The Speakers

Dr Manjiri Nimbkar

  • MA Education (Ele.) from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Awarded Gold Medal for 2006-2008 batch

  • MBBS, BJ Medical College, Pune

  • Trustee, Director and Secretary, Pragat Shikshan Sanstha, Phaltan, since 1992

  • Managing Trustee, Nimbkar Rehabilitation Trust, Phaltan

Dr Manjiri Nimbkar acquired an MBBS in 1981 and ran her own private practice as a general practitioner in an economically disadvantaged area of Phaltan town. In 1995, she joined the Kamala Nimbkar Balbhavan (KNB) of Pragat Shikshan Sanstha in Phaltan, founded by Dr Maxine Berntsen and became the Principal of KNB in 2000, treasurer of Pragat Shikshan Sanstha in 2002, a Director of PSS in 2007 and the Secretary of PSS in 2012.

Manjiri Nimbkar - Resume.docx

Dr Suneel Godbole

  • M.D. Paediatrics

  • Developmental Pediatrician, Chiranjeev Clinic & Child Development and Autism Center, Pune

  • Developmental Pediatrician & HOD: Small Steps Morris Child Development & Autism Centre, Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital

  • Executive Board Member, West zone, IAP chapter on Growth, Development, Behavioural Paediatrics

Dr Suneel Godbole has been a Consultant Paediatrician with expertise in Childhood Developmental Disorders for 24 years. He specialises in the assessment and management of children with Autism/ASD, ADHD, Developmental Delay, Learning Disability, Emotional & Behavioural Disorders, children with schooling difficulties.

Dr Suneel Godbole - CV.pdf

Ms Shubhada Pendharkar

  • MA Psychology (2005) (S.N.D.T. University)

  • PGD in School Psychology, JPIP, Pune University.

  • PGD in Nursery School Education (1981), Nirmala Niketan

  • BA Psychology (1979), S.P College Pune, Pune University

Ms Shubhada is a Headmistress at Smart Champs International Pre-School from April 2019. She is also part of innovative endeavours like Avid Readers-Smart Phonics and BoostMyChild an online parenting Programme. She is an advisory Committee member at Dr Shanta Vaidya Memorial Foundation (MAITRA) and also a Trustee at Prasanna Autism Centre.

Shubhada Pendharkar - CV.docx

Dr Dinesh Nehete

  • PhD in Physics

  • PGD in Psychology

He has worked for well known corporate companies on various managerial positions, Tata Elxsi, Indion Technologies, C-DAC are some of them. After 20 years of service from his work experience, he felt the need of social awareness and training about ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education) in India, for which gave birth to En-Reach Foundation in 2014. En-Reach foundation is a social entrepreneurship firm that conducts training programs and workshops for Parents and Teachers. En-Reach has already touched the lives of about 18000 plus parents, 3500 teachers and more than 45 schools all over Maharashtra.

Dinesh Nehete - CV.pdf

Ms Sushma Padhye

  • MA Marathi, Mumbai University

  • PGD Journalism, Bharati Vidyapith

Ms Sushma was working as a consultant to YCMOU for developing Early Childhood Education Development courses, and also provided her expert advice to UNICEF on a program for educational quality improvement. She is also an honorary member at SCERT on Evaluation Committee for Pre-primary Teacher's Training course. Apart from this, she has numerous publications and papers on her name.

Sushma_Padhye_CV.pdf

Ms Shubhada Joshi

  • Head, Khelghar by Palakniti

Shubhada Joshi, an architect by profession, got involved in Palakneeti work in 1994. Observing the work helped her in many ways, more importantly, made her sensitive to the realities of poor people around. The exposure to children’s harsh realities proved a starting point and Khelghar’s activities started in Laxminagar slum, albeit on a small scale to begin with.

Personal information of Shubhada Joshi.doc

Ms Ratna Sane - Gosavi

  • M.S. in Psychological Counselling and psychotherapies

14 years' experience as a psychological counsellor: Child, Adolescent and Parent counselling, Pre-marriage and Post-marriage counselling

Trainer/facilitator: Self-awareness, emotion management, effective communication, acting, personality development and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT).

Teacher training for value education, expert assessor during school assessment.

Ms Nitu Pandit - Bavdekar

  • B.Sc (HSc), Pune University

  • BEd, ICFAI University, Hyderabad

Ms Nitu is a President at prestigious Shri Pant Amatya Bal Vikas Vishvasta Nidhi which is running Shrimant Maisaheb Bavdekar Vidyalaya & Academy having enrolment more 2000 students. She is a teachers' trainer serving as academic lead for 100+ teachers and attempting innovative projects.

