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“A passionate educationist who comes with a rich experience of over four decades from various schools across Pune and heading many of them for over two decades. She believes that our children are our future and for the future to be bright, the quality of education we provide is important.
As the Academic Head at Swadhaa, she brings her vast experience of team building and running educational institutions effectively.
Sujata Bhujbal obtained a B.C.S from Pune University.
She is a lively kindergarten teacher and loves reading, knitting, quilling and singing. She really likes the early childhood philosophy of Waldorf education, specially nurturing the child’s senses. She lives her own childhood with the little kindergartners. She is also responsible for overseeing the operations of Swadhaa Kindergarten.
She has done Waldorf Kindergarten teacher training course from Rainbow bridge , Navi Mumbai and has been participating in National Kindergarten Conferences by SADHANA, Indian Waldorf Kindergarten association by IASWECE.
Bhavana was meant to be a teacher always, Bhavana loves to teach and has never waited for an opportunity to knock, to follow her passion – but converted each possible moment into an opportunity to spread education and knowledge to whoever needed it.
The Waldorf spirit of allowing children to blossom at their own pace matches her own philosophy . “Early learning always fascinated me. There is so much to learn from these little ones and incorporate into your lives! It slows us down, enriches us and opens up more ways to look at life!” she chimes through the chirps of her little class kids tugging at her to be back in class for some story-time.
She has done Waldorf Kindergarten teacher training course from Rainbow bridge, Navi Mumbai and has been participating in National Kindergarten Conferences by SADHANA, Indian Waldorf Kindergarten association by IASWECE.
While some surrender to fate, Yogita decided to write her own destiny – and when you want something with all your heart, the whole universe conspires to bring it to you! Swadhaa happened to Yogita when a parent saw that spark in her and brought her to the school … from where she has never looked back!
Working on any and everything that came her way, Yogita worked her way up through hard-work, observations, determination and a strong will to learn and is today a kindergarten teacher!
“I don’t like to see kids begging on the streets and someday I will give them a taste of education, of learning” she says with hope in her eyes. She calls Swadhaa her ‘new life’ and the children her family. She loves knitting and going for nature-walks with the children.
She has been participating in National Kindergarten Conferences by SADHANA, Indian Waldorf Kindergarten association by IASWECE.
Amolika was introduced to Waldorf Education in 2015, when she joined Swadhaa as Admin assistant. She was inspired by the working of the founders and under their encouragement started to deepen her understanding of children and education. She never missed an opportunity of participating in any Waldorf training. Gradually she focused on the early childhood years and now is a Kindergarten class teacher. She likes to work with parents and support them in their journey as new parents. Amolika feels very fortunate to have the opportunity to work alongside the Waldorf Early Childhood teachers at Swadhaa and holds them all close to her heart. Her daughter is a Swadhaa alumni and has now began her journey in Class 11 in Symbiosis International School in International Baccalaureate programme.
Amolika has been participating in National Kindergarten Conferences by SADHANA, Indian Waldorf Kindergarten association by IASWECE.
Shubhangi completed her Masters in Scientific Computing from the University of Pune. Her desire to give back to her Alma Mater inspired her to teach Computing at the University to postgraduate students. In the USA, she was exposed to a very different approach to teaching and learning. At Swadhaa, she feels the same broader perspective of teaching and wishes to create a difference in children in early childhood.
Vidhi always wanted to become a teacher, but life had different plans. She started off with her education in Psychology and pursued her M.Sc. in Clinical Psychology from National Forensic Sciences University, Gujarat (2018). Post that she started working with Children and adults with Special Needs where she was introduced to Anthroposophy and Waldorf Education. And as they say life has different plans. When the opportunity of being a Remedial Educator presented itself, she seized it and since then she has been incorporating the Waldorf Pedagogy in her work as a Therapist and Remedial Educator for Children and Adults with Special Needs.
She enjoys reading and going on treks. She has completed her Waldorf Early Childhood Teacher Training through Rainbow Bridge, Navi Mumbai. She is also undergoing IRA Teacher Training to deepen her understanding about Anthroposophy and Waldorf Pedagogy.
