Our team at Open Window, is young and dynamic... we come from different backgrounds and bring our expertise with us...
The team includes:
Alifya Loharchalwala (Founder)
She has been a teacher and has worked closely with children and is involved with several NGOs. She has been extremely interested in early childhood education and believes that a good and wholesome early education paves way for a well balanced and successful individual. Open Window was a result of this. She aims to create a chain of Libraries for Children and Learning Centres which will provide guidance on Collaborative and innovative approaches to teaching and learning, interpersonal communication in the classroom, Teacher development, conceptualizing, designing, and implementing a wide range of school and teacher related projects and services.
Tasneem M Wangrelwala
A qualified counsellor; she conducts various personality and developments tests for children and provides guidance based on the tests.She also provides career counselling to youngsters by helping them assess their aptitude for various fields. Tasneem also conducts various workshops and seminars for parents on child related issues.
Joanita Pinto
She is a Writer and Counsellor. Her stories have appeared in Penguin's First proof 3, Puffin's Stories for Girls,flashquake.org, and several other websites. Her non-fiction writing has been published in Times Of India, Femina, India Today Travel Plus, Gulf News, CSM - Boston, Outlook Traveller. Besides informal counselling, Joan has worked with children on the issue of child sexual abuse, and has given several talks on the subject to NGOs and schools across Mumbai. She has also organised workshops on various child related issues, and volunteered at Prithvi's summer workshops for kids. Besides, contributing to various magazines, she currently freelances as a Creative Consultant with a design agency.
Tarannum Mohammedy
A qualified dietician, who conducts workshops on various topics of nutrition for Children and Parents.
Susan D'Souza
She is a qualified Counselling Psychologist. She has worked in a leading Market Research firm, as a qualitative researcher, before coming back to Psychology. She currently works as a counselor in a school in the suburbs of Mumbai. At Open Window she conducts various workshops on emotional and psychological issues for children and parents alike and creates modules for various workshops which take place in the learning center.
There are few people who keep us going and give their valued advice; whenever we need it...
Project Guide and Mentor:
Dr. Gopal Iyengar is An educationist by profession, he is currently the director of Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies(K.I.A.M.S). He has been involved with Open Window since the very beginning. With a sound intellect that has been honed by a rich academic background (B-Tech- IIT Mumbai and A PhD. in strategy from University of St. Andrews, UK), tempered with 12 years of industry experience he has contributed to building the Open Window business model and operational processes. A 3 year stint with the J Krishnamurthi school has reinforced his conviction that school education has to be holistic and happy in its approach, and that is the spirit that he has infused into the philosophy of open Window.
Advisory Board Members:Dr. Reeta Sonawat is Professor and Head, Department of Human Development, S.N.D.T. Women’s University. She was selected as a Global leader in World Forum on Early Care and Education, Montreal, 2005. As an International leader in Early Childhood Education she was invited by U.S. State Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Washington D.C. in 2009, where she participated in the International Visitor Leadership Programme on Early Childhood Education.. Dr. Sonawat is a recipient of the National Award for Teacher Trainer in innovative training for the project “improving classroom environment towards quality in education” She has been an invited speaker in Athens, Brasilia, Montreal, Jogja, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Reggio Emilia, London, Belfast, Manila and Auckland. She has published over 50 research papers and ten books on various aspects of Early Childhood Education including 2 books on multiple intelligence.
Gopa Jhaveri is a special educator. She has taught at numerous special schools across the city and has also worked with many pre schools and nurseries. She independently carries out remedial therapy for children (age group 7 years to 14 years/ grade level II to VII ) with varied learning difficulties (Dyslexia,Dyscalculia,A.D.H.D,Mild Retardation).She has also taught Math, English and Environmental Science using differentiated instruction approach to elementary and middle school students with learning and behavior difficulties. A lot of her teaching methods are customized for each child to suit his learning needs
If you are ever in town, please come and drop in to see our center...
