Apni Shala Foundation
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The Apni Shala Fellowship program is no longer active.

​This program was a first-of-its-kind SEL-focused fellowship aimed to bring transformative change in public schools.
​

If you desire to

transform public education systems to become safer...

create more caring spaces in schools...

help children learn emotional resilience and social skills...

​
this fellowship is for you.

Why do we offer an annual Fellowship?

The Apni Shala fellowship envisions an  ever-widening circle of caring, compassionate youth  inspired to integrate mental wellbeing education in schools, while growing to be  more reflective, compassionate and  empowered individuals.
​
The fellowship aims to create joyful, practice based learning journeys that construct ripple effects in the school systems as fellows simultaneously complete their own journeys of learning.  
​​

A one-year full-time, paid fellowship programme

The Apni Shala Fellowship is a one-year full-time, paid fellowship programme for you if you are passionate about bringing mental health and social-emotional learning to students, while pursuing your own learning in this area.

​As an Apni Shala Fellow, you will have the opportunity to be one of the frontrunners of the mental wellbeing and education movement in India. You will first engage in a rigorous training program that will help you learn and unlearn ideas about education and what it should be. You will then become part of a continuous learning process, building abilities to work directly with children and adults. Throughout, Apni Shala’s team of trainers and assigned supervisor will guide you through this refreshing, challenging and transformational journey as a Fellow!

Hear from the Fellows:
Meghna (2016 Fellow)

The Fellowship helps you to ...

​Explore the SEL space

  • ​Become part of a dynamic and professional learning community that provides exposure to emerging trends and explore issues in the mental health and education sector
  • Experience working with key stakeholders in the education system including headmasters, teachers and parents to create awareness about the social-emotional needs of children
  • Join an ecosystem that supports change in the contemporary medium of education
​

Build and Experience

  • Develop a deep understanding of mental health, wellbeing and social-emotional learning landscape in the Indian education system
  • Develop your skills as a facilitator
  • Learn to use educational and therapeutic tools such as drama, art, games and storytelling
  • Build the skills to design and deliver curriculum for social-emotional competency development
  • Get hands-on experience of engaging multiple stakeholders- teachers, parents, headmasters in a school setting, and the managers and coordinators working in communities
  • Build your own competencies in the areas of leadership, problem solving and critical thinking skills
  • Develop entrepreneurial skills to mobilize funds and resources 
  • Participate in the Organizational event.​
    ​

Contribute and Catalyze

  • Provide over 350 hours of social-emotional learning opportunity to over 300 students 
  • Create spaces for children for free and open expression of thought on personal and societal issues through your sessions
  • Influence the way schools think about education and mental health
  • Take one big step towards full school integration of Mental Health ​
​

Grow​​

Grow with these benefits and supports
  • Earn an allowance of Rs. 25,000 per month + up to 2000 travel reimbursement. 
  • Become a certified Apni Shala Fellow on completion of the fellowship
  • On completion of the fellowship, get a chance to continue for the second year of fellowship, to grow your SEL practice with a chosen area of internship in departments such as fundraising, communications, curriculum or advocacy etc.

What does the Fellowship look like?

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Hear from our Fellows! #JollyGoodFellows
​
Shahid Sheikh (2017 Fellow)



​
​Preeti Baghel (2018 Fellow)

Krutika Khare (2017 Fellow)

Application process: (application period is now closed)

Step 1. Check your Eligibility

You are eligible to apply to the Fellowship if you:
  1. Have one of the following:
    • ​​Graduate degree in any discipline, or
    • At least six months volunteering/working experience with some form of facilitation in a formal setting with children/adolescents with graduation in any discipline
  2. Are fluent in reading and writing English and
    ​Are fluent in speaking either Hindi or Marathi
  3. Have excellent communication skills
  4. Are able to take initiative
  5. Are open to constructive feedback
  6. Are willing to commit one year (starting any time after 1st June 2024) to the fellowship​, work in in Mumbai’s municipal schools
  7. Are willing to work with children, teachers, parents, and other school stakeholders to transform schools into great SEL spaces