Nitu Pandit - Bavdekar - Biodata.docx

Mr Nilesh Nimkar

Nilesh Nimkar is heading QUEST as the Director and has over 20 years’ experience in the field of early childhood education, elementary education, teacher education and curriculum development. He has initiated several innovative programs for teachers and children, especially in the rural and tribal areas. He has received the Maharashtra Foundation Award for ‘Outstanding social work in the field of education’.

Nilesh Nimkar - Profile.pdf

Ms Maya Agharkar

  • Bachelor of Education

  • PGD in Communication Media for Children

  • Bachelor of Home Science- Child Development

Maya is founder of Kids Play Club- Modern Indoor and Outdoor Playground for children aged 3-8 years. She also founded Founder/Director of Jumping Joey’s Experiential Learning Centre, Kothrud, which runs the Sunday Activity Club for children aged 4-8 years. She also writes blogs on early years and is also a consultant for Dnyananda's ABC School. She also headed as principal at Global Montessori Plus after serving Preschool teacher for 5years at Shanghai Community International School.

Maya Agharkar - Resume.pdf

Ms Aditi Natu

  • M.A.(Philosophy)

  • Sangeet Visharad (Gandharv Mahavidyalay)

  • Diploma in Archeology

  • Diploma in Preprimary education

Ms Aditi served as Secretary at prestigious state-level body dedicated to the propagation of scientifically imparted Early Childhood Education. She was associated with Grammangal for more than a decade and catered as Secretary, VP and Executive. Her contribution shaped an NGO like Grammangal dedicated to providing quality education to tribal and rural children.

Aditi Natu -- CV.pdf

Dr Varsha Kulkarni

  • M. Sc Statistics (2000) Shivaji University, Kolhapur

  • M. Ed (2005) – 2nd rank in the Shivaji University, Kolhapur

  • PGD in Mass Communication (2008)– 1st rank in Shivaji University

  • Ph D in Education

Ms Varsha was a teaching faculty for DEd-BEd and was a Master Trainer for the AKAAR project by UNICEF. She was a columnist for the daily newspapers and also wrote chapters on the books.

Varsha Kulkarni - CV.docx

Ms Prasanna Hulikavi

  • Masters in Communication Media for Children

  • BA Psychology

  • PGD Film Appreciation, FTII, Pune

In a career spanning over 22 years, Prasanna has performed a number of roles such as professor, trainer and facilitator. After teaching at SNDT as a lecturer for over 15 years, she has been working as a Subject Matter Expert in the field of Mass Communication, teacher trainer, therapist and media expert to name a few. Presently, she is engaged in teaching mass communication, film appreciation and alternative media.

Puppetry and creative drama are subjects very dear to Prasanna's heart and she has worked with this simple yet highly effective tool all through her career.

Mr Sachin Joshi

  • Educationist

Mr Sachin is the founder-director of Espalier- The Experimental School” which is a combination of Gandhi and Einstein Philosophy. He is also a founder and Director of the unique concept of “Education on Wheels” for which he has been awarded by the Limca Book of World Records. In spite of getting attractive offers from renowned companies, he chose to start a "School for Failures." His research on the development of a child’s brain and its co-relation with education has been included in the syllabus for D. Ed teachers course. He has been regularly publishing his articles related to education and child development.

Sachin Joshi - Profile.pdf

Ms Vaidehi Ashtaputre

  • MSc Communication Media for Children

  • BSc Home Science in Human Development

Ms Vaidehi founded Mindbricks to conduct various activities for Children and help organizations work for children. She catered as UNICEF as Master Trainer for AAKAR curriculum designed for Anganwadis. Before this, she worked with Tara Mobile Creche as Media and Development Coordinator and was engaged in teacher training to social media management.

Vaidehi Ashtaputre - Resume.pdf

Ms Smita Patil

  • M.A.(Marathi); Master of Journalism

  • PGD in Counselling and Light Vocal Music

  • MPhil*, Indian Institute of Education

Smita has worked as a Master Trainer/ Block coordinator in Responsive Caregiving Programme Initiated by UNICEF Maharashtra and the ICDS Department of the Department of Women and Child, Government of Maharashtra in collaboration with Grammangal (as the implementing partner)I worked as a Translator for ECE with UNICEF partners.

Ms Shuchi Sinha

Shuchi Sinha has been working as a Communications Coordinator with the ELI Communications team. Alongside she is also a teacher at Adharshila Learning Centre, a school for tribal children in rural Madhya Pradesh. Before ELI and Adharshila she worked as an Academic Coordinator at OELP, an organization dedicated to meaningful literacy ideas and practices.

Amongst many things that interest her, she finds her heart almost always coming back to settle at the idea and possibilities of Critical Literacy. She truly believes language holds emancipatory possibilities and that each child, irrespective of her/his context, must be given an environment to develop a sense of love and fearlessness of words.