Mihir Pathak

Mihir Pathak

Experiential Educator | Nature - Theater - Project based learning

Email : [email protected] | Mobile : 9537068736

Linkedin Profile | Personal website : https://learningwala.in

Top Skills

Experiential Learning • Nature Education • Project-based Learning 
Coaching & Mentoring • Child Development & Learning • Applied Theatre

Summary

I am passionate educator.

I never been to formal school after completing 10th grade. I am working with children since the age of 18. During this decade long journey, I worked in a formal & informal learning spaces. Worked with children directly , shared my understanding of education and pedagogy with teachers, developed content, curricula & more.

My core interests areas are ’love & Relationship in education’, Child development & learning, language pedagogy and children literature, life skills education and ecological consciousness / nature education.

My work is deeply inspired by the philosophies of J. Krishnamurti, Martin Buber , and the science of brain, learning, and child development.

I create transformative learning journeys for children, young adults and educators using experiential methodologies, including theater, nature-based explorations, and interdisciplinary projects.

I am part of the faculty team for the ‘Child Development, Learning & Special Needs’ course at Eklavya Foundation, Bhopal. and a proud recipient of the Earth Educator Fellowship (2022-23), supported by the Youth Conservation Action Network.

Education

Saurashtra University, Rajkot

Licenses & Certifications

Experience

LearningWala Studio - Learning Facilitator

Vadodara (Gujarat) - Jan 2021 - Present (4 years)

I craft transformative learning journeys with children and young adults through experiential methodologies.

With a decade of experience, I consult for a number of learning spaces across India.

Skills: Coaching & Mentoring · learning Facilitation
Experiential Learning · Project Based Learning

Pradigi (Pratham Shah Digital Innovation Center) - Sr. Content Developer

Vadodara (Gujarat) - May 2024 - Nov 2024 (7 months)

My work includes Writing scripts, making videos and other digital content for topics related to climate / nature / environment education.

Creating digital content for the project called Creativity Club (fostering creativity, collaboration, communication and problem solving through project based learning methdology)

BeMe - Democratic and Alternate Learning Space - Learning Facilitator


Bengaluru - Dec 2022 - March 2024 (1 year 4 months)

BeMe is an open school based in Bangalore, where children direct their own learning. It is an effort to create a stimulating, free and democratic environment for children aged 3-16 years.

I was part of the faculty team & participated in almost every activity happening during school hours or after school hours.

Facilitated elective courses : Nature Detective , One Minute Games. Co - facilitated elective courses : How about seeing Bangalore, Portfolio Making Apart from that : Bird watching club, Game club, Internships, Visitors Committee, BMDC Committee, Content team tasks, Facilitating special interest groups

Skills: Coaching & Mentoring · learning Facilitation
Experiential Learning

Eklavya Foundation - Learning Facilitator

Remote - Jan 2019 - July 2024 (5 years 7 months)

Part of the faculty team for the course called ‘Child Development, Special Need and Learning’ by Eklavya Foundation, Bhopal and Institute of Home Economics, Delhi.

During Workshop I co facilitated following sessions : Piaget’s Developmental Stages and Constructivism, Concept of childhood, learning and emotion

Skills: Coaching & Mentoring · Child Development · learning Facilitation
Project Management · Curriculum Development · Science of learning

Eklavya Foundation - Learning Facilitator

Bhopal (MP) - Dec 2022 - Jun 2023 (7 months)

Part of facilitation team of course called - Experiential learning for 21st century in collaboration with Tata Trust.

The online course on Experiential Learning for teachers project is a Tata Trusts’ initiative that was launched first in 2020, in collaboration with CBSE. Its key objective is to sensitise teachers to be more open in giving learners the experiences and to priortise the process of learning over the content. Through this course, teachers will know how to implement Experiential Learning pedagogy in their classrooms, where students will get to understand the connection between textbook concepts and real life, and start to enjoy learning a lot more.

