Our Program Team
Meet our dedicated and passionate team who are working tirelessly to spark the change! If you'd like to join us, please check our vacancies here.
Anu Parthasarathy
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Anu is involved in all things professional development at ArtSparks. She serves as a key part of the induction training process for new team members. Mentoring and capacity building Program Managers in particular, Anu has worked to support their ongoing growth and development in the domain of art education. Anu also coordinates and executes ArtSparks’ professional learning offerings, working closely with the Manager of the Professional Learning program. She also serves as one of the facilitators of ArtSparks' EdSparks Collective program, having played a critical role in the program's development. A passionate art educator, committed to advocating for the arts and building wider and deeper awareness about how the visual arts can develop 21st century learning and life skills in children from diverse backgrounds, Anu has also worked directly with children, providing robust art education opportunities for them. She herself is an avid painter and photographer. Prior to her work at ArtSparks, Anu worked for several years, both in India and the US, in different capacities: conducting art classes for children within her local community; working with schools teachers and administrators to usher innovative practices in teaching and learning; serving as a product designer; setting up and running, as director and partner, a business to support traditional craft practices in India; working as a web designer & developer in the US. Her commitment to advocacy around the arts in education is what leads her now to her work in professionally developing adults—teachers, educators, nonprofit administrators—in the domain of art education.
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Interior Design, University of Madras Masters of Arts, Project Management & IT, Colorado Technical University |
Arpitha Jayaram
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Arpitha manages ArtSparks’ Creative Learning Lab (CLL) program, ensuring the smooth functioning of the program, while mobilizing the CLL team. Her role involves program strategy development, recruitment of CLL facilitators, conducting professional development, implementation of programming across partner school sites, stakeholder management, quality control, assessment, and reporting. A major part of her role is to ensure the continuous professional development of CLL facilitators to empower them, support their growth as well as the children they work with. Prior to ArtSparks, Arpitha worked in ed-tech, resource distribution, as well as within a nonprofit setting, working closely with school principals, children, and teachers. Arpitha is passionate and committed to providing quality learning experiences to children from diverse backgrounds. This is what motivates and inspires her.
Bachelor of Technology, Christ University Master of Arts, Education, Azim Premji University |
Narasimharaju L
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Narasimharaju oversees the stakeholder engagement component of the Creative Learning Lab (CLL) program, building strong relationships that can help further program goals. To this end he engages routinely with teachers, HM's, CRP's, BEO's, SDMC members, parents, and donors. He also lends support to the Program Manager, assisting her in ensuring the smooth functioning of the program by developing the capacity of facilitators to engage with stakeholders. Prior to his work at ArtSparks, Narasimharaju worked closely with children, facilitators, teachers, and government officials to execute life skills programming at the grassroots level. In his free time, Narasimharaju enjoys farming and loves singing and performing, having participated in many theatre events.
Bachelor of Arts, Government First-grade College, Sira Master of Social Work, Tumkur University |
Nisha Nair
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Nisha is an educator, education researcher, and designer who is committed to elevating the position of art and design as both mediums for pedagogy and for facilitating individual and social transformation. Her nearly two decade tenure in education, both in the US and India, has involved advancing the role of visual art and design in developing the whole child, building more inclusive learning environments—with a particular focus on attending to the needs of marginalized populations—that promote the development of 21st century learning capabilities and life skills, and investing in the transformative development of teachers. It is these experiences and passions that led her to start ArtSparks Foundation where she serves as Founder and Executive Director, overseeing organizational strategy and development, and leading a committed team. Prior to education, Nisha spent 8 years as a multi-award winning graphic designer working in the field of Marketing Communications Design, meeting the branding and design needs of diverse clients such as the Smithsonian Institutions, Honda, NASA, and much more. Nisha is the author of Art Sparks: Ideas. Methods. Process. published by Tara Books. She presently teaches courses in art and community engagement at Teachers College, Columbia University. Nisha has a BFA from the Savannah College of Art & Design, and an MA from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is currently a doctoral fellow pursuing scholarly research at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Bachelor of Fine Art, Savannah College of Art & Design Master of Art, Art Education, Teachers College Columbia University International Educational Development Studies, Teachers College Columbia University TC Doctoral Fellow, Teachers College Columbia University |
Saagarika Chatterji
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Saagarika manages ArtSparks’ Professional Learning and Development Program, and is involved in planning, strategizing and implementing its various professional development offerings. This involves creating awareness about the role of art in education and broadening understanding around art and art education in children’s learning, growth and development. She organizes the annual professional development program called EdSparks Collective which is attended by different organizations and individuals across India, who further become a part of a community of practice. One of her major roles is to provide on-going support to our partner organizations throughout the year to help them get fully equipped and confident to conduct robust art interventions within their own spaces so that the potential of art can benefit more children. Prior to ArtSparks, she worked with and for children in different settings, not only as a life skills and creative activities instructor, but also engaging with teachers, educators and NGO administrators working with children. She is committed to working for causes related to children and their rights, as she believes they are our hope for a better future. In her free time, she likes to go on cycling expeditions and also enjoys DIY projects.
B.A in Psychology, Sociology & Literature, Christ University, Bengaluru Masters in Social Work - Human Resource Development & Management, Christ University, Bengaluru |
Sahithi Kotharu
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Sahithi is involved in all aspects of volunteer management at ArtSparks, from recruitment, to placement of the volunteers, training and development, and other ongoing management activities. She firmly believes that children are our hope for a better future, and that creating a safe environment for them to grow up in is our moral responsibility. She is committed to taking part in any way she can to build a better future for our community. Prior to joining Art Sparks Sahithi worked with the Andhra Pradesh state government to impart employable skills to rural youth. She is curious about all things related to space and astronomy. In her free time you will find her reading a book or binge rewatching The Office series.
Bachelor of Science (Hons), Community Science-Resource Management & Consumer Science, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University Post Graduate Diploma, Rural Development Management, National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj |
Sathyanarayana S
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Sathyanarayana, as an integral part of the Creative Learning Lab (CLL) team, provides valuable logistical support to the program. His work involves creating and maintaining a meticulous data collection and management system; setting benchmarks for high quality data that effectively captures and tells the story of the work that ArtSparks conducts; liaising with CLL facilitators, school administrators, teachers, parents, education official, on an ongoing basis; supporting program team needs during professional development sessions, as well as events such as inaugurations and exhibitions; applying for and retrieving necessary permissions; visiting schools in support of the program team; and much more. Passionate about child rights, he also wishes to sensitize CLL facilitators, expanding and enhancing their understandings. Furthermore, he enjoys investigating various art media, expanding his own understandings, and incorporating them within the 21st-century learning framework. He always works collaboratively and supportively with his colleagues to uphold and successfully meet the team and organization’s collective vision. Prior to ArtSparks, Sathyanarayana served as a trainer and organizer, communicating with government officials to uphold child rights in the state of Karnataka. He also worked with government school children, educating them about child rights, and empowering them to solve issues in their neighbourhoods. Sathyanarayana is an activist, loves reading books, and derives great pleasure from traveling, with a particular love of beaches.
Master of Social Work, Goutham College of Science, Bangalore (affiliated with Bangalore University) |
Trustee
- Raj "R.R."
Secretary
- Salil Punoose
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