Priyanka has completed her B.E Electronics and Telecommunication engineering from Mumbai University and B.Ed from MIT – World Peace University. She has an 8+ years of IT experience and has done a 3-month volunteer internship program with Teach For India organization.
She loves nature and is a practical influencer in moving towards a low waste lifestyle. A creative homepreneur who makes eco-friendly, and minimal wastage towel folded gifts. She is a confident, creative, and courageous one exhibiting positive energy with very good interpersonal skills. She visualizes a society of not just literates but educated ones with compassion, empathy, respect, love, and care imbibed within. And so, Waldorf education attracts her to take her vision forward.
Tulika is a Biotech Engineering graduate, who later pursued a Master’s in Sociology due to her inclination towards humanities. Inspired by J. Krishnamurti, she sees teaching as not just a career but also a way of self-introspection and self-discovery.
Her experience in Waldorf education has opened up a new horizon for her. She finds Steiner’s curriculum to be a source of great healing for both students and teachers.
Nidhi is a compassionate educator who strongly believes that the right kind of education can transform the world.
Born and brought up in Bhopal, Nidhi completed BA from Pune University and MA from Mumbai University. She began her teaching career in 2018 with Teach for India fellowship. Not being satisfied with conventional schools, she moved to Swadhaa. She is deeply inspired by the Waldorf education system and Anthroposophy. She loves to read and knit in her spare time.
Gunjan has a master’s degree in Computer Application from Sikkim Manipal University. While raising her own child, she felt the pull to become a teacher and to give back to the society. Her experience with Swadhaa has been immensely enjoyable as it fosters both learning and holistic development in children.
Disha is a computer graduate by Education and an Early Childhood Educator. She has 8 years of experience. As a teacher, she believes that she has a will and wish to find happiness in every subject in education and impart it to every child in his/her golden days of childhood. Having a deep inclination towards Arts and Music, she feels fortunate to be a part of Swadhaa where art is integrated in every subject.
Tejaswee is an Industrial Engineering graduate with eight and half years of experience in Software Testing. She always wanted to become a teacher and to pursue her passion, she left her job and joined Swadhaa. She likes to dance, though not a professionally trained dancer. As a new teacher she feels the positivity and happiness we receive from children, motivates us to learn and grow.
Shraddha is a grade class teacher at Swadhaa. She completed her graduation in commerce and did Masters in Computer Management from Pune University.
Although she worked in IT-Software Development for more than 10 years, she had always been more inclined towards working with children. After working on 'Phases of Software Life Cycle', she found “Phases Of Child Development" more important, interesting and meaningful. She joined Swadhaa in 2019.
Josia is a master’s in computer science from UCF Florida and Engineering from Mumbai University. Although new to Swadhaa family, Josia is no stranger to the Waldorf philosophy. She has been actively and passionately involved in Waldorf methodology of teaching for the past 8 years.
Deeply drawn to this Waldorf philosophy, she admitted her daughter in Swadhaa. She has also completed her Waldorf Teacher Training course from CSETT, Mumbai
Krishna has done her bachelor's in Homeopathic medicine and holds a post graduate diploma in Emergency Medical services. She has also done her BSN program from Illinois State University. She has worked in Critical Care units in Hospitals.
Her journey in Waldorf began with the birth of her son in 2012. In 2014, she pursued a one year Waldorf teacher training program in Bangalore.
She has volunteered as a parent in Waldorf school of Princeton, NJ.
She joined Swadhaa in 2017. She loved being a Kindergarten teacher. She is now in wonder with Grade children. She also teaches Biology to the High school children.
Sancharika started her professional life in the IT/ITES field in operations and then moved into training. After more than 10 years in this field, she decided to take a break from the corporate world. With a vision of moving deeper into the teaching / training world, she pursued her B. Ed. degree and started her own training firm (with other partners) named Lyceum Academia. Her specialisation is English language communication and preparing for English language competency exams like the IELTS.
Sancharika joined Swadhaa in 2018, following her son who joined Grade 2 in 2017. She has been the class teacher for the Malhaar class in their journey right from Grade 1. She also takes English for the higher grades – working towards preparing them for their IGCSE exams . She manages Kalaakriti, the Swadhaa shop. She has attended multiple training and workshops (both local and international) on the curriculum and consciousness of the Waldorf Grade School. A beautiful voice and a powerhouse singer, Sancharika also brings beautiful Waldorf songs and Rabindra Sangeet to the teachers and children at Swadhaa.