This interactive course consisting of MCQs, videos, activities, and live webinars is an engaging way to learn. Attendance during the webinar is mandatory.

By subscribing to this course, you will also become a part of a community, led by our Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). There is a certification awarded on completion of this course.

Skills: Cohort based course facilitation · Project Management
Curriculum Development · Experiential Learning

Youth Conservation Action Network - Earth Education Fellow

Remote - Jun 2022 - Jun 2023 (1 year 1 month)

The Earth Educators Fellowship brings together 20 young volunteers for the environment, emerging grassroots conservationists, and schoolteachers who are passionately educating students about nature. Selected from across India, they are invited to embark on an 11-month journey to explore the natural

world, curate immersive learning experiences for students, build skills, and a community to lead positive environmental change in their locality.

During the 1 year of fellowship period I have explored :

I have created Learning Network of 5 eco clubs from different parts of india called ‘Ecobuddy Learning Network’ as my passion project during the fellowship. Through this network I inspire, guide and collaborate with young educators for nature education in their own communities.

Skills: Nature Education

Unstructured Studio - Learning Partner

Remote - Jul 2020 - Sep 2022 (2 years 3 months)

Unstructured Studio, a not-for-profit organization, broadly aiming to develop educational tools and experiences to foster creative learning among youth in under-resourced settings.

Currently, under the broader vision of “planting seeds of tinkering in young minds,” we are developing/ designing:

Skills: learning Facilitation · Program Development · Strategic Planning
Product Development · User Research · Partnership and Development

Eklavya Foundation - Project Associate

Pipariya (MP) - Jan 2022 - Nov 2022 (11 months)

Part of the team engaged in designing learning opportunities, workshops, short courses for teachers and grassroots-level education activists and bring about change in classroom practices.

Some work during May 22’ to May 23’ Facilitation :

Other :

Skills: learning Facilitation · Language Pedagogy
Instructional Design · Reflective Writing
Pedagogy of Foundation literacy & Numeracy 
Experiential Learning · Event Management · Nature Education

Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), TIFR - Short Term Visitor

Mumbai - Dec 2021 - Dec 2021 (1 month)

Worked with Design & Technology Education lab to develop and test the D&T -related activities for middle school children.

Skills: learning Facilitation · Instructional Design · Design Education

Vijapura Vidya Sankul - Project Based learning Facilitator

Sidsar (Gujarat) - Aug 2021 - Nov 2021 (4 months)
Skills: Project Based learning · Nature Education · Experiential Learning

Moinee Foundation - Sr. Project Coordinator

Ahemdabad (Gujarat) - Aug 2020 - Aug 2021 (1 year 1 month)

Moinee foundation is working with 30 Government schools and 3 community learning centers in Ahmedabad as part of Vodafone India Foundation’s CSR Project.

Here I am doing

Skills: learning Facilitation · Team capacity building
Learning Management Systems · Content Creation

Shishukunj International School - Teaching Fellow

Bhuj(Gujarat) - Nov 2018 - Aug 2020 (1 year 10 months)

I was working with children age 6 to 15yr.

Conducted a course called ‘Creative Computing’ to Grade 5th to 9th. It was a participatory and collaborative learning environment, Where we explored computer programming and physical computing with the tools like MIT Scratch, Python, Makey Makey, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, etc.

Co handling Eco Buddy Club. Where we attempted some activities around developing sensitivity towards nature. It includes Nature Walks, Film Screening, Cycling Group, Plastic Recycling and Upcycling and Interdisciplinary Projects.

Teaching Gujarati as a third language. I was trying to explore ‘Whole language Approach’ for teaching third language. Where we do not focus on alphabet or grammar but try to see language as a whole, which makes the language learning experience relevant, fun and creative.

Support fellow teachers to make developmentally appropriate, activity based lesson plans and pedagogical tools for the subjects like language, Maths and Social Science, Environmental Study.

