Grants & Projects
The Global Teacher Grant 2022-2023
The Global Teacher Grants are sponsored annually by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX. These grants offer opportunities for alumni of Teacher Exchanges to catalyze their efforts as teacher leaders, develop professionally, and affect positive change in their schools and communities.
Ms. Subha Chandrashekhar has been the recipient of this prestigious grant for 2 consecutive years; 2012-22 & 2022-23.
In July 2022, she completed a project, “Making Indian Schools accessible to CWSN” in the states of Assam, Kerala, Chhattisgarh and Punjab especially in the semi-urban and rural areas. It was the only project which was selected from India in the Global Teachers’ Grant competition held in 2021.
This year she has collaborated with Fulbright Alumni, Kshama Kaushik, Chief Functionary & Secretary, Rajasthan Mahila Kalyan Mandal to implement the project ‘Ensuring Inclusion and Equity for all students through Empowerment of Teachers’. Through this project, teachers will be trained in using PRASHAST, a screening checklist to identify children at risk for disabilities in school. The project will be implemented in Delhi, Ajmer and Chennai.
Glimpses from the Training session held on 27 & 28 February 2023
The Global Teacher Grant 2021-2022
The 2021 Global Teacher Grants are sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX One of the most important recommendations from the National Educational Policy 2020 is for inclusive and equitable education. For decades we have followed the medical model where the child with the special needs is seen as the problem. However, since the 21 st century, there has been a shift from the medical model to what is now known as the Social Rights based model. All children have a right to a life of dignity, more so in the case of those with disabilities. Barriers in the society and in school need to be removed to ensure children with disabilities also have access to all the things that are taken for granted by those children without disabilities. This process has to begin with inclusive education.
NEP 2020 advocates continuous professional development for teachers, especially online programs which can be taken at the convenient pace of the learners to learn the latest innovations and advances in school education. Capacity building of general education teachers and collaboration between general education teachers and special education teachers will pave the way for successful inclusive education. When inclusion is practised in school, it will also impact students without special needs ,thus leading to a progressive and tolerant society. This project ‘Making Indian Schools Accessible for Children with Special Needs’ was planned on the above rationale
This project is the only one from India to have received the prestigious grant.
The project is being implemented in the four Indian states of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Punjab and Kerala. The schools are located in the semi-urban or rural areas of these states.
Glimpses from Kerala and Chhattisgarh State
Grants & Recognitions
- Recipient of the USIEF FULBRIGHT TEACHER ALUMNI GRANT 2020-2021
- Recipient of the 2021 Global Teacher Grants (GTG) sponsored by the U.S. Dept. Of State’s bureau of Educational & cultural Affairs (ECA)
- A ‘Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Programs for International Teachers’(FDAI ) Scholar from Arizona State University (Jan –May 2019)
- An American with Disability (ADA) Fellow from University of Minnesota (May-June 2017)
- Member of the Rehabilitation Council of India, Govt. of India (CRE NO. A 25317 )
Other Merits and Awards
- Received ‘Jagran Josh Award for Best Initiative for Children with Special Needs’ for outstanding initiatives which benefitted students with physical and learning challenges., March 2022
- Received the “Role Model Teacher Award’ from the Delhi Public School Society in September 2014
- Received the ‘International School Award’ 2013-16 from British Council for supporting the integration of international learning in the Curriculum.
- Received the “Bharat Nirman Award “in June 2013 for outstanding contribution in the field of Inclusive and Special Education.
- Vocational Education & Development Award in 2004
- Quality Education and Awareness Award for outstanding contribution to Education from Quality Institute of India & World Quality Congress in 2002.
COLLABORATION WITH USIEF
In collaboration with USIEF, ANUGRAHAM, Subha Chandrashekhar organized a panel discussion on ‘ Guidelines for development of e-content for CWSN’ during the International Week of Education in November 2021. Adaptation of printed textbooks into Accessible Digital Textbooks (ADTs), and development of e-content for children with Specific Learning Disabilities, Intellectual Disabilities, Visual Impairment, Hearing Impairment and Autism was highlighted.
In December 2021, Ms Chandrashekhar conducted a session on ‘Universal Design for Learning’ to commemorate 75 years of Fulbright.
LIFE OF DIGNITY (Ongoing project since January 2022)
Adults with disabilities such as Intellectual Disabilities are often not engaged in remunerative and dignified vocations. This not only leads to economic dependency on parents but also has a continuous impact on the mental health of the caregivers. Employment of adults with intellectual disabilities requires systemic planning, audit of available and potential resources and collaboration with parents and other professionals. It also requires harnessing social support.
Currently working with a group of parents and Special Educators to empower adults with intellectual disabilities in a sheltered workshop environment. It involves training of adults with disabilities, their parents and trainers in role specific skills in managing a café. The adults with disabilities will be trained on the job and the required support will be provided by training the parents to make the project sustainable.