as a massive volunteering force stood out in bold relief on account of the pandemic. When the pandemic retreated, the systems it had augured in did not, immediately. Work from home continued.

The need for volunteering had snapped back to pre-pandemic levels. The field had opened up, but the “labourers” were scarce.

Rinku Mecheri, founder of Chennai Volunteers, notes that corporate volunteers were not available in the same numbers as before as they had marched off to their native towns and were continue to work remotely. It was the college students who stepped into the breach.