(February 12, 2023) Had Delhi boy Vedant travelled to Dubai last month to receive his award as the top 100 child prodigies of 2022, it would have been his maiden foreign trip, accomplished on his own mettle. However, the class 10 student chose to stay back to take his exams.
The teenager has been turning heads with his initiative – ‘Less Boring-ify Trees’ to help youngsters understand trees better and help save them in the long run. “It’s not any random project, it’s a startup that has emerged from my mission,” says Vedant as he connects with Global Indian.
Vedant Kumar
The St Columba’s School student has already found recognition for his work – he was selected as one of the top 100 prodigies of 2022 and won the Indian Achiever’s Award 2023. Startup incubator Xtartup has also given a credit grant of $19,000,000 to Less Boring-ify Trees. With the credits earned, Vedant can make use of a bouquet of facilities for his startup like getting 20 years of free website hosting and more.
The multi-talented teenager excels in more fields than one. In the last six months, he has won close to eleven lakh worth of scholarships from institutions like Immerse Foundation, HPAIR and Big Red Group for displaying extraordinary skills in essay writing, debating and in an all-India aptitude test.
Working with purpose
“As children, we are expected to learn about nature through rote learning and on top of that that we are expected to give exams on such boring topics. As the exams get over, we forget what we have studied,” remarks Vedant, adding, “I have tried to address this problem and help children understand the value of trees in a more engaging manner.”
He has designed a product which comes with a negligible cost. Using the QR code on the product, youngsters are directed, through their devices, to the profile of the tree they have picked. “We have come up with easy to grasp, engaging content comprising videos, emojis and GIFs, so that children learn about trees in a fun way, quite unlike the books,” he explains. So far, Vedant and his team have worked on profiles of 100 trees, creating content that is fun, easy to understand, interactive and engaging. “Information presented in books is often boring to kids and they tend to lose interest,” he says. The idea is to encourage learning through natural curiosity instead of compulsion.
With a team of brand ambassadors from places like Egypt, Ghana, USA, and UK, Less Boring-ify Trees has been trying to reach kids far and wide. “We want children to develop an interest in nature right from the beginning and have been trying to build partnership with schools to help in our cause,” says Vedant.
Spreading his wings
“We are a team of 50 volunteers,” the teen explains. “There are ten members on the core team and 40 brand ambassadors in India and abroad.” In a bid to increase the organisation’s reach, the team conducted a brand ambassadors’ drive and has already received applications from around 500 young people from around the world.
Apart from Less Boring-ify Trees, Vedant has been spreading awareness through blogs and newsletters.
“This effort is important because it will help youngsters gradually develop potential to come up with innovations down the line to save trees,” he asserts.
Making a mark
Apart from the startup, the multifaceted teen has shown his mettle in several other fields. He has played badminton at a zonal level, and spends time in working for other causes. “I have been associated with Girlswing Foundation, a registered NGO based in Ghana that helps young women discover their career potential,” he tells.
Vedant with Young Entrepreneur Award 2023
He’s a guitarist and author, too, with a book, Life of Lilies already to his credit. His poems have also been made part of three anthologies. And he finds time to be part of the youth wing of World Economic Forum’s India chapter, assisting them in their goal to raise awareness about AI.
Unlike his doctor parents, the teenager wants to be an entrepreneur and hopes to study in an Ivy League college. “Students of such colleges are amazing and when you’re in the presence of such company, you become amazing yourself,” smiles Vedant. His accomplishments aren’t lacking either – Vedant has been invited to radio shows and podcasts to talk about his work.
Vedant’s next step to accelerate his mission is already set. He wants to spread his reach and impact through the gaming sector, using a gamified approach to learning and better reach out to Gen Z and Gen Alpha. The youngster has been associated with Dublieu, an initiative to help school students find opportunities of competitions, update on MUN activities, internships, fellowships and more.
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