TEAM | Acres Foundation

Lighthouse Schools Visit to TGAA

April 2024

As a Google Reference School, we serve as a learning site and extend invitations to other schools to learn from our practices. Since 2022, we have transitioned into a 1:1 device school, leveraging technology to benefit our students. Our focus is on building digital literacy, accessing information effectively and responsibly, utilizing 21st-century tools for learning, and fostering active student engagement in the learning process.

Recognizing that several schools are currently undertaking a similar journey, we believe that sharing our practical learning and insights can help them be effective in their own paths. To facilitate this knowledge exchange, we welcomed eight educators from Lighthouse Learning to learn from our experiences with digital transformation. Among the schools affiliated with Lighthouse are EuroKids International, Kangaroo Kids International (pre-school), Mother’s Pet Kindergarten, EuroSchool, Billabong High International School, Centre Point School, Heritage Xperiential Learning School, Heritage International Xperiential School, and Heritage International Xperiential School.

A half-day outreach session was organized, led by our Vice-President of Professional Development at CenTEL, who also serves as an instructional leader at TGAA, Chembur. This session included classroom observations to witness implementation in action, as well as consultations with our academic and IT team leaders who shared their insights and answered questions.

The observers spent their time in primary classrooms to gain a better understanding of how routines were established to ensure the safekeeping of devices. Across primary and secondary classrooms, the visiting school team also studied the use of 1:1 device integration for the purpose of engaging students in assessments for learning through the use of Kahoot and Peardeck extensions found on Google Workspace. This helped them see how students receive real-time feedback on student mastery and empowers them to course-correct during the course of study. In higher secondary classrooms, the students showcased the use of devices for collaboration and student-led learning as well as the responsible use of ChatGPT. They experienced students delivering instructional presentations and participating in Model United Nations, which required the students to conduct extensive guided research with their peers. Each of the classroom observations was followed by a detailed debrief around structures that led to successful use, teacher training that empowered the educators, and a culture of continuous improvement in the use of technology to elevate student learning.

Overall, it was a very positive exchange of learning and ideas!

Session on Educational Leadership by The Green Acres Academy and The Acres Foundation

Oct 2023

The Green Acres Academy and The Acres Foundation held a session on Educational Leadership for B.Ed College Students from Pillai Chembur College of Education and Research.

The Acres Foundation’s long-term vision is to inspire educational transformation in India and so the team was glad to support this initiative. The goal was to share important theoretical knowledge from experts and practical knowledge from experience with the next generation of teachers and teacher leaders in education.

Siamack Zahedi, our Director of Education and Research shared key leadership ideas from our schools in an interactive session. They discussed the essential qualities that educational leaders need and how schools might structure this leadership.

Surendranath Chidambaranath

General Manager (Administration)

MBA (Finance & Business Analysis), Liverpool Business School, UK
M.Com., Mumbai University
B.Com. (Accounts & Finance), Mumbai University

Surendranath has over 9 years of experience in business research and management consulting. He has an MBA in Finance and Business analysis from Liverpool Business School and a Master’s Degree in Commerce from Mumbai University. Over the years, he has worked on projects across diverse sectors such as education, engineering, financial services, automotive, chemical, packaging, and IT. Prior to joining ANPG, he worked as a Senior Consultant with Aranca – a Global Research and Analytics Firm where he conducted business research and provided strategic recommendations to clients in the Middle East, the US, Europe, and Asia. He joined APNG in 2017 and is currently the Deputy General Manager of Administration at the Acres Foundation. In this capacity, he manages both the business development and operations related to setting up new schools and provides research-based analysis for key decision-making and strategy.

Dakshata Kadam

Head of Early Childhood, Teaching and Curriculum

BA (Psyc. & Ed.), Mumbai University
Dip. Montessori, AMI-Association Montessori Internationale
Cert. Early Childhood, Asian International College, Singapore

Dakshata embarked on her educational journey in 2007, starting as an English teacher in an Indian Education Society vernacular medium school.

