Dr. Prema Sundararajan - Academic Council Chair
Ph.D. (Education)
45 years of experience from classroom management to
policy level management in the area of adolescent mental health, reproductive
health, and sexual health. Extensively worked with the
administrators, Ministries, and also international agencies like UNICEF,
WHO (SEAR) UNFPA. A professional counselor and a consultant for married and
unmarried adolescents. Has also visited 3 districts in Indonesia and
Thailand, Bhutan, and Nepal -visiting their schools and training their teachers
/counselors/psychiatrists.
Other relevant achievements:
- Participant in the International Youth Forum on
World Heritage Preservation and Promotion at Bergen, Norway in June
1995 (a UNESCO) Organized meeting)
- National award for best teacher (Center for
cultural resources and training)- Teachers Award in 1995 awarded by the President
Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma Worked as a Technical support person for UNFPA,
Rajasthan to facilitate BSER, SRC, and SCERT to carry out their adolescent
reproductive and sexual health programs (in school and out of school) Had
been associated with 900 schools all over India and in other southeastern
countries for training the counselors, teachers and orienting the policymakers
on the issues of sexual health, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS awareness as
UNFPA and WHO (SEAR) UNICEF coordinator and consultant.
- Experience in schools system in both educationally
backward states such as Rajas than and other states such as AP and
Delhi
- A network with varied interests in Education, scouts, and
guides, HIV/ AIDS, cultural heritage, training of trainers, Material
Development for Education
- Communication abilities both as a Trainer/ Facilitator
for the training of trainers/ Teachers/ Principals and also with children
especially girls of all background
- Writing skills- desk research, reports preparation of
student/ Teacher/ Parent, modules on mental health, life skills, health hygiene
sanitation, and water education
- Have done advocacy work with the department of education,
NCERT, KVS, NIOS, COBSE, and other relevant educational bodies shaping the
education policies in the country
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- Life skills Education Module for out-of-school
adolescents (IAWG publications)
- Series of Mental Health Training modules published by WHO
(SEAR)
- The module on capacity building for teachers and
Adolescents (Safdarjung Hospital Adolescents Health Network)
- The module on School Health hygiene education for primary
school children
- (UNICEF) Development of a need-based Mental
Health Program for Adolescent Girls. This involved a survey of over 1000 school
children in different settings to identify key issues and develop a need-based
program involving teachers, parents and school children (Ph.D.
dissertation)
- Textbook for class 11 on Life skills education
for Board of Secondary Education, Rajasthan
- Series of modules for out-of-school adolescents through
State Resource Centre developed for Rajasthan.
- Had been an Anchor for Mental Health Program on
Television for a National channel for 2 years.
Present position:
Adjunct faculty in Broward college, Miami Dade College,
and University of Miami
