Dear Families,

It is my great joy and privilege to welcome you to Ascend International School. Throughout my life, my family and I have been devoted to creating educational opportunities for children in India.   I too have a long history of interest in educational philosophy and a strong commitment to the field of education.  As a student growing up in our Indian school system that offered a traditional model of education, (lots of rote memorization, teacher lectures from the front of the class and overt pressure to perform) I am acutely aware of the need for the expansion of our educational philosophy and learning opportunities for children in India.

In preparing to open AIS, we at Kasegaon Education Society traveled worldwide seeking innovative educational approaches that created success and opportunity for a variety of student learning styles.  We looked for a model school that promoted a genuine love of learning while providing an academically and socially challenging program.

The UCDS educational model stood in stark contrast with  traditional  school models. At UCDS we recognized a model of education that emphasized personally guided learning for each student. As we learned more about UCDS and the deep research that supports its work, it became clear that offering a 21st century education to students in Mumbai meant investing in the innovative and individualized program that AIS will offer.

Looking back on my own schooling, I was one of the students who proceeded with the assigned work even though I now realize that I didn’t fully understand the complexity of what I was being asked to perform.  I look back on the feelings of pressure that this situation created for me in my daily schooling experience.  Since that time, I have traveled worldwide, looking for innovative educational models in which the curricula and teaching philosophy works for a wide variety of student learning styles.  I am compelled by a model that inspires students to develop a love of learning.  A model that can challenge them academically and socially and at the same time alleviates the internal pressure that students are at times left holding in traditional rote learning environments across the world.

For the past three years, we have worked in partnership with UCDS to envision and design a program that will embrace students with a profound level of rigor, creativity and intellectual engagement. This is the dream that has led me to work tirelessly to bring the vision of Ascend International School to life. It is the same commitment we bring to creating an education that offers your children the opportunity to foster their passions, recognize and develop their intellectual and social gifts and successfully engage the global community around them.  I invite you to come and experience the innovation and energy of an AIS education.