She carries extensive experience in Early Childhood Education, encompassing teaching and curriculum development. She has served in both teaching and leadership roles at renowned Cambridge and IB schools, including JBCN International and Oberoi International School. In addition, she has worked in Montessori and Reggio-inspired schools during her international ventures in Singapore and Canada, where she dedicated over four years to exploring diverse educational cultures and systems. Dakshata has been a valued member of the Green Acres Academy team since 2019. She curates Early Childhood Curriculum and Teaching practices, conducts Professional Development for teachers and team members and conducts parent webinar on various topics. Daskhata pursued her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Education at Mumbai University, earned International Certificate in Education Preschool Teaching, from Asian International College, Singapore, and holds a diploma in Montessori education from AMI-Association Montessori Internationale.

Mehernaz Eshraghi

Hybrid Digital Curriculum Designer

M.Ed (Language and Literacy), Harvard University

Mehernaz has been engaged in the field of education since 2015 and spent the first 4 years of her career as a lead teacher and special educator at the Gateway School of Mumbai. During this time, she designed and implemented Individualized Educational Programs (IEPs), including academic and therapy programs by fostering active partnerships with parents, therapists and other teachers. Her role also included coaching homeroom teachers and supporting teacher professional development for English Language Arts. With this experience and a keen passion for Language Arts, Mehernaz pursued a Master’s in Education from Harvard University (USA), with a specialization in Language and Literacy. In addition to Literacy coaching and curriculum, Mehernaz is passionate about empowering children and youth to be agents of positive change within their communities. She volunteers to mentor them through purposefully organized community service learning projects that include identifying and facilitating change projects aimed at developing their powers of expression, capacities for moral reasoning, and the vision of service to others. Mehernaz currently serves as the Instructional Head at The Green Acres Academy, Mulund, which in her role includes leading professional development, coaching teachers and facilitating work towards a shared vision of impacting student learning. She also serves as an expert consultant on the Acres Foundation Literacy Team.

Smriti Parikh

Vice President – CenTEL, HOD – Social Science

M.Ed (Learning and Teaching), Harvard University

Smriti began her career in education in 2014 at Teach for India. For the first two years, she taught middle grade students at a public school in Mumbai. Simultaneously, she conceptualized and designed the Good to Great program, based on the book of the similar name by James Collins, and Skillful Teacher by Jon Saphier. The program was directed at professional development of high potential first year TFI Fellows. She then transitioned into the role of a coach and manager for two years. During this time, she coached higher secondary Fellows, led projects on curriculum design for English and Social Sciences, and trained incoming cohorts at the 6 week-long summer institute. Smriti is passionate about designing language learning experiences rooted in cultural contexts, which aim at developing essential academic and life skills. Her expertise is in creating rigorous and integrated academic programs for students which foster safe spaces and promote authentic engagement. She is also enthusiastic about teacher professional development and coaching, and works on generating opportunities for the same. Smriti completed her Master’s Degree in Learning & Teaching from Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2019. During her studies, she also acted as an intern at Making Caring Common, where she analysed qualitative data on school climate in order to produce school-based programs to develop empathy, kindness, and safety among the students. Smriti currently serves as the Head of Humanities and Literacy at the Acres Foundation Network.

Ashutosh Bhiwande

General Manager, Finance & Accounts

F.C.A,
M.Com., Mumbai University,
B.Com., Mumbai University

Ashutosh is a seasoned finance and accounting professional with over 10 years of experience in the industry. He has worked with prominent organisations like MTDC, PNB Bank, and Runwal Group. Currently, he serves as General Manager – Accounts and Finance, providing strategic financial guidance to senior management, managing budgets, and overseeing financial operations. Ashutosh’s financial management, reporting, and risk management expertise has been critical in driving profitability and ensuring financial health.

Shailesh Laxman Suvarna

Assistant General Manager, Operations & Administration

Bachelor of Hotel & Tourism Management, Mumbai University
MBA (Administration), Mumbai University

Shailesh is an experienced operations professional with five years in school operations and nine years in the hospitality industry. As an AGM for Operations and Administration, he oversees the organisation’s day-to-day operations and ensures efficient systems and protocols. In his previous roles in hospitality, he managed staff, maintained excellent customer relations, and ensured compliance with local regulations. In school operations, he focuses on managing resources, supervising staff, and developing protocols for student and faculty safety. Shailesh takes pride in working with a team of dedicated professionals committed to providing exceptional services to all stakeholders. When not at work, he enjoys playing cricket and going on bike rides to recharge.