Skills: learning Facilitation · Nature Education
Experiential Learning · Project Based learning

The Polymath School - Home Room Teacher

Mumbai - May 2018 - Aug 2018 (4 months)

Polymath school is a Cambridge Board affiliated school in Mumbai which uses Project Based Learning as pedagogy. I worked as a homeroom teacher in 3rd Grade for a very short time. During that time I attended a teacher training workshop by EL Education, US.

Skills: Project Based learning · Expedition based learning · Outdoor Education

Sarvoday Vidyalaya - Teaching Fellow

Dharampur (Gujarat) - May 2016 - May 2018 (2 years 1 month)

I was co-teaching first-grade children. We were trying to teach Gujarati language with ‘whole language approach’. It was a very interesting pedagogical experiment to teach tribal children with a different dialect.

Baxipanch Uttarbuniyadi Vidhyalaya - Teaching Fellow

Vadodara (Gujarat) - Jan 2014 - Dec 2015 (2 years)

I have started a maker space called ‘Prayog Ghar’ where children can come any time and do their own projects according to their interests and need. We also tried some of our projects according to the needs of the community. During that process, we also explored Design Thinking and other innovation frameworks.

Skills: learning Facilitation · Project Based learning
Whole language Approach · Pedagogy of Foundation literacy & Numeracy
Nai Taleem Philosophy

InformationWorks Systems and Solutions Private Limited - Educational Content Developer

Vadodara (Gujarat) - Jan 2014 - Jan 2015 (1 year 1 month)

I was working as part of content development team for online learning system based on multiple intelligence theory by Howard Gardner

Skills: Learning Management Systems · Instructional Design
Salse · Content Creation · Curriculum Development · 
TranslationSkills: Learning Management Systems · Instructional Design
Content Creation · Curriculum Development · Translation

Gap Year

 Vadodara (Gujarat) - 2011 - 2013 · 2 yrs2011 - 2013 · 2 yrs

Explored different fields like marketing, copywriting, website & software development through assistantship.

Volunteered for developing, designing and curating educational content for Gujarati e - learning website called evidyalay.net

Publication :

The Book Review is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering reviews for books of various subjects. Regarded as India’s first English-language review journal, it was founded in January 1976 by Chitra Narayanan, Uma Iyengar, and Chandra Chari.

 The Book Review | Volume XLVI | Number 11 November 2022 
Sanadarbh Magazine · May 3, 2022
Teacher Plus Magazine · Jun 1, 2022

Other authors - Srishti Sethi

Volunteering

Muni Seva Ashram, Vadodara Muni Seva Ashram, Vadodara

Muni Seva Ashram is a well known NGO working in areas like Healthcare, Education, Sustainable development, Renewable energy, etc. Starting as a volunteer, I had this great opportunity to work on various projects in areas like education and training.

{Curriculum Developer}

Silver Oak College Of EngineeringSilver Oak College Of Engineering EducationEducation

I was a part of the learning team and helped in the development of innovative teaching-learning methods for students of primary school. I was a part of the learning team and helped in the development of innovative teaching-learning methods for students of primary school.

MIT Media Lab - Design Innovative Workshop, Gandhinagar

I was part of hospitality team during 7 days long design innovation Workshop by MIT India Initiative.I was part of hospitality team during 7 days long design innovation Workshop by MIT India Initiative.

Maker Fest 15’, Ahmedabad

Part of the hospitality management team during a 3 days long event.

World Possible

I was part of the executive team of India chapter of the World Possible. I helped to deploy the different learning technologies by the World Possible in rural areas near Vadodara - Gujarat IND.

Vadodara Homeschooling Group

Conducted various workshops with homeschool children.

{Content Development}

Evidyalay - e learning website

Volunteered for developing, designing and curating educational content for Gujarati e - learning website called evidyalay.net

Languages

Reply to this post by email ↪