Her hobbies include reading, singing and travelling.
Harshad is an educational entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience, having worked with 10,000+ children. Notably, he has successfully guided over 300 students who failed 9th grade to pass their 10th grade SSC exams. He is the co-founder of Project Nomad, Project Nomad is a community driven, unstructured group of individuals from different backgrounds with a common goal of spreading stories and awareness about alternative and experimental education. He also founded Swayambodh Gurukul, dedicated to helping children who face academic challenges.
Additionally, he established Colour Bugs Arts Campus, specializing in Shadu Matti Ganpati making and arts facilitation. With a background as a school principal and experience in programs like Jagriti Yatra and Teach for India Fellowship, he brings a broad perspective on education and social impact. He has a keen interest in photography and enjoys networking to create new connections.
A caring and sensitive person, Namrata has been nurturing Swadhaa since 2014. An engineer and a business graduate by qualification and a 'Solution Seeker' by heart, she has been the backbone of the organisation and has donned multiple caps as and when needed, proving her metal in each role. Be it organising events and teacher trainings, coordinating admissions, creating processes for operations or creating proposals for the school, Namrata brings in many fresh ideas towards various aspects of life of Swadhaa.
After being an admissions coordinator for 3 years and administrative head for a year, She is currently handling a portfolio of High school coordinator, handling activities of Grade 7 through 10.
Priya completed her BFA in Painting from Sir J.J. School of Arts and B.Ed. from SNDT, Mumbai. She comes with a vast teaching experience of 12 years in various schools in Mumbai and Pune. Her love for children and holistic learning brought her to Swadhaa.
Krupa is a post-graduate in Math and has four years of experience teaching in Engineering colleges. She also studied Fashion Design and Clothing Construction and runs a sustainable fashion line for women, called EnVez. She took Waldorf Kindergarten teacher training from Bangalore and during her stay in the USA, also worked as an assistant to the Grade teacher at the Waldorf school of San Diego, California.
Vandana is a passionate science teacher with experience of two decades of teaching high school students from Grade 9 to 12. Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences are her forte. She is also an active social worker and has served as a grandmaster of NGC (National Green Corps) for the Maval taluka of Pune district, affiliated with the social forestry department.
Shruti comes from a management background with good control over the Science subjects carrying degrees for MBA & Boitechnology. Her strong willed yet a warming nature is what makes her the most suitable choice for imbibing the kids with the right amount of knowledge, care & a confident mindset.
Her long term aspirations is to leave a footprint which can be worthly recognized, a footprint which would have moved hearts, minds and soul. And what best place to start with, than moulding the kids towards a brighter, better human being.
Mayur is a graduate in Mechanical Engineering. He is committed to helping students develop a deep understanding of science and its practical applications. He aspires to contribute his share in the field of alternate education and aims to imbibe values of love and acceptance in children. In his classes he strives to make Science accessible, experiential, and engaging for all students, regardless of their background or prior experience.
Sneha has eternal love for children and books and regional languages. Her special ability to create songs and stories in Marathi for kindergarten children, inspired her to look at languages as nourishment for the children’s soul. Since 2020 Sneha has taken up the role of Language teacher for early grades and is also coordinating the language team across all classes in Swadhaa.
She has done Waldorf Kindergarten teacher training course from Rainbow bridge, Navi Mumbai and has been participating in National Kindergarten Conferences by SADHANA, Indian Waldorf Kindergarten association by IASWECE.
Sushila has been working as a Hindi teacher for Lower Grades Since Sep 2019. She is passionate about the Hindi language. This motivated her to join Swadhaa and impart her knowledge to children. She enjoys the teaching mythology, the stories and poems and great writers in Hindi and their work in the field of Education.
Along with her subject, she also enjoys teaching children Handwork and has been involved with them in Swadhaa. This school philosophy has inspired her to pursue her passion for Hindi. She feels that various training at Swadhaa has helped her see a positive progress in herself which is enriching.