Bonny Bhansali

Head of Education Operations

M.A. (History), Mumbai University
B. Ed., Mumbai University

Bonny serves as the Principal at The Green Acres Academy and Head of Academic Operations at AF. She holds a Master’s Degree in History and a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Mumbai University. She has over 18 years of teaching and leadership experience in CBSE and ICSE schools, including her work as Assistant Centre Superintendent for UGC-NET, NEET and JEE, and the Examiner and Coordinator for AISSE (Grade 10 CBSE Exam) for which she even received a Letter of Appreciation from the Ministry of HRD, Government of India, for the stellar performance of her students in AISSE 2014. Bonny is passionate about teaching and moulding young minds and loves being in the classroom, exploring new teaching strategies and tools, inspiring the team to strive for excellence and empowering her students to become changemakers.

Noella Samuel

Head of Special Education Needs (SEN) – Academics

M.Ed. (Special Education), Flinders University
B.Ed., St. Xavier’s Institute of Education

Noella has been involved in the field of education since 2011. She served three years teaching at state board low-cost and non-profit general education schools, before moving on to the Gateway School of Mumbai for students with special needs where she worked for three years mentoring new teachers and coordinating IGCSE Cambridge examinations. She has worked with students across age groups K-12. Today, Noella serves as the Head of Department of Special Education Needs (SEN) at The Green Acres Academy school, where she supports and coaches a team of special educators and counsellors within the SEN department. She also serves as the SEN Academics Head across the Acres Foundation Network, where she is a key driver behind the development of the unique multi-tiered systems of support that Acres schools are implementing in order to effectively support the inclusion of students with disabilities. Noella has a Master’s of Education degree in Special Education from Flinders University (Australia), and a Bachelor’s of Education degree from St. Xavier’s Institute of Education (Mumbai).

Pooja Harlalka

Head of Special Education Needs (SEN) – Counselling
Head of LEAPED (SEL) Program

M. Ed. (Mental Health Counselling), Columbia University
M.A. (Psychological Counselling), Columbia University

Pooja has been working in the field of education and mental health since 2011. She started her career as a teacher at the Gateway School of Mumbai, supporting students with behavioural issues and counselling needs. Pooja then moved to the US to complete her dual Master’s Degree in Education and Counselling at Columbia University. While studying and working in New York for five years, she also worked with special needs schools, clinical psychologists, public jails, and multiple psychotherapy and counselling centres, to serve children and adults with mental health disorders. Pooja currently serves as the Head of Counselling at the Acres Foundation, where she is a key driver behind the development of the multi-tiered systems of support approach to inclusion of students with disabilities. She is also the lead designer of the social-emotional learning (SEL) program at the Acres Foundation called LEAPED (Leadership, Ethics & Awareness of Personal & Emotional Development).

Sanyukta Bafna

Vice President of Hybrid Digital Curriculum Design
Head of Citizenship Program

M. Ed. (Teaching & Curriculum), Columbia University

Sanyukta’s experience in the field of educational reform began in 2011 with three years at Teach for India (Mumbai). During this time, she engaged in classroom teaching at a municipal school in Mumbai, followed by training TFI fellows, and leading and managing teams on specific projects. Subsequently, Sanyukta joined A2Q Education consultancy and supported a diverse set of formal and informal schools in and around India. Her areas of expertise include school design and leadership, curriculum design, teaching, auditing schools and programs. Some of her accomplishments include creating an alternative school model for high-school dropout girls in urban India, mentoring the school leadership at a CBSE School in Pune for two years, implementing an award-winning service learning project at an ICSE school in Mumbai, and many more. Today, Sanyukta is the lead designer of the Acres Foundation Citizenship Program, and also supports partner organizations as a School Mentor. She has a Master’s in Education from Columbia University, and she has also worked closely with professors as a Research and Teaching Assistant during her time there.

