Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program for International Teachers Archives

Vijay Kumar

Mr. Vijay Kumar is a Librarian at DBRA CM SHRI School, BT Block, Shalimar Bagh, New Delhi. With 25 years of experience serving elementary, secondary, and senior secondary students, he has actively integrated library activities with curricular learning. He has organized numerous seminars and workshops promoting storytelling as an effective pedagogical tool. He is the Founder Chairperson of Katha Manch Delhi, a platform dedicated to storytelling, language learning, and cultural engagement. He holds an MPhil in library and information science from Annamalai University and a master’s degree in linguistics from the University of Delhi.

Throughout his career, Vijay has served in various academic and educational roles at distinguished institutions. He has presented research papers at national and international conferences and published research reports. In 2025, he received the Best Paper Award at the International Symposium on Digital Literacy organized by IILM University, Gurugram, and was honoured with the Shikshak Samman by Dinkar Society, Delhi.

As an FDAI scholar, Vijay is collaborating with educators from diverse backgrounds, documenting folktales from different regions of the world, and sharing Indian folktales globally, thereby promoting multicultural understanding and multilingual learning.

Nisar Shaikh

Mr. Nisar Shaikh is a teacher and teacher educator with over 17 years of experience in state government schools in Maharashtra. He holds an MA, MEd, and an MA TESOL with Distinction from the University of Leeds, UK, specialising in teacher education, educational technology, and young learners.

Nisar has contributed to teacher education at the state level. As a State Academic Resource Person at the State Institute of English, Maharashtra, he helped design teacher training programs, develop learning materials, and supported statewide English language initiatives such as TEJAS and the Spoken English programme. He also served as a British Council ARMS mentor, guiding government school teachers in conducting classroom-based exploratory action research. His innovative contributions have been recognised through awards, including Best ELT Material Writer and Technology Wizard at successive TEJAS symposia. He has presented his work at national and international conferences, including the MA TESOL Conference at the University of Hull, UK (2023) and the Language in Education Conference in Kathmandu, Nepal (2025).

As an FDAI scholar, Nisar is aiming to master research-backed multilingual pedagogies to support diverse classrooms. Upon his return, he will develop a practical teacher training module with scalable lesson plans to be shared via local workshops, professional learning networks and monthly cluster-level meetings of teachers. This initiative aligns with an NEP 2020 objective to empower rural teachers to bridge the gap between home dialects and standard instruction. Outside the classroom, Nisar is a passionate traveller who loves exploring new cultures.

Neemaben Girishkumar Parekh

Ms. Neema Parekh is the head teacher of Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India Lavad Primary School in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. She has been part of the school community since 2004, serving first as a teacher and, since 2015, as head teacher. With 21 years of experience in education, she holds a master’s degree in psychology, has qualified in the Head Teacher Aptitude Test, and is a certified yoga teacher and Ultimate Frisbee coach.

Neema believes education should prepare children for both academic success and life. Following the principles of the Living Educational Theory, she works to ensure that every child experiences learning that nurtures creativity, critical thinking, empathy, and a sense of social responsibility. She has launched initiatives for students focused on health and well-being, life skills, vocational learning, and sports. Neema has helped advance education throughout Gujarat by writing textbooks, developing teachers, and creating innovative learning programs.

As an FDAI scholar, Neema is deepening her understanding of teacher development and student-centred education. She is particularly interested in exploring innovative ways to support teacher learning and design meaningful workshops that encourage reflection, collaboration, and professional growth. On her return to India, she plans to share her learning with teachers, parents, and professional networks, strengthening educational practice and creating richer learning experiences for children.

Kiran

Ms. Kiran is a Vice-Principal in the government school of Delhi. Prior to her posting as a Vice-Principal she worked as a Senior Secondary teacher of sociology. She started her career as a Primary teacher in Kendriya Vidyalaya. She holds a Bachelor of Elementary Education degree and a B.Ed. from the University of Delhi. She also holds a master’s degree in sociology and is currently pursuing a PG diploma in school leadership and management from Indira Gandhi National Open University. She has participated in various trainings and seminars conducted by DoE, CBSE, and SCERT including UTCS trainings and leadership development program at IIM Ahmedabad.

Kiran wants to promote and nurture educational practices that integrate empathy, peaceful conflict resolution, and dialogue into the school culture to mould students into happy, compassionate, and socially responsible citizens.

As an FDAI scholar, Kiran is learning innovative pedagogical approaches that not only promote peace education and social-emotional development but also develop a sense of appreciation. Upon her return, Kiran aims to cultivate and strengthen new learnings and findings within her school system.

Sonaleeca Das

Ms. Sonaleeca Das is a science teacher at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Tenughat of Bokaro district in the state of Jharkhand. She has been teaching science to middle-school learners for eighteen years. She has an integrated bachelor’s degree in science and education from Regional Institute of Education, Bhubaneswar.

She is actively involved in planning and organizing science exhibitions, exposure visits to science centres, mentor talks, and workshops on nurturing design thinking among the middle-grade learners for their successful participation in national-level science competitions. In 2016 she received the Navodaya National Incentive Award for her contributions in the field of teaching learning in one of the remote north-eastern regions of India.

During her participation in the Fulbright DAI program, Sonaleeca plans to explore methods to nurture, develop, and scaffold reflection as a skill among the middle-school learners in science. She believes that the skill of reflection should help the current generation of learners to listen to their internal voice, to make meaning of their experiences and develop the ability to receive comments, suggestions, evaluations, and feedback. The learning and findings from her project will guide her to redesign the experiential learning process in her school. She plans to disseminate learnings from this project through research publications and workshops with fellow teachers.