Step 2. Attend Orientation (Optional)

If you meet the eligibility criteria, you may choose to attend an orientation session “Fellowship - The Inside Story” to learn about the Fellowship in detail and clarify any doubts before applying for the programme. Signing up for Orientations is not required to Apply for the Fellowship (see Step 3 below).
​

Step 3. Apply

You will be required to fill in the Fellowship Application form (in English, Hindi, or Marathi). 
What should you expect after submitting your application?
  • Round 1:  Shortlisted candidates will be invited for the 1st round of personal interviews to the Apni Shala office/online video call (on Google meet or Zoom)
  • Demo: Shortlisted candidates will be invited for a demo facilitation session (online/offline) 
  • Final Round: Shortlisted candidates after the demo will be called for a final round of personal interview (Online/offline)
  • Decisions: Final candidates selected for the Fellowship will be announced.

Applications will be considered only after submission of the online application form. CVs sent to the organization’s email/contact address will not be considered.

Facilitators

In alphabetical order

Abhijeet Dhurve
Abhijeet leads program operations in MCGM/Non-MCGM partners and coordinates the Fellowship program. He holds a Masters degree in Social Work from TISS, Mumbai.


Amrita Nair
Amrita heads Research Development, Advocacy and Human resources at Apni Shala. She holds a Masters degree in Social Entrepreneurship and is trained in Personal counseling, Theater of the Oppressed, Diversity and Inclusion (the National SEED Project), and Library Education. 


Hitanshi Sharma
Hitanshi, leads program operations in MCGM/Non-MCGM partners and coordinates fellowship programs. She has a Masters in degree in Counseling Psychology with an Advanced Diploma in Child Care and Child Development.

Mayuri Golambde 
Mayuri in her role as Government Partnerships and Advocacy anchors all Apni Shala’s relationships with the government. Mayuri is a Gandhi Fellow and have Masters in Social Work.

Pankaj Khatik 
Pankaj anchors Apni Shala’s Fellowship program and leads the operations for the SEL programs. Pankaj has masters in Elementary Education and another masters in philosophy. He is also a Gandhi fellow. 
Pranali Patil 
Pranali Leads the curriculum team for SEL programs. She has done a diploma in early Childhood care Education (ECCE) and is currently pursuing a Masters in Psychology. 


Priyanka Kale 
Priyanka leads program operations in MCGM/Non-MCGM partners and coordinates the Fellowship program. She also holds a Masters in Social Work from TISS, Mumbai.


Rohit Kumar 
Rohit is working as the CEO at Apni Shala. He co-facilitates diversity & inclusion workshops for educators. He holds a Masters degree in Elementary Education and is a trained IT professional turned educator.


Shahbaan Shah 
Shahbaan leads programs with our MCGM/Non-MCGM partners and coordinates the Fellowship program. He holds a Bachelors degree in Sociology and is an alumnus of the Apni Shala Fellowship.

Pooja Gate, Heta Dwivedi and Shital Palve are our SEL Program Team who work closely with schools to implement SEL programs, handle curriculum work on a daily basis and anchor facilitators at the school level. 
​

Knowledge Partners

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What we do

School SEL   
Diversity Shala
SEL Shala
​Khoj Community Learning Center
​Youth Project

Get Involved

Volunteer
Work with Us
Donate
​
Contact Us
  • WHO WE ARE
    • About Us
    • The Team
    • Our Supporters
    • Annual Reports
    • Us in the news!
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Whole School Transformation Initiative - SEL
    • Community Lab School - Khoj
    • Personal and Professional Development >
      • SEL Shala
      • Diversity Shala
    • Advocacy >
      • #DikhtaNahiHotaHai
      • Communities of Wellbeing
      • Practice-Informed Resources
      • SELebrating Inclusion Summit
  • JOIN THE MOVEMENT
    • Back-to-School Campaign
    • Mental Health Ambassador Campaign
    • Volunteer
    • Work With Us
    • Contact Us
  • IMPACT
  • DONATE