Aaditya Lohana

Founder, Lohana’s Test Series

F.C.A.,
L.L.B. (Gen.)

Aaditya started his career in education in 1987, as a faculty member at Mumbai’s renowned Mithibai College. Since then, he has served in a multitude of leadership capacities across leading schools and colleges in India. He was also the founder of the Lohana’s Test Series for Grade X, XII and TY BCom students, which had gained popularity across Maharashtra. Aaditya is a qualified chartered accountant and also completed a degree in law. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Business Development at the Acres Foundation, where he spearheads education partnerships and outreach.

Radhika Zahedi

Director of Teaching & Curriculum

M.A. (Mathematics Education), Columbia University
B. Engineering, Mumbai University

Radhika has been working in the field of education since 2005 and currently serves as the School Director at The Green Acres Academy. She has experience as a school Principal, math teacher-coach, math and science teacher, and curriculum designer in a variety of settings including IB, IGCSE, municipal schools in Mumbai, public schools in New York City, a rural school in Tripura, and a special needs school too. Radhika is passionate about building learning organisations – schools with a culture of continuous learning and innovation filled with empowered leaders, teachers, parents and students. As a school leader, she has supported this empowerment of all stakeholders through professional development programs and a shared vision – one that focuses all efforts towards improving student learning. Also, she has used her decade of classroom teaching experience to champion curricular programs that focus on deep, meaningful learning and teacher development programs that improve not just teacher knowledge but also their teaching practices quickly. Radhika has a Master’s Degree in Mathematics Education from Teachers College, Columbia University (USA), and a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from Mumbai University.

Tejas Parekh

Group CEO and Director of Operations

Masters in Marketing & Management, Southampton School
Bachelor of Business (Marketing & Economics) – RMIT University

Tejas Parekh has a Master’s Degree in Marketing & Management from Solent Business School, U.K. & a Bachelor of Business Degree in Marketing from RMIT, Australia. He is currently serving as the Group CEO of the ANP Group where he is responsible for the overall functioning of the organisation. He has over 20 years of global work experience, having worked in Australia, China, The United Kingdom, Canada and India. He is a proponent of “distributed leadership”, and he oversees a group of talented teams of H.R., I.T., Administration, Finance & Accounts, Legal & Construction.

Tejas enjoys spending time with his wife and two young boys. He is an ardent F1 fan in addition to following Tennis, Football and Basketball. He enjoys science fiction, reading business biographies, as well as having an ear for music. He is deeply passionate and involved in the well-being of impoverished and underprivileged children and supports charities in India for the same.

Rohan Parikh

Chairperson

M. Ed., Johns Hopkins University
MBA, INSEAD
B. Sc. Econ., The Wharton School of Business

Rohan serves as the Managing Director of the Apurva Natvar Parikh Group (ANPG) which has interests in Real Estate, Education, Transportation and Hospitality. He has more than 20+ years of experience as a businessman and entrepreneur. Rohan chose to foray in education by founding The Acres Foundation, an educational group that brings together the finest educators to chart out new pathways in education. In 2013, they found the highly acclaimed The Green Acres Academy, an ICSE curriculum school that aims to provide affordable yet holistic, and well-rounded education by adapting the latest research in teaching and learning techniques within the Indian context. Rohan sits on the board of Action Against Hunger, India’s foremost anti-malnutrition charity, and is the founder of the Citizens Archive of India. He also writes opinion columns for the Indian Express in his spare time. Rohan has a BSc in Economics from Wharton Business School, an MBA from INSEAD, and is in the process of earning a Master’s Degree in Education from Johns Hopkins University.