Sandeep has a Masters’ degree in Linguistics from Banaras Hindu University and B.Sc. in Physics, Chemistry, Math from DSB campus Nainital. He is an independent researcher, interested in the multidisciplinary nature of Sciences. He loves to approach sciences poetically ,and arts scientifically. Nature's silent beauty is his inspiration.
With over four decades of teaching experience, many of which were spent at the Krishnamurti schools in India, Seema brings to Swadhaa her love for languages, theatre, and storytelling. She also enjoys gardening, cooking, and trying out new recipes at the BalVihaar kitchen. Seema has a master’s degree in English Literature, and a B.Ed., both from Vikram University, Ujjain.
Dr. Janhavi Atre is an accomplished educator and scholar, holding a master's degree in Hindi and a Ph.D. in Education. With over 12 years of experience in the field of education, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to fostering academic growth and cultivating a love for learning among students.
Janhavi has been awarded the ICCR fellowship for her Ph.D., a testament to her dedication and research acumen. Her expertise in the Hindi language led to her appointment as a valued member of the Board of Studies for Hindi at S.P. College.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Janhavi finds joy and expression in the performing arts, with dance, drama, and sports.
Rahul is a Marathi teacher in Swadhaa. He has completed graduation in Engineering and worked in the information technology field for 4.8 years. Moreover his interest in Marathi language made him complete M.A. in Marathi literature, and while pursuing M.A., he came to know about Swadhaa.
The philosophy of school and spiritual background knowing the overall need of a child, drew him here. He cherishes the liberty of working as a language teacher here, where he gets the opportunity to implement creative methodologies in the lesson. He also attributes his personal growth to the training that he receives in Steiner’s philosophy, here at Swadhaa.
Bhagyashree is a dedicated scholar and educator, currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Marathi while holding a master's degree in the same field. Her academic journey has been driven by a profound passion for the exploration of dialects and folk literature, as she seeks to preserve and understand the rich cultural tapestry of her native language.
Beyond her academic pursuits, Bhagyashree finds solace melodies of the flute and the graceful movements of Bharatnatyam, reflecting her deep appreciation for the arts.
An honest advocate of education, Bhagyashree views teaching as her legacy and considers it a privilege to impart knowledge to eager minds. She takes great joy in inspiring her students to embrace the beauty and intricacies of language, literature, and culture.
Beloved Naniji for the entire Swadhaa community, she has been the pillar of Swadhaa since its inception. The most senior member of Swadhaa, she has stepped into multiple roles as and when and where the need arose. Now She creates magic in our Handwork section. Naniji keeps updating her skills by undergoing numerous international trainings for Handwork, bringing in lots of new ideas to engage the childrens’ and teachers’ head, heart and hands.
Rekha, a thoughtful and creative person, she is always busy with her hands creating beautifully crocheted items for children to see and for the Swadhaa Shop – ‘Kalakriti’. She undergoes international Waldorf Handwork training to deepen her understanding of the philosophy and to bring many new ideas for children to create. She is beloved by all children as they work under her guidance and create beautiful handcrafts.
Sakshi, a teacher who always carries a needle in her hand is a passionate handwork teacher who loves knitting, quilling and crochet. This deep passion of handwork brought her to Swadhaa. She is a graduate from MJP Rohilkhand University in B.Com.
She weaves magic with her hands and makes beautiful handwork items.
Minal joined Swadhaa as a parent and then as a language teacher in 2014. She then took a break of a few years as a teacher and continued to be a parent. Minal has now rejoined Swadhaa as a History teacher. For the last two years she has been part of Swadhaa’s History team, where a constant study of Indic history continues, and for that she is taking help from Historians, going through training and attending various workshops.
She has done M.A in Sanskrit, and was working as a research assistant in Sanskriti Peetham in Somaiya college. She has also worked in a media company called ‘Aatman innovations’ in Mumbai as an in-house translator. Being a language enthusiast, she also works as a freelance translator, and has translated around 10-12 books in Marathi so far. Her latest one was the translation of Dr. Steiner’s lecture called ‘Education of the Child’ into Marathi. She also dabbles in subtitling for movies, documentaries and is a voice-over artist.
Other than this, she likes reading and being involved in cultural activities with children.
