“At VIS, Our constant endeavour is to groom promising learners in a multi-dimensional way so that they become responsible citizens of the nation, capable of contributing towards society and environment while empowering themselves with 21st Century skills,” says Dr Manisha Sharma, the Principal of Venkateshwar International School, Sector-10, Dwarka. Her impressive profile showcases her excellent skills and her determination to attain the best outcomes in educational practices. She started her career in 1987 and initially worked across various states of India. She has served as an ace Administrator and school Principal in prestigious Senior Secondary Schools of Delhi/ NCR.
In her role as Head of the School, she has gained expertise in curriculum design, technology-based education development, multi-criteria assessment and evaluation, multi-disciplinary approach towards academics and co-curricular activities and administrative skills. Furthermore, Dr Manisha enhanced her proficiency in value-based integrated teaching, life skills development, gender sensitisation, inclusive education and mentoring staff members through motivational seminars and enriching workshops.
She believes that technology has opened access to the world. She has always worked hard to provide a world of resources for teachers and students. An ace Administrator and a passionate Educationist, Dr Manisha focuses not only on academic excellence but also on the all-round development of her students. She is a team builder and enjoys working with all components of the school community – staff, students, and parents.
Being a noteworthy educator and a compassionate leader, she sets the bar of excellence very high and inspires everyone to strive for the same. She is a firm believer in ‘Learning for Life’ and keeps accumulating knowledge from certification courses, leadership programs, training programmes and workshops.
As a student, Dr Manisha won many awards and excelled in curricular and extra-curricular activities. She was recognised with many awards at the national and state level in dance, drama, and debate. Dr Manisha won the first prize in dance and drama at the state levels in Youth Festival, Lucknow. She is a trained Kathak dancer and has directed and scripted many productions.
Dr Manisha won second prize in a national level Debate Competition organised by the Agricultural University, Bhubaneshwar in the year 1984. She received a Certificate of Basic Leadership Course from National Cadet Corps. Also, she won the Best Student Award at the university level in the year 1986.
Leading Innovation and Transformation
Dr Manisha firmly believes that creating a culture of innovation in school requires a paradigm shift as it challenges the status quo, allows unique ideas, talent, and builds resilience in the face of challenges. Under her leadership, the school’s Innovation and Research Programme has been acknowledged by various agencies and VIS has received numerous accolades and awards. She has adopted a three-pronged approach to initiate innovations in the school i.e.
- Creating a culture of innovation
- Promoting collective responsibility among teachers for designing innovative pedagogies – exploring technology platforms, tools, gamification, and applications for enhancing instructional practices such as blended and flipped learning
- Creating opportunities for student learning and innovation – providing the opportunity to work on projects dealing with real-world problems through design thinking for innovative solutions
Achievements Aplenty
Under the efficient governance of Dr Manisha as the Principal, VIS has achieved many rewards and recognitions. It was ranked No.1 in India for Digital Learning Advancement in a survey conducted by India Merit Award by Education Today 2021. The school has topped the list of Dwarka Leaders Category as per Times School Survey 2021. It was adjudged as the Best Promising school by CED Foundation 2020-21.
VIS was ranked No.1 in Delhi/NCR, 1st in Delhi Design Thinking Leaders, and 9th in India by Education World Grand Jury 2020-21. The school is a proud recipient of the Brainfeed School Education Award 2019-20 in the following categories: Best CBSE Schools, STEM Education, Co-curricular Activities, Creative School of the Year, and Innovative Practices.
It won the Award of Excellence in Integrated growth and Development Programme by Eldrok India K-12 Summit 2021. Many students of the school have also won many accolades. In the National Science Olympiad organised by SOF (Science Olympiad Foundation), Harshul Malik of class XII secured the first position internationally. As a reward, he received a cheque of Rs. 50, 000/-, an international gold medal, and a certificate of outstanding performance.
VIS won the CBSE Vivekanand Award in the year 2013. It received the Green Rating from CBSE under the National School Sanitation Initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of HRD in 2014.
The school was ranked 7th in Delhi and 24th in India by the Education World Survey 2019. It is a proud recipient of the Silver Skoch Award and Smart School Award for Innovative Teaching Pedagogies in the year 2017.
VIS was also lauded with the Appreciation Award by the Australian High Commission to applaud the exemplary collaboration in the year 2017.
Bright students of the school, Shashwat Nair and Arnav Dixit won the first position in the SPARK INNOVATION AWARDS under the category- Biology (Jeevanam) for their project (eco-friendly smart sink).
Siddhant Singh, a student of VIS, is the first Indian student to win an award in the worldwide competition “Top talent under 25”. He will now be pursuing Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Five students of VIS have qualified Mukhayamantri Vigyan Pratibha Pariksha JSTSE 2020-21. The school has received awards at CBSE National Level Science Exhibition for Innovative Eco-friendly Projects.
Another student of VIS, Bharat Singla, won a Certificate of Excellence for Code to learn Contest 2020 from Google.
Active Participation in Seminars
Throughout her stellar career, Dr Manisha has been a part of many seminars and workshops. She was selected by CBSE in the year 2005 to attend a week-long programme for school Principals at IIM Ahmedabad. She has attended various workshops organised by the CBSE and the British Council.
Dr Manisha has attended a week-long training programmes for school Principals at the National University of Educational Planning and Administration, Delhi. She has organised many workshops for school teachers, students, parents, and support staff to improve their work efficiency. Moreover, she actively participates in the CBSE Inclusive Education Programme.
A Veteran with Tremendous Knowledge
Dr Manisha possesses around 34 years (1987 to date) of rich experience with prestigious schools in various parts of India as a Senior Teacher, Head of Department, and School Administrator.
With more than fifteen years of experience as Principal and Vice Principal, she has appreciable abilities in her palate such as critical thinking, listening, articulation of ideas and group interactions.
Dr Manisha has in-depth knowledge of CBSE/ state government policies and procedures that govern schools. She has conducted CBSE, AIEE, CTET, JEE, and UGC NET examinations. She was appointed City Coordinator by CBSE for the work of collection and analysis of the evidence of assessments in the year 2016.
Moreover, she is a CBSE Trainer and Resource Person having conducted workshops across India on various relevant issues related to school education.
Renowned Across the Globe
Dr Manisha’s dedication towards providing Quality Education has led her to different nations. She has extensively visited schools in Germany, Paris, and Geneva. She spent three days at the International School of Geneva to study the International Baccalaureate system.
Dr Manisha was invited by the Australian High Commission to attend Australia–India school leaders’ Professional Learning programme in June 2014 in Sydney and Adelaide.
She was invited by the GSD group of schools, Spain to participate in a School Environment Programme in Madrid in June 2019. Moreover, Dr Manisha recently represented India as a school educator at the World Teachers’ Day Celebration Conference organised by UNESCO in Bangkok.
