Educators from urban and rural schools across India will come together in Mumbai for the country’s first education summit focused on the need for innovation in classrooms.  On August 27-29, hundreds of innovative educators will gather in Mumbai for the InspirED Conference, a three-day event for educators and stakeholders in education. 

The conference planning committee and sponsors have identified the importance of India’s Right to Education Act as one of the driving forces behind organizing the conference.  One of the conference’s objectives is to create and support a network of innovative educators who are dedicated to introducing new teaching approaches into schools.  The conference will feature expert panel sessions on the Right to Education Act and Youth Movements in India, as well as a bazaar highlighting innovative education practices from around the country. 

Raj Mundra , teacher at Phillips Academy, was on a sabbatical in Mumbai for the past year and lead the conceptualization of the conference.  As conference planning committee chair, he notes “the implementation of the Right to Education Act coincides with India’s rapid economic growth and its ascent on the world stage.  Right now, India has both the need and the unique opportunity to re-imagine the way we educate our next generation.”

On Friday, August 27, the conference will kick off with an event showcasing innovation in education.   Themed “Back to School: A Night in India’s Most InspirED Classroom,” the invitation-only event will bring together stakeholders from media, government, education, and the private sector for an entertaining, thought provoking, and engaging evening.  The Chief Guest is Indu Shahani, Sheriff of Mumbai and the keynote speaker is Ashish Kumar, Additional Municipal Commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM).   Other speakers include Nisa Godrej, Ashish Kumar Singh, Zia Mody, Karan Khemka, Neha Hiranandani, and Aditya Natraj.  
Shaheen Mistri, CEO of Teach For India, one of the organizations hosting the event said, "At Teach For India, we believe that we need a movement of leaders to eliminate inequity in education. And InspirED - by bringing together a wide network of educational innovators and leaders from across sectors onto a common platform - is a unique and crucial step towards building this movement. We are so much more likely to transform education in this nation if we work together.” 

The event sponsors include the Parthenon Group, the National Stock Exchange, the American School of Bombay, the American Center and Goldman Sachs (India).   The conference is being hosted by the Asia Society India Center, Teach for India, the Akanksha Foundation and the American School of Bombay.  It will take place at Xavier’s College in Churchgate and the American School of Bombay in Bandra Kurla Complex. 

When asked “What’s next after the conference?”, Raj Mundra responded “Teachers are the greatest resource for how we can improve any education system.  The InspirED conference is one of the first forums in India to bring together innovative educators to exchange ideas, to increase leadership skills and to gain wisdom and insight from experts in the field..  We hope that this group of teachers attending the conference will emerge as a powerful network of education leaders.  Our website, www.inspiredindia.in, will provide an important on-line platform for this group as well as other teachers to learn from each other and raise the bar for quality education in India.  This network of educators and leaders who support education will grow in the upcoming years.  It is our hope that the connections and ideas generated at the InspirED conference will power a transformation in schools across India.”

For additional information contact Raj Mundra (rmundra@andover.edu) or visit www.inspiredindia.in

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