For over two decades Gitanjali been pioneering effective ways to bridge developmental deficits in education, and weave inclusion into the mainstream world. She has always been clear about wanting to spend time with children with special needs, learn of a world that does not discriminate, a people who love you for who you are and not what you do, who are not quick to judge, but rather quick to embrace. Years of working with children and adults, culminated in Snehadhara Foundation. Over the past few years Snehadhara has worked with around 7500 children through direct and weekly interventions, with over 70000 children through indirect interventions in schools and other receptive environments and trained over 2500 professionals in about 500 organisations across the country. Over the past two years, Snehadhara’s international journey has carried its best practices to Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Her research-based innovations in curriculum, pedagogy, content and delivery are what has allowed her to create pioneering innovations evidenced by recognition from marquee organisations like Qatar Foundation, Millenium Alliance, Association for Experiential Education at Montreal, Canada, Conferencia International, Buenos Aires, amongst others. Gitanjali consults with corporates to create a culture of inclusivity through appropriate trainings and workshops. She has conducted workshops regularly in diversity/inclusion for corporates like Oracle, AMAT, Alation, Intel, Google, Accenture to name a few.

Gitanjali many awards and accolades to her credit and her work has been recognized in various platforms internationally.  To mention a few – Gitanjali is an awardee of the Millennium Alliance Global Award 2020 which takes her stellar innovation ‘Kala Samvaad – Arts Practices for Inclusion’ to Nepal. She has been awarded the Nation Builder Award by Rotary Literacy Mission. Gitanjali has been awarded the 2nd Creative Art Therapy Award 2020 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the field of Art Therapy by the Sancheti Healthcare Academy as a recognition to the silent heroes who have done exemplary and exceptional work in the field of Creative Art Therapies.

She has been recognised by Global Ethics Forum and Indian Institute of Management, for working towards establishing an impartial and fair world. She has also spoken at the prestigious TEDx BITS Hyderabad on ‘The Goodness of Life’. Gitanjali was invited as a key speaker at the Conferencia Internacional – Por una Educacion que despliega las habilidades del Ser in Buenos Aires, 2019. Gitanjali has been selected as an ACTIVATEE speaker at the 45th International Association for Experiential Education (AEE) Conference in Montreal in November 2017. Gitanjali Govindrajan is the proud recipient of the Millennium Alliance Grant as a social innovator of one of the top five Innovations in the country for Education, 2017 by FICCI and in partnership with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Technology Development Board, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

Gitanjali has been conferred an honorary doctorate in Social Work (LADC, USA) and holds a Masters in Biochemistry along with a Post Graduate Diploma in Community Based Rehabilitation. She has completed the TA 101 Course and training in Transaction Analysis and as a Coach with the International Coaching Federation. She also holds a Diploma in Neuropsychology (Accredited to Complementary Medical Association and Quality License Scheme). Gitanjali Govindrajan has a certificate in Psychological First Aid from Johns Hopkins University. She also has a certificate in Social Psychology from Wesleyan University. Born and educated in Mumbai, she has been a Lady Tata Memorial Scholarship Awardee and a University rank holder in Biochemistry. She has studied Applied Buddhist Psychology and Ethics from Pune University. Gitanjali is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer and has trained in Hindustani and Carnatic vocals. She has trained under Arthur Hull in Drum Circle Facilitation. She is presently training in Mixed Martial Arts and Kickboxing.

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Sumathi is a First-Class B. Tech in Electronics from Madras Institute of Technology, Chennai. After working as an assistant director with the Institute for Design and electrical measuring instruments, Mumbai, her field diverged and she acquired a Certificate in Guidance and counselling from Christ College, Bangalore. Thereafter followed a certificate in Learning Disabilities, a Post Graduate Diploma in Creative Teaching, and a Certificate course on Arts Based Therapy from WCCLF, Pune.

Thereon Sumathi practised Special education, language therapy and ABT at Deepika, Snehadhara, Bubbles Centre for Autism and ASHA in Bangalore. Her domains of specialisation include Children with Learning Disabilities, Autism, Behavioural problems, Developmental Disabilities, Slow learners. She has been the creative director for ASHA school annual day programs for about 8 years.

Sumathi has trained facilitators during courses on “Inclusive Education”, “Learning Disabilities” and “Care givers”, conducted Summer Camps for Mainstream children and has been an ABT Guide to ABT Certificate students. She has led workshops in Teaching Aids, Creative Teaching, Teaching Methodologies, Stress Management, Process of Counselling, Personal Development, Memory techniques and Study skills, Learning Difficulties, Multisensory Teaching techniques, Multiple Intelligence, Differentiated Instruction, Fun ways of teaching Maths and Social Science. She has also conducted a course called “Creative Connections in Classrooms” for mainstream teachers focussing on alternative creative ways of teaching in a classroom. She has been a part of the faculty that conducted a 3-month online training program for Government school teachers from Udupi, conducted by Rotary Club, Manipal and DIET (District Institute of Education and Training, Karnataka Govt.)

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During her API course, Sindhu worked with children of ragpickers in a slum colony in Rishikesh. Her API community inclusion project focussed on creating shared group memories and learning experiences outside the learning center while visiting different communities and common spaces like playgrounds and river banks. 

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Varun offers group spaces focused on Art, Play, and Drama, including “Khel Khel Mein” for play and reflection and “Learning Groups” for therapists. He serves on the Governing Council at Aastha Foundation for Human Learning and Growth, co-facilitating process work groups.

Previously, Varun earned a Master’s in Computer Science from Auburn University, USA, and worked at Sun Microsystems and Oracle for 10 years. He later engaged in Water and Waste Management projects with Smarter Dharma and assisted with Community Supported Agriculture at Navadarshanam Trust.

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