Raising Her Voice: India

DARBHANGHA, BIHAR, INDIA-NOVEMBER 14, 2017: Eighth grade students in a mathematics class at Middle School Keoti Balak. Teachers at the school deliver CorStone's Youth First program, an integrated emotional resilience and health curriculum for grades 6 to 8. Youth First is a unique intervention that helps children build their resiliency, improve self-efficacy, and develop social-emotional intelligence; this work prepares them for additional programs in adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Research indicates that students in the Youth First program have higher levels of social, emotional, educational, and mental well-being. Teachers report better and more friendly relationship with students, students ask more questions during academic classes, and share their problems with teachers more frequently. Girls especially show increased motivation and focus on academics, which is critical for marginalized populations. (Paula Bronstein/ The Verbatim Agency/Getty Images)