Other Fulbright Grants India: Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program

Dinesh Kumar

Mr. Dinesh Kumar teaches biology to grades 11 and 12 at a Government Girls’ Senior Secondary School in Ajnala, Amritsar, Punjab. With more than 20 years of teaching experience, he oversees the functioning of the science and biology laboratory in the school. He has a double master’s in zoology and English.

Mr. Kumar received the Malti Gyan Peeth Puraskar in 2018 from the Vice President of India for his contributions to the field of education. He participated in a professional development program at the University of Toronto sponsored by the Punjab Government. He served as a mentor teacher and a master resource person for teacher training programs. He actively participated in national and international training sessions, workshops, and seminars, covering a wide array of subjects and objectives.

Mr. Kumar sees the Fulbright TEA program as a transformative opportunity to enhance his teaching skills and bring new perspectives to his students and colleagues. During the program, he is exploring innovative approaches to biology education, incorporating technology in the classroom, and understanding global best practices.

Upon his return to India, Mr. Kumar plans to integrate the knowledge gained from the Fulbright TEA program into his teaching methods with a focus on creating a more engaging and interactive learning environment for his students. He envisions sharing his experiences with his fellow educators and contributing to the improvement of biology education in the local community and beyond.

Bhavna Sawnani

Ms. Bhavna Sawnani is Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at the head office of the Directorate of Education, Delhi and Lecturer of Biology. With master’s degrees in zoology, education, and English, Ms. Sawnani has worked in the field of education for the past 21 years and as a mentor teacher for six years.

During her tenure as a teacher, she worked on several science projects and her models were recognized at the state level for their innovative approach. She was awarded the State Teachers’ Award – Delhi and Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Award for her significant contributions in the field of education. Ms. Sawnani is Editor of Dilli Shiksha magazine and quarterly school science magazine; in-charge of the social media team of the Delhi Directorate of Education and alumni projects; and coordinator of all delegates from India and abroad. She has also represented Delhi at several international conferences and has served as a panelist in several educational programs. As a mentor teacher, Ms. Sawnani observed her colleagues’ classes, offered feedback for improvement, conducted staff meetings and workshops for teachers, developed curriculum for the Delhi Board of Education, and designed several books.

During her Fulbright TEA program, Ms. Sawnani is learning pedagogical tools used by teachers to make classrooms accessible and inclusive. She further intends to work with parents of children with disabilities and bring them together as a community. She aims to disseminate insights gained from her stay in the U.S. to parents and teachers in her communities back home.

Shreya Sarkar

Dr. Shreya Sarkar is working as a guest researcher at the GNSS Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Burdwan, West Bengal. She has worked in collaboration with different space agencies across the globe and published several peer-reviewed papers in reputed national and international journals. She obtained scholarships from the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), and ISU, France. In 2019, Dr. Sarkar was the only Indian who received a grant from UNOOSA for presenting her research work at the UN/Fiji Workshop on the Applications of Global Navigation Satellite Systems. At this workshop, she also acted as the rapporteur for one of the sessions. She received the prestigious Quarterly Franklin Membership from the London Journals Press. She is also a member of the Women in Aerospace network, Europe; the Space Generation Advisory Council, Austria; and an editorial board member of two Scientific International Open Access Journals.

After pursuing her Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Sarkar obtained her second master’s in space science from the International Space University (ISU), France. She has been teaching physics for the past 16 years at a government sponsored school in West Bengal. Earlier, she worked as a guest lecturer in different graduate, postgraduate, and engineering colleges in West Bengal. She actively organizes science fairs, science seminars, and visits to university research laboratories. As a science teacher, Dr. Sarkar strives to inspire students in science education. To this end, she is conducting virtual space tours for Indian students visiting the central campus of ISU, France and is mentoring her students’ research work on UN’s sustainable goals.

Through her participation in the Fulbright TEA program, Dr. Sarkar hopes to achieve her vision of building a global teacher network. She aims to utilize her insights from the program to create an all-inclusive joyful learning experience for the all-round development of students. She also wants to further her work of including space education in the school curriculum.

Nijoy P Jose

Dr. Nijoy P Jose is a higher secondary school teacher and trainer of the English language at St. Thomas Higher Secondary School in Pala, Kerala, and a life skill trainer certified by Junior Chamber International. He has a master’s, an M.Phil., and a Ph.D. in English. Through his 21 years of teaching experience, he has worked as a student trainer, a teacher trainer, and a trainers’ trainer. Dr. Jose is also a columnist and the author of three books. He has received many awards and recognitions from various firms, including the Manorama Online Thought Leader Fellowship 2022.

Through his participation in the Fulbright TEA program, Dr. Jose aims to be academically sharp and socially productive. The program is helping him learn about the global scenario of the teaching-learning process and interactions with native speakers of the English language are helping him reimagine his language-learning classrooms back home. He further believes that the FTEA program will help him in developing strategies to address the challenges faced by marginalized groups while learning English.

A. Madhu Babu

Mr. Madhu Babu is a teacher and trainer of the English language at the Z.P. High School, Brahmanatarla, Andhra Pradesh and an e-content developer for the State Council for Education Research and Training, Andhra Pradesh (APSCERT). In his extensive teaching experience of 27 years, he has developed several classroom videos and conducted workshops on career guidance, life skills, and communication skills for students and teachers. His classroom practices are fun-filled, student-friendly, and designed to help students tackle real-world challenges. In recognition of his role in improving communication skills among children from rural areas in India, Mr. Babu received the National Best Teacher Award in 2020. He has a master’s in English and a bachelor’s in education. He also has a diploma in ELT from the Regional Institute of English, Bengaluru.

