Team Members
Finding Feet - Primary School ( Classes I - IV)
Seema Upadhyaya - Head - Primary School
Seema Upadhyaya is the Head of Primary School. With a post graduation in Business Management, Hotel Management and corporate experience, she moved on to connect with progressive education in 1998.
Her passion to understand and learn more about children and education led her to undergo the Waldorf Teacher Training Programme. She worked as a Waldorf teacher and later associated herself with the Sri Sri Vidya Mandir Schools.
The journey with Shikshantar began with its inception. Through her experiences at Shikshantar, she has deepened her understanding of experiential learning, classroom practices, curriculum and teaching methodologies. She has grown here from a teacher to a Curriculum Coordinator, Supervisor and now the Head of Primary School.
Putting down her musings as an educator interests her and she contributes to her blog whenever the urge to share her observations and learning grips her. “My learning has been in the road taken to travel so far… and I continue to walk.”
Amrita Sinha - Curriculum Coordinator - Classes I & II
Amrita Sinha is the curriculum facilitator and coordinator for class I and II.
The stepping stone in the field of education for her was the ‘Teachers’ Training Program’ at Aurobindo Ashram. This was followed by Bachelor’s and Master’s in English and Bachelors in Education. The extensive teacher training programme from the progressive school Mirambika took her on a journey of integrated and experiential learning. The intense three years long teacher training program provided a base for her to understand progressive education, integrated learning and whole language approach. The journey continued with Shikshantar which shares a similar philosophy and vision of integrated and progressive education.
Her association with Shikshantar has strengthened her belief in Experiential and Progressive Learning and Integral five-fold Education. Ten years of close company with young children has reinforced to her the importance and need for a curriculum to evolve and revolve around child’s growth. She has also designed and implemented an effective and inclusive curriculum for the special needs children.
As a curriculum facilitator and coordinator, she believes “Learning is a spiral with depth and breadth as goals” and for her- Education starts at birth and never ends…
Roona Kriplani - Curriculum Coordinator - Classes I & II
Coming from a background of Commerce, Roona didi is a certified social compliance auditor. She has worked closely with organisations in India and abroad, ensuring human rights, fair wages and healthy working environments. She made a conscious choice to take a break and spend meaningful time with her children during their early years.
Her association with Shikshantar began in 2009 as a parent, when both her children stepped into their Vanar Years in the Pre Primary school. She often shares, “My seeking and discovery of Shikshantar for my children, in turn, led me to discover myself. It unfolded an inner journey I was destined to take- embracing the child within me and becoming a guiding light for children, both as a parent and as a facilitator… being one and whole with the place where I can truly be me.”
Resonating deeply with the school’s child-centric and inclusive approach, Roona didi joined the Primary team as a facilitator for Classes I and II in 2014. Through her warmth, presence and genuine interactions, she creates a space where children feel seen, heard, and known.
Over the years, her journey has taken her deeper into the children’s world as she stepped into the role of Curriculum Coordinator. In this role, she continues to carry forward the spirit of the Three Principles of Learning, thoughtfully weaving experiences that celebrate each child’s inner world.
Artistically inclined, Roona didi feels at home in the world of stories, art, music, and dance, which naturally flow into her work with children.