Siamack Zahedi

Director of Education & Research

Doctorate in Education, Johns Hopkins University
M. Ed., Columbia University

Siamack has been engaged in the field of education since 2004. He spent his first two years on full-time voluntary informal educational reform, working with communities from over 30 villages and 13 cities across 12 states in India. He established his first formal school in 2007, in a small township in Tripura, with the vision of empowering students to become agents of positive transformation for their communities. Next, he established the Gateway School of Mumbai, a special education needs school. Both schools have been recognized for their innovative practices in pedagogy and leadership by the International Ashoka ‘ChangeMaker School’ network. Siamack then moved on to start an educational consultancy – A2Q Education – in 2016. His team worked on a diverse set of projects in and around India, including strategizing the turnaround of failing schools, designing low-cost research-based teacher development strategies, conceptualising and overseeing the establishment of alternative schools for marginalized populations, and supporting dozens of educational improvement projects that served over 7,00,000 students. A2Q merged with the Acres Foundation in 2018, and as Director of Education and Research, Siamack spearheads the design and implementation of the unique Acres K-12 educational model along with initiatives of the Acres Research Centre. Siamack has earned his Master’s Degree in Education from Columbia University (USA), and his Doctorate degree in Entrepreneurial Leadership in Education from Johns Hopkins University (USA).

Acres Foundation Team works with Bangkok School for the Blind

June 2022

The Acres Foundation Outreach Team has been spearheading the transformation of the Bangkok School for the Blind (BSB) since 2019. To this end, we have helped BSB establish partnerships with the world’s premier institution for blind education – Perkins International (USA), and we have been charged with driving the Strategic Improvement Planning process of this project. In pic – Acres Foundation Outreach: The Minister of Education of Thailand, a Board Member at Bangkok School For the Blind, Experts from Perkins School for the Blind USA, President of the Foundation of the Queen of Thailand along with our Acres Foundation Leaders, Siamack Zahedi – Executive Director of Education and Research and Anuj Iyer, Chief Analytics Officer.

EduTECH Asia 2021: Fireside chat with Google for Education: Leveraging technology to achieve 21st century skills

15 February 2022

At the EduTECH Asia Conference 2021, Radhika Zahedi presented our TGAA’s (Mumbai’s 1st Google Reference School) Digital Transformation and specifically how Data and ongoing progress tracking using Google Classroom Assignments can empower learners. After her presentation she was interviewed by Nikita from Google along with Sidharth Rajgaria from DPS Schools about how it impacted the teaching and learning at school.
Webinar

Panel Discussion at SELebrating Inclusion Summit 2023

23 April 2023

The Acres Foundation had the opportunity to share practices at the ‘SELebrating Inclusion Summit’ organised by Ummeed and Apni Shala. The summit aims to explore “Culture, Policy, and Practices to build Social Emotional Learning informed Inclusive Education”. Our school was invited to share our TGAA practices related to SEL and inclusion with the wider Education community. Radhika Zahedi, our School director, represented TGAA in a panel discussion on ‘SEL Informed practices for Inclusive Schools’ on 27th of April. She shared our LEAPED program and MTSS (Multi-tiered Systems of Support) practices, especially related to building Social Emotional Skills.

Google Education Groups APAC Webinar Conducted by Suparna Mukherjee in collaboration with GEG Delhi NCR

17 July 2022

Suparna Mukherjee, our Head of Digital Literacy and Computers at TGAA along with 4 of our TGAA Students shared their learning about Google for Educations Applied Digital Skills Program. This was done in collaboration with Google Educator Group for the APAC “Staying Connected 6.0” Event. Even more exciting, they presented in Hindi to share this knowledge with a wider audience! This was done in collaboration with GEG Delhi NCR. Webinar

Workshops conducted at OIS (Oberoi International School) EdTech – Celebration of Learning 2022.

November 2022

Smriti Parikh conducted a workshop on ‘Learner-Centred Approach to a Language Arts Classroom’ for educators which focused on how digital tools can be leveraged to promote more expression and exchange of ideas in Language Arts Classrooms. Suparna Mukherjee conducted a workshop on ‘Google’s CS First Curriculum’ for educators to learn how they might best use the free computer science curriculum platform provided by google for students.

