In his famous 2007 “Last Lecture”, Randy Pausch spoke about the importance of creating a platform where childhood dreams can take flight. That platform, he reminded us, is not merely a physical place. It is a mindset built on encouragement, perseverance and the belief that every child has possibilities waiting to be discovered.
I have often felt that this was at the heart of Project Why.
At one time, I had even suggested the byline “Where Children Dare to Dream”. The final choice was “Because It Makes a Little Difference”, a phrase I have always loved. Yet somewhere deep within me, Project Why was always about dreams—about giving children the courage and the opportunity to imagine a future beyond the limitations imposed by poverty and circumstance.
One of my favourite authors, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, wrote in Flight to Arras: “A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.”
When I first imagined Project Why, I saw only a rock pile. But within that rock pile I carried the image of a cathedral: the dreams of children waiting to be fulfilled. Project Why became the platform that Randy Pausch described—the place where children could begin to believe that their dreams were possible.
The early years of Project Why were simpler. The dreams were clearer, the path ahead easier to understand, and the world seemed more predictable.
Today, everything feels different.
We are living through a time of extraordinary change. Artificial intelligence is already transforming the way we work and the skills we value. Many of the jobs that we know today may look very different tomorrow. The professions that parents once considered secure may no longer offer the same guarantees.
So how does one dream in such uncertain times?
There is no crystal ball to look into, no fixed roadmap to follow. The dreams that parents have carried for their children for generations may need to be reimagined. Yet, in the midst of all this uncertainty, there are millions of children who cannot afford to wait for the future to reveal itself.
They need guidance today.
They need opportunities today.
They need someone to help them understand the possibilities that lie ahead and to prepare them for a world that is changing faster than anyone imagined.
I know this personally. For over four decades, I worked as a language interpreter and translator—a profession that once required specialised skills and experience. Today, artificial intelligence tools can perform many aspects of that work within seconds. The world has changed, and it will continue to change.
Many believe that entrepreneurship will continue to thrive in this changing world. New models of education are already emerging, using technology and artificial intelligence to personalise learning and develop skills beyond traditional academics. Some of these ideas are exciting, although many remain far beyond the reach of the children we work with.
But the question remains: how do we prepare our children for a future we cannot fully predict?
At Project Why, we began by focusing on what we knew would always matter. A strong foundation in language, especially English, and confidence with computers are essential tools in today’s world. We have therefore started introducing these skills from the earliest classes.
India has one enormous advantage—the energy and potential of its young population. In the coming years, millions of young Indians will enter the workforce while many developed countries face ageing populations. The ability to communicate, learn continuously and adapt will become among the greatest assets a young person can possess.
Yet skills alone are not enough.
The future will still need people who can care, create, connect and understand. Many professions will continue to depend on qualities that machines cannot easily replace: empathy, human relationships, responsibility, creativity and the ability to solve problems in the real world.
Nurses, therapists, caregivers, teachers of young children, counsellors, social workers, creative professionals and many others will continue to play an essential role. The future will not belong only to those who know the most; it will also belong to those who understand what it means to be human.
So where is my cathedral?
It lies in the dreams of the children of Project Why—the dreams they dare to have, the dreams they discover and sometimes even the dreams they have not yet imagined.
My role today is not to decide their future for them. It is to give them the tools, confidence and courage to build it themselves. Sometimes that may mean helping them pursue a dream that seems impossible. Sometimes it may mean gently guiding them towards a different path when I fear their chosen road may lead nowhere.
But perhaps that is the true meaning of education. Not to give children a ready-made answer, but to help them discover their own possibilities.
When I first looked at that rock pile called Project Why, I could only imagine the cathedral I hoped to build. After all these years, I realise the cathedral was never a building, a centre or an organisation.
The cathedral was always the children themselves.
And my task remains the same: to help them dream, to help them believe, and to help them find their way in a world that none of us can fully predict.
I may not know exactly what tomorrow holds.
But I still believe in the power of dreams.