Nilam Thakkar

Ms. Nilam Thakkar is an educator with over 15 years of experience at NGO Manav Sadhna. Through its Prathma remedial education program, she has been teaching 4th and 5th graders while serving as Principal, and training 12 teachers on holistic values-based education. She also developed the Prathma curriculum, which includes workbooks, assessments, and teacher training modules.

She holds a Primary Teacher’s Training diploma (PTC), a B.Ed., and an MA from Gujarat University. She has pursued professional development through programs such as Social Emotional Learning (SEL) facilitation, done pedagogy training with Teach for India, and Waldorf Education training. Her dedication to education has been recognized with the Women of Excellence Award (2023) and the Wonder Woman Award (2019).

Since 2016, she has been a member of the selection committee of the Gujarat State Child Care and Protection Department, selecting members for the Child Welfare Committee and Juvenile Justice Board across 33 districts.

As a Fulbright DAI fellow, Nilam aims to explore innovative educational approaches to address the psychological, social, and emotional challenges faced by children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Her project focuses on creating sustainable interventions to enhance students’ cognitive skills, motivation, and self-confidence. She plans to design a teacher’s guide and training modules to empower teachers and foster supportive learning environments. Her vision is to integrate these strategies into her school system and share her learnings with NGOs and schools, ensuring holistic child development and academic progress for underserved communities.

Joyeeta Banerjee

Ms. Joyeeta Banerjee is an assistant teacher at Nikunjapur High School teaching English as Second Language (ESL) to the rural learners of secondary and higher secondary grades for the past 23 years. She holds a master’s degree in English from the University of Burdwan and a master’s in education from Rabindra Bharati University.

She is the cultural coordinator of her school and after school hours, actively engages in teaching English to disadvantaged learners. She appeared in the critically acclaimed movie Kalamkathi, screened in the environment category of the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival. She has published many articles. Her book review was featured in the prestigious Bengali quarterly Anustup. She was a recipient of the National Child Rights Research Fellowship in 2012.

As a Fulbright fellow, Joyeeta is exploring theoretical and practical issues related to ESL pedagogy. It will be useful in delineating a plan of action to foster meaningful learning for the first-generation learners in her ESL classrooms. She intends to publish her findings and her experiences both in academic journals and popular magazines and newspapers. She is interested in conducting workshops and seminars at the grassroots for the benefit of her school and community.

Benny Varghese

Mr. Benny Varghese is Research and Publication Officer (Post Graduate Teacher Mathematics) at Navodaya Leadership Institute, Canacona, Goa—one of the seven teacher training institutes for Navodaya Schools run by the Ministry of Education, Government of India. With 25 years of teaching experience in senior secondary schools, Mr. Varghese was honored with the National ICT Award by the Government of India in 2016 in recognition of his effective and innovative integration of ICT in promoting students’ learning. During 2020-22, he served as an institute advisory board member of the Central Institute of Education Technology, a constituent unit of the National Council of Educational Research and Training, Government of India. He holds a master’s degree in mathematics and a bachelor’s degree in education.

At times, the abstractness of mathematics makes its teaching and learning a dull experience for many. Through his Fulbright DAI project, ‘Toy-based pedagogy for enjoyable mathematics learning’, Mr. Varghese aims to transform the traditional methods of teaching and learning Math by means of gamification. Given children’s fondness for games, he intends to design and use mathematical games to teach and reinforce math concepts. Upon his return to India, he intends to share his enriching Fulbright DAI experience and his pedagogical findings with Navodaya school teachers. He further aims to implement the findings of his project in Navodaya schools and in other educational organizations in the country.

Mohammad Imran Khan Mewati

Mr. Mohammad Imran Khan Mewati, an Indian teacher and mobile app developer, has made significant contributions to the field of education and technology. As a school teacher in the Sanskrit Education Department in Alwar, Mr. Khan’s passion for education and his understanding of the transformative power of technology led him to develop over 100 educational mobile applications. These apps have garnered millions of users, providing free educational content to students from rural and marginalized communities.

Mr. Khan’s advocacy for digital learning and equal access to technology gained national attention when the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned him during a speech at Wembley Stadium in 2015, “My India is in Imran Khan of Alwar.” His dedication and impact on education have been recognized through numerous prestigious awards, including the National Teacher Award, National ICT Teacher Award, and the Jamnalal Bajaj Award. He has developed notable apps, such as the PRASHAST app for disability screening in schools for the Indian Ministry of Education and Project Dishari, Geervani, and DevVani for the Government of Rajasthan.

During his Fulbright DAI project, Mr. Khan is developing an advanced educational app that incorporates pedagogical principles and utilizes cutting-edge technology. The app aims to deliver engaging educational content, enabling students to learn easily using smartphones.

Ravi Kumar Kola

Dr. Ravi Kumar Kola is Teacher of English at Zilla Parishad High School Panthini, Hanumakonda, Telangana. He has 24 years of teaching experience, master’s in English and zoology, and a Ph.D. in zoology. Dr. Kola was awarded the National ICT Award for School Teachers by the Ministry of Education, Government of India for extensive integration of technology with content and pedagogy. He is also a state resource person for SCERT Telangana. A constant learner, he has completed online courses from prestigious institutes like US Embassy’s Regional English Language Office (RELO), New Delhi, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, and Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

Through his participation in the Fulbright DAI program, Dr. Kola is enhancing his teaching skills and gaining insights into innovative pedagogical approaches. Upon returning to India, he intends to utilize his refined English language skills to develop tailored English language programs for rural students in Telangana. By equipping rural students with strong English language abilities, he aims to empower them to access better educational opportunities and improve their employability as well as to bridge the linguistic gap between rural and urban areas in the state. As an active member of various English forums, Dr. Kola wishes to share knowledge gained from his Fulbright project with the English fraternity of Telangana.