Priyanka Venkat

Project Manager, Research

B. Sc. Finance, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies

Priyanka has been working in the field of policy and education since 2017. She holds a BSc Finance degree from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) in Mumbai. She previously worked as an analyst with the Indian Economist, an online magazine that publishes authoritative commentary and analysis on economics, business, policy, technology and culture. She has also worked with Young Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC) as a Policy in Action fellow where she analysed key issues in women’s health and nutrition in Bihar, and designed solutions to support Members of Parliament in improving women’s health across different key indicators. In 2018, she joined Teach for India (TFI), a non-profit with 3000+ members working towards eliminating education inequity. She served for three years as a full-time teacher serving low-income communities in public and low-cost private schools. Priyanka then went on to serve as a Program Manager, responsible for instructional coaching of Grade 8 teachers in TFI’s schools in Mumbai, in addition to leading and managing key projects. In 2022, she joined the Acres Foundation and currently serves as a Project Manager in Research where she conducts primary and secondary research and supports with implementation of projects at The Green Acres Academy.

Jehangir Hilloona

Vice President, Operations & Administration

B.Com., Maneckji Cooper Junior College

Jehangir started his career in hospitality in 1987. It was his natural interest in people’s well-being and a passion for the industry that led him to devote over 3 decades to it. He completed his managerial training at Holiday Inn and has worked with multiple hotels in India and Africa in the capacity of General Manager such as Avion Hotel in Mumbai, the Karibu Hotel in Tanzania, and Simmer’s Restaurant in Nairobi. He has also worked as the Senior General Manager of the Acres Club where he managed and supervised operations for over seven years. In 2019, Jehangir joined The Green Acres Academy where he currently serves as the Vice President of Administration and Operations, and oversees the development and implementation of operational systems and protocols in the organisation.

Anuj Iyer

Chief Analytics Officer

M. Ed., Harvard University

Anuj started his career in education in 2010, and worked in key capacities with non-profit schools in Uttarakhand (CHIRAG School), Tripura (Brilliant Stars School) and Mumbai (Gateway School of Mumbai) for five years. His roles spanned classroom teaching, developing curriculum, leading professional development, coaching teachers and leaders, and school administration. Following these initial experiences, Anuj completed a Master’s Degree in Education from Harvard University (USA). He then returned to India and co-founded an educational consultancy – A2Q Education – in 2016, which supported a diverse set of formal and informal schools in and around India that served over 7,00,000 students. A2Q merged with the Acres Foundation (AF) in 2018, and today, Anuj heads the Data Analytics Team for the AF Schools. He is passionate about helping schools gather and use meaningful evidence, from data and research, to inform their educational practices and benchmarks. He specializes in designing and implementing frameworks to evaluate specific programs in educational settings, as well as systems for 360-degree monitoring and evaluation to support data-driven decision making at the institutional level. Additionally, he supports the design and authoring of empirical research studies being carried out and published by the Acres Research Centre.

USF Workshop

July 2021

Radhika Zahedi with Mehernaz Eshragi and Nikhat Aga from the The Acres Foundation Centre for Teaching and Learning conducted a workshop in ‘Assessing Learning Online’ in collaboration with Unaided Schools Forum. It was an interactive, online session conducted via livestream for teachers across India. Our session was viewed live by over 5.5K teachers (eventually 11K) from over 150 schools. Out of these 1559 teachers successfully completed the assessment at the end and received a certification. We also reviewed feedback filled in by 1500+ participants which was overwhelmingly positive.
Workshop | Video

Leader Lab: Empowering Teachers with Technology with FICCI ARISE and Google for Education

19 December 2021

This workshop was conducted by the Acres Foundation Team for School Leaders around India to share how Digital Tools can be used to Empower all stakeholders (Students, Teachers, Parents) across the school. The workshop was lead by Radhika Zahedi, Smriti Parikh, Mehernaz Eshraghi and Sanyukta Bafna.

Google Innovator Program

October 2022

Radhika Zahedi was a Coach for the Google Innovator Program for Virtual Innovator Academy APAC 2022. The Google for Education Certified Innovator Program recognizes and supports top educators who are excited to grow professionally, advocate for impactful technology, and innovate to improve classrooms, schools and local communities. As an Innovator Coach, Radhika mentored 6 Innovators from this year’s cohort through their innovator projects using the design thinking process. We also had 2 leaders – Suparna Mukherjee and Sanyukta Bafna who were innovators building projects in the program.

Governing Board

Education & Research

Operations & Administration