Through his participation in the prestigious Fulbright TEA program, Mr. Babu is exploring the role of teaching strategies in promoting employability skills among students. Upon his return to India at the end of the program, he hopes to share the insights gained during his stay in the U.S. with his students and colleagues.

Rameez Ahmad

Mr. Rameez Ahmad is a progressive educator based out of Kashmir. He has 12 years of teaching experience in classroom teaching and teacher training. His areas of work include social-emotional learning (SEL), school safety, and Indian polity. He has a bachelor’s in science and a master’s in disaster management. He completed diplomas in remote sensing, mass communication and journalism.

Mr. Ahmad is passionate about community work and is associated with national and international organizations, such as the Indian Society of Red Cross (IRCS) and UNICEF. He has presented his work on education at various international and national conferences, including IIM Ahmedabad and IIT Bombay. He is also a recipient of a scholarship from Emory University, Atlanta to study cognitively based compassion training (CBCT).

The Fulbright TEA program has widened Mr. Ahmad’s imagination and helped him think of diverse methods and pedagogical interventions in education. He received rigorous training at UMass on best teaching practices. The major highlights of this training were collaboration within school systems, divergent thinking, and creative use of instructional technology. Since his return to India, Mr. Ahmad has been sharing his learnings with his community through workshops and training sessions. He has initiated an SEL project at his school. He has also initiated joint projects with the U.S. academia and students to facilitate cross-cultural understanding for the promotion of safety, peace, and well-being of children.

Shayista Shakeel

Ms. Shayista Shakeel teaches English and Social Science at a government high school in the district of Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir. She has a dual master’s in English and education. She is passionate about environmental pollution and undertakes activities with her students to clean water resources and disposal of bio-degradable waste. She has counseled several students who are undergoing depression or addicted to drugs. She coordinates workshops and events focusing on skill enhancement and development of students. In addition, she is a freelance columnist and has authored several articles in local dailies.

Ms. Shakeel’s participation in the Fulbright TEA program is helping her to develop a curriculum based on the model of shared learning for her students. She is learning new teaching methodologies and is sharing her experience and observations with international FTEA participants. Upon return to India, she intends to advocate practice-based learning and inclusive classrooms in schools of her community with the help of knowledge gained during her Fulbright program.

Ravi Kumar Sankranthi

Mr. Ravi Kumar Sankranthi teaches English to grades 6 – 10 at the Zilla Parishad High School in Kusumanchi, Telangana. Most of his students are from marginalized communities. Since 2008, he is also a teacher trainer for district and state-level training programs. He has trained teachers from vernacular medium schools and equipped them to teach in English medium schools. He has a master’s and a bachelor’s in English literature.

Mr. Sankranthi participated in a workshop on multilingualism organized by the Regional Institute of English, Bangalore wherein he provided digital inputs for the training module of in-service teachers. He presented a paper on “Issues and Challenges in the Implementation of Discourse Oriented Pedagogy” at a national conference in Hyderabad.

During the Fulbright TEA program, Mr. Sankranthi is learning the latest strategies in teaching English. He is excited to share his classroom experiences and success stories with the international FTEA fellows. He is curious to find solutions to the challenges of teaching in a heterogeneous classroom. As a cultural ambassador, he is excited to represent his country and culture and understand the cultures of other countries. Upon his return, Mr. Sankranthi wants to share his FTEA experiences with his students and colleagues. He intends to create a long-lasting bond with U.S. schools and schools of international FTEA fellows by designing various academic projects.

Amandeep Singh Lakhanpal

Mr. Amandeep Singh teaches English at a government school in Andlu village, Ludhiana, Punjab. He has more than 15 years of experience teaching in rural and urban schools. He has a master’s in English and a bachelor’s in education. Additionally, he has completed a postgraduate certificate in the Teaching of English.

As a state resource person, Mr. Singh is involved in developing content for teacher training modules. He has attended international conferences on “English language teaching” in UK and India. He completed a five-week online teacher training course on ‘Shaping the Way We Teach English, the Landscape of English Language Teaching’ organized by the U.S. Department of State and the University of Oregon. He received the prestigious Malti Gyan Peeth Award from the President of India in 2016 for his excellence in teaching. His various appreciation certificates from the Punjab Directorate of Education speak of his contribution to imparting quality education to his students.

The Fulbright TEA program is an opportunity for Mr. Singh to learn new teaching techniques and methodologies used in the American educational system which will further help him serve his community and students in India. His participation in the FTEA program will facilitate in enhancing the English language proficiency of his students. Upon his return to India, he would like to share his knowledge about the U.S. and its educational values with his colleagues and students to make them aware of the best educational practices in the U.S.

Divya Gupta

Ms. Divya Gupta is an English language teacher with the Directorate of Education, Government of National Capital Territory (GNCT), Delhi. She has more than 13 years of teaching experience. Currently, she is engaged with the Library branch at the Headquarters of the Directorate of Education where she is involved in improving the infrastructure and reading resources at the libraries of Delhi government schools. She works with librarians at all the Schools of Specialized Excellence in Delhi to ensure that young learners enjoy reading from their early years and get access to age-appropriate engaging books. She is also responsible for developing these libraries as safe spaces where students can explore reading at their pace.

Ms. Gupta was instrumental in creating Delhi’s first Reading Room in one of the Schools of Excellence. She strongly believes that libraries are centers of learning that play a significant role in raising a thoughtful, tolerant, sensitive generation of thinkers in addition to being springboards for academic achievement and language acquisition.

Through her Fulbright journey, Ms. Gupta aims to learn how the multiplicity of perspectives in different cultures impacts learning around the globe. During her FTEA program, she is gaining insights into curriculum design and the latest models of lesson planning. She is excited to interact with educators from the U.S. and other countries and create a network of educators for continuous professional development.