Having stayed in Germany for a few years, she came across the Waldorf schools and after relocating to Pune was in search of a Waldorf school for her daughter. The search brought her to Swadhaa.
She has been with Swadhaa for eight years now. Her daughter is a Swadhaa student, and when she joined, she was one of the three children in grade one, and it has been a wonderful journey with Swadhaa since then!
Chandan is from West Bengal. He graduated from Kala Bhavana, Visva Bharati University in 2018 with a BFA degree specialising in Sculpting and has completed his Master's degree (MFA) in Sculpture from S.N School of Arts and Communication, University of Hyderabad in 2021.
His interest in pedagogy and in the profession of teaching has led him to seek an institution where he can grow as a teacher. He feels delighted to be among the faculty members of Swadhaa and looks forward to the experiences ahead.
M.A Music, M.Phil Music and a Visharad (classical vocal and harmonium), Mrudula is also a Certified music therapist. She has a rich experience of teaching Music for 10 yrs.
Apart from being the Music teacher at Swadhaa, Mrudula also runs her own music academy named 'RAAG DARPAN MUSIC ACADEMY'.
Her goal is to spread classical music for children through which they can understand our classical and traditional music culture which also balances the child's mind and soul essential for their healthy development.
Dr. Gopal completed his Ph.D. from LNCPE, Gwalior, where he went on to teach for over a decade. On being introduced to the teachings of J. Krishnamurti, he decided to teach in Krishnamurti Foundation schools in India, beginning at the Rishi Valley School, Andhra Pradesh, and later at the Sahyadri School, Pune, and most recently The Valley School, Bangalore. Along with his passion for teaching physical education, he also enjoys gardening, papier-mâché work, and recycling waste cardboard and newspaper to make items of daily use.
Nikhil Pranjape
Mandar Gokhale
Yogesh Patil
Delkhush Bhatia
Pankaj Shinde
Yugandhara Tondlekar
Nandini is the first person you will be greeted by, each morning, on any normal day at the school! Now her second home, Swadhaa was the final station on her quest for meaningful, unhurried and pressure-free learning for her child.
Understanding and incorporating the importance of rhythms, routines and a tension-free lifestyle for her entire family, she left the corporate world and joined Swadhaa as our very able admin and a bridge between the staff and our ever-expanding community. “This place feels like home – and who would ever want to leave one’s home?" She says, expertly balancing paperwork, phone calls, parent-queries and curious heads walking in through the doors of this little paradise.
Sushma is a BA in Hindi from Mumbai University. She has done her post-graduation in Library sciences from Pune University. She has a previous experience of working as a commercial staff on Pune airport and administrator with a company in real estate.
She manages Swadhaa Accounts.
She loves cooking, playing outdoor sports, and reading.
Bhagyalakshmi is a caring and loving individual bursting with energy. Bhagya, as she is lovingly known as in Swadhaa, will always find a solution for any questions. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Annamalai University. She efficiently handles admissions and recruitment processes, ensuring that each individual's journey into our community is smooth and enjoyable. She has an interest in painting and loves to connect with people.
Sejuti is Executive Assistant to the founders, providing unwavering support and assistance. She is in-charge of scheduling the founder’s calendar and ensure a well-planned day for Ms. Shefali and Mr. Shyam. With over 20 years of experience in the corporate world doing market research for Hindustan Unilever, Mahindra & Mahindra, and other big players in the market, she felt the need of working with young minds to improve the inner being and learn how to live life to the fullest.
She says “working with Swadhaa has been so interesting and a panorama of learning new skills that my day starts and ends with thoughts of this alma mater. The holidays are no exception to this.”
Monika, lovingly known as Mona tai, is the heart of Swadhaa team. She supports and coordinates for the right material to be delivered to all teachers. She is also incharge of Teachers' resource library. She began the practice of creating a synopsis of every book added newly to the library and circulating it to all the members of Swadhaa.
Nagnath has completed his Bachelor of Arts from Yashwantrao Chavan Mukt Vidyapeeth, Latur. He started his career at a very young age and has experience of working with many corporates. He has a passion for sports and plays cricket and kho-kho.
Nagnath is supporting the Pashan school administration in all aspects and does daily inspection of the school premises. He is also the laboratory assistant.
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