Lalitha Chacko

City President, Bengaluru Council, Karnataka

Lalitha Chacko is the founding Director of anOrganization named SCHOOL DIRECT Apart from placing teachers in schools, thisplatform brings together teachers and head teachers who live and breatheinclusion in how they approach education and recognise schools set up in a waythat everyone can fulfil their potential. The Organisation boasts of academicactivists who advocate for inclusive education. All around the world, many young people and adults face insurmountablebarriers in their daily lives that prevent them from fulfilling their truepotential – including in education. A former teacher and Head of school, she chooses towork in this field, to highlight and recognize the contributions that some visionaryand courageous teaching professionals have made. Achieving inclusion ineducation is not an easy task. She is able to do so much more because of their support, and it is oneof the reasons that she is so passionate about the influence of leadership ineducation. Having one leader that believes in you and challenges you,from any position or role, can help you achieve things you couldn’t do withoutthat support. It is crucial to believe in yourself, but it is way easierwhen you know someone else believes in you as well. Her firm belief isthat while we focus on being “champions” for our kids, remember that“championing” the adults in education IS serving the students. The impact on oneeducator can influence thousands (if not more) of students over a lifetime.