My name is Kanimozhi N. Ragavan. I was born and raised in Tiruvannamalai, South India. In 2023, I took on the role of Project Leader for the Joyful Learning Project at Shanthimalai Schools.
I hold a degree in Information Technology, but I never felt a strong connection to the field. While home-schooling my own children, I discovered my passion lay in child development and alternative education.
I became qualified to teach using the Montessori method and began teaching in 2014. Every year, in each class, there were children who had difficulty learning. To help them, I ended up getting an advanced degree in Learning Disabilities, which has enabled me to support the learning needs of children with divergent abilities. I am currently pursuing a Master’s degree in social work, specializing in Family and Child Development.
I discovered my passion lay in child development and alternative education. Joining the Shanthimalai schools has been transformative for me.
In our Joyful Learning classrooms, we nurture the whole child—fostering mindfulness, gratitude, confidence, and independence.
My responsibilities include mentoring and training teachers, guiding classroom practices, and building strong parent-school partnerships. Through hands-on learning and values-based guidance, children develop creativity, critical thinking, empathy, teamwork, integrity, and a lifelong love for learning. These qualities prepare them to become self-reliant, compassionate, and responsible individuals.
Most of our students come from families facing multiple socio-economic challenges. They are often illiterate or have received only very basic education.
We work with the families through group sessions, regular meetings, and social media. Their child’s transformation becomes the parents’ inspiration – building a culture of learning, care, and connection at home.
