Last week, Akanksha Foundation’s K.C. Thackeray Vidya Niketan School in Pune celebrated its 18th anniversary. That’s nearly 2 decades of incredible work with students, parents, and the local community. At Akanksha we value long-term relationships with the students, and the staff and educators are constantly learning, growing, and challenging themselves to create the best holistics experience possible for the children. Happy birthday, KCTVN! Thank you for being an amazing model of excellence and creativity, and for showing what a deep relationship can do for your students. Interested in learning more about Akanksha’s depth-based model? Visit us at www.akankshafund.org. (fb)

At Akanksha we are proud of all of our students, and love to highlight their work beyond the classroom. We have a special position on our Board of Directors for an Alumni Advisor – a graduate of an Akanksha Foundation school who is passionate about community and brings a fresh, innovative perspective. Today, we invite you to meet Mrunal Khadke, our current Alumni Advisor. Mrunal pursued further studies in the US, and now holds a degree in Environmental Studies, Public Action, and Dance from Bennington College in Vermont. She is passionate about environmental policy and reversing climate change. She currently helps shape young minds as a Preschool Teacher at Next Generation VT. Q: How would you describe your experience at Akanksha in three words? M: Adventurous, eye-opening and transformative Q: What is the most valuable thing you learned while at an Akanksha school? A: I learned to take initiative and work on my ideas/creativity instead of just keeping it bottled up, and help bring a change in my community. Q: What is something that you learned that made an impact on where you are now? M: Public speaking and performing at different events at school made an immense impact on me as it instilled self-confidence and perseverance in me. It helped me navigate through different transitions I went through especially after school such as living in a new country, adapting to a new space, culture and people. Whenever I felt anxious, isolated or fearful because of all the changes around me I was able to push through by voicing my opinion and communicating with others to the best of my ability. Q: What do you aim to bring to the table with your role on the board? M: I aim to bring alumni voice and feedback to the table with my role on the board. I want to help create a better system for Akanksha alums that caters towards more engagement within the Akanksha alums, more effective resource guides which would make college and post graduation transitions easier and less stressful for alums and encourage more initiative and feedback from them. Q: What is a fun fact about you? M: I love to dance and 2 of my favorite dance forms are Hip-hop and Afro dance Congratulations on continuing your board position this year – thank you for being a part of the Akanksha family, Mrunal! We look forward to your input as we continue to support transformative classroom experiences and effective school to work transitions for students. Learn more at www.akankshafund.org. hashtag#akankshaeducationfund hashtag#transformingeducation hashtag#schooltowork hashtag#potentialtopossibilities hashtag#educationatoempower (fb)