Shaping the Future: Research Findings and Alumni Milestones in Bihar

WorldBeing’s long-term vision is to make wellbeing a guaranteed component of government education systems. Two recent milestones in Bihar - a recently released study and the first-ever KGBV alumni convening - offer powerful evidence that this systems-change approach is working. We now have examples of evidence-based programs within the government school system, in addition to research showing that scalable teacher-led wellbeing programs can improve mental health and wellbeing, gender attitudes, and reduce substance use in adolescents in India’s government schools.
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A closer look at our impact  

Initial findings from an independently-conducted longitudinal randomized controlled trial of nearly 5,500 students shows that Youth First, a school-based wellbeing program, produced positive effects on students’ mental health, social wellbeing, self-efficacy, gender attitudes, substance use, and sense of empowerment. The study provides evidence for the effectiveness of school-based wellbeing programs as a scalable, cost-effective catalyst in support of global development goals.

These findings demonstrate that scalable, teacher-led wellbeing programming can directly advance core global priorities - gender equity, mental health, and substance use prevention - within public education systems. In addition, the study shows that we’re changing life trajectories, as many outcomes continued to improve even after students completed the program.  
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‍Here are a few highlights from the report:

• Reduced mental health problems: Youth First participants experienced a 72% greater reduction in symptoms of internalizing disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression) compared with students in control schools.  

• Improved health behaviors: Students in the Youth First program showed a four-fold reduction in smoking in the previous month compared to students in control schools.

• Reversed negative trends in gender empowerment: Students who participated in the program significantly improved their freedom of movement and voice in decision-making, while control students actually lost ground.

• Sustained impact: One year after program completion, Youth First students had greater improvement across a host of outcomes, including psychological and social wellbeing, self-efficacy and emotional resilience, mental health, empowerment, and substance use reduction versus control school students, with many outcomes intensifying over time.  

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‍We invite you to review the research summary for more information on our study results.

Read the full research summary

KGBV Alumni Meet in Bhojpur: A Historic Milestone

We are also excited to share a landmark achievement in advancing girls’ education and empowerment in Bihar. 

Together with the Education Department Bhojpur (under the Bihar Education Project Council), we recently hosted a meeting of alumni of the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) Udwantnagar in Bhojpur district.  

This event marked a significant milestone for WorldBeing’s Girls First program, which began in 2015, and has now been embedded into KGBVs in Bihar long enough for early cohorts to reach adulthood.  

For the first time, young women who once participated in Girls First returned not as beneficiaries, but as professionals, mentors, and leaders.  

More than 20 alumni who are now working professionals across diverse fields joined approximately 200 current KGBV students, along with wardens, teachers from across the district, and senior education officials. Through their reflections, testimonies, and mentorship, they offered tangible evidence of the program’s impact beyond secondary school.  

Two alums, one a practicing optometrist and aspiring PhD student, spoke on how the program impacted them personally, crediting Girls First for resilience-building. 

District Education Officer Mr. Manvendra Kumar Rai recognized the alumna present as “living proof of the importance of education in breaking adverse circumstances.” State Programme Officer Smt. Lalima (BEPC), Block Development Officer Mr. Karpuri Thakur, and Mr. Chandan Prabhakar (DPO, SSA) recognized the significance of the gathering and expressed support for similar events across districts. 

This event showed the long-term impact of integrating mental health and wellbeing education into school systems on students’ lives. As Shri Chandan Prabhakar noted, “When Bihar's daughters are given a platform, they don't just dream, they deliver.” 

Together, the research findings and the KGBV alumni gathering underscore what we have long believed: when wellbeing is embedded within public education systems, the results are measurable, sustainable, and generational. Bihar is a model for what becomes possible when government systems commit to building the full potential of young people.

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