Team

Team Shikshamitra

Conceptualized by Sudeshna and Sujit Sinha in 2004, Shikshamitra continues to be an open learning and resource center. The Shikshamitra team consists of people deeply committed to education. Their expertise is in child development, teacher education, material development (Bengali, English and mathematics), and creativity at the elementary level. Shikshamitra honors diversity through its team members. With full time, part time, and outside resource persons, the organization moves forward.

Sudeshna Sinha

Founder and Head of Shikshamitra

By profession Sudeshna Sinha is a special educator, and has been largely involved in establishing experimental elementary schools (Aashirvad Vidyalaya at St. Joseph’s School and Shikshamitra in Kolkata). Her expertise is in developing curriculum, appropriate pedagogy, materials, books and assessment tools. Currently she heads Shikshamitra, an education resource and teacher training centre. Sudeshna is dedicated to teacher training at the elementary level and she excels at motivating, supporting and creating inspired, caring teachers. Sudeshna is also involved in writing and preparing books and documents for teachers and children in lucid language She has designed methods and materials for effective teaching, especially in languages.

Sudeshna has been a resource teacher to alternate initiatives, many by NGOs, and teacher centres in West Bengal and other Indian states, including Digantar, Rajasthan. She has been a long-term advisor and resource consultant to the alternative school, Nalonda, in Bangladesh and Techno India Group of Schools at Ariadaha in West Bengal. She has close connections to Wipro Foundation and Azim Premji University as a resource consultant. Currently she splits her time developing need-based content for learning centres in urban and rural Bengal, as well as building the capacity of teachers and mentoring organisations.

Biswajit Chitrakar

Coordinator

Beginning his career as a youth leader in CINI Asha (Kolkata), Biswajit Chitrakar transformed into a devoted teacher at Shikshamitra. He specializes in Maths for primary level up to Class 6. Presently, Biswajit serves as the Chief Coordinator at Shikshamitra and is in charge of all of our training programs. He is responsible for conducting the Maths Training for teachers in regular schools, and NGO-run centres. He is an integral part of the creation and distribution of Shikshamitra’s teaching-learning materials. He currently designs lifeskills classes for women in the Her Future Coalition vocational training programs.

Maura Hurley

Shikshamitra Art educator & Designer and present co-coordinator of Shikshamitra Library.

Maura is an Art educator who has successfully run a community library called Mustard Seeds out of her home for over 20 years. She incorporates story books, environment, sustainability, and experiential learning in all of her sessions. Associated since inception in 2005, Maura was the Art Educator in Shikshamitra school, a co-coordinator of the Shikshamitra after-school library for the community children and the person behind all creative ventures of Shikshamitra: books, exhibitions. Maura is a co-coordinator of the current Shikshamitra library. She is currently the in-house art & design person at Shikshamitra. Maura is also involved with a non-profit organization called Her Future Coalition, which works to provide survivors of trafficking the tools to become independent in their lives.

Mahua Dutta

Library Resource Person

With an academic background in Chemistry, Mahua pursued her Masters in Library and Information Science out of passion and she continues to be an out-of-the box librarian. Beginning as the Science teacher and the Librarian at the Shikshamitra school, Mahua gathered experience and has moved on to become an appropriate librarian for a Library as an open learning space. Mahua and Maura have helped in developing Shikshamitra’s Workshop on Libraries as Open Learning Spaces. Mahua continues to conduct these workshops for Shikshamitra in and around Kolkata. Beside Shikshamitra, Mahua conducts Saturday Library sessions for children at the Rokeya Shiksha Kendra, a civil society initiative. A prolific chronicler and writer, Mahua has translated many of the Shikshamitra storybooks.

Dr. Aniruddha Deb

Publications Advisor

Dr. Aniruddha Deb, a well known psychiatrist in Kolkata, is also an author, writing regularly for children and adolescents. He is the President of Shikshamitra and has been associated with the organisation since 2013. Dr. Deb is in charge of overseeing and helping with the Shikshamitra publications. Ever helpful and knowledgeable, Dr. Deb is the go-to person in our organisation.

Babai Das

Productions Assistant

Babai Das is an ex-Shikshamitra student who has always been interested in paper crafts and working with his hands. He worked for several years at Punjali, a small business creating handmade gift items. He is deeply associated with the development and creation of Shikshmitra’s unique Teaching-Learning materials.

Shikshamitra Associates

Rajat Mallick

Sound & Music

Gopal Mondal

Maths Training

Sipra Mukherjee

Bengali Training

Rajat Mallick

Sound & Music

Gopal Mondal

Maths Training

Sipra Mukherjee

Bengali Training

Rahul Basu

Worksheet Production

Rahul Basu

Worksheet Production

Malini Basu

Illustrator

Tanya Kumar

Library

Malini Basu

Illustrator

Tanya Kumar

Library

Members of the Shikshamitra Managing Committee

Dr. Aniruddha Deb

(President)

Sudeshna Sinha

(Secretary)

Priyatosh Dutta

(Treasurer)

Soumya Chakravarti

Cheryl Francis

Sujit Sinha

Mahua Dutta

We thank the following for their support and cooperation in so many ways

  • Aid Ind Lgo
  • Asha Lgo
  • Her Future Lgo
  • Indie Lgo
  • Kol Seeds Lgo
  • Wipro Lgo