Started in 2018, The Canbridge Academy trains young adults with autism to be future-ready. A bridge between school and adulthood, we build life skills by providing multiple areas of engagement to help trainees identify areas they would like to pursue.
Our team is a rich mix of experienced and young professionals and volunteers in the field of special education, arts-based practices and community development work.
Constantly pushing the envelope, the team is defined by striving for giving the best to the trainees.
OUR TRUSTEES
Our trustees play a hands-on role, steering the programme and the organisation.
When not facilitating sessions, you will find them on a call, discussing ways to enrich the programme.
Kavitha Krishnamoorthy
Co-Founder & Co-Director
A parent to a teenager with autism, Kavitha Krishnamoorthy is a dreamer-doer, constantly imagining possibilities for young people with autism. With over 3 decades of working in social development, she believes that change is a slow dance and is possible only with a collective effort. A certified Arts-based Therapist, she brings to CanBridge her unfailing enthusiasm, energy and optimism along with her professional skills as a change-maker.
Sharada Rajaram
Co-Founder & Co-Director
A qualified Company Secretary by training, Sharada Rajaram found her calling as a special educator. She brings with her 20 years of experience in educating children and young adults with autism. She is driven by her conviction that every individual can learn, provided they are taught right. Her innate compassion makes her the go-to person for parents. Shaping CanBridge as an institution is an expression of her steadfast commitment to creating a bright future for youngsters with autism.
OUR FACULTY
“Let’s make it happen, somehow”
That seems the credo that drives our faculty. Nothing is impossible for this dedicated team.
Vaishnavi Selvaraj
Vaishnavi has been working with children and adolescents with autism for over 15 years. She easily builds a deep rapport with the students and is driven by her faith and belief in their potential. A Bachelor’s in Psychology, she is also a trained yoga teacher. A team player, she is extremely dependable, courageous and always willing to take on higher responsibilities.
Rama Krishna
Rama Krishna brings with him 9 years of caring for a younger family member with autism and a person with Cerebral Palsy. Armed with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and a Diploma in Special Education, RK, as he is fondly called, is ever willing to learn and takes on any task assigned to him. His unassuming manner makes him a buddy to all our students.
Karunya Srinivasan
Karunya draws from her training and experience with Expressive Arts Therapy, the Feldenkrais Method, and the Geography of Thought to create her own way of working with movement with students at CanBridge. She brings an innate ability to get to the core of what needs to be addressed with each individual with whom she works. Her sessions focus on establishing relationships through movement between people, objects and spaces, through an emphasis on functional action, choice and play. Since joining CanBridge in 2018, she has worked with our students individually, in group sessions, and with their parents.
Sanjana Dewaji
Sanjana has been playing the piano since 2011 and holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Literature & Culture Studies from FLAME University. Working in CanBridge since 2018, she provides a creative, exploratory space for students, using music as a medium to destress and express themselves naturally. Sessions typically involve improvisations through rhythm and melody, to aid communication and exploration in a fun and relaxed manner. With her infectious smile and approachability, Sanjana is a favourite among all the students.
OUR VOLUNTEERS
Beena Prithiveeraj
Managing our social media communication single-handedly, Beena, with her unique ideas and way with words, is constantly thinking about how our work can be conveyed to the outside world.
Aashika Suresh
With her cheerful disposition and clear voice, Aashika brings to life the stories she reads, taking our students on a journey of fantasy.
INSTITUTIONAL COLLABORATIONS
Those of our students who have attained proficiency in weaving are engaged professionally through We CAN, a partner of the collaborative venture Weawin. The material they weave is fashioned into lifestyle accessories, thus offering them a livelihood option. This represents the ultimate fulcrum of the training process, where a skill gained is productively used and the trained individual, meaningfully engaged.
Under the guidance of Bombay Jayashri, the acclaimed classical musician, her students Chaitra Sairam and Swetha Sriram bring the beauty of Carnatic music to our students, their families and staff once a week. Everyone looks forward with equal enthusiasm alternately to Chaitra's bright and vigorous renditions and to Shwetha's meditative and contemplative music.
Indira, co-founder of KaiRaasi, works with our students once a week, helping them explore new techniques in visual art. Full of positivity, she brings colour and light to our sessions!
Interns from BALM are a huge source of support for our programme. While CanBridge provides them with an opportunity to further their own learning, they bring in their youthful energy and enthusiasm. Ever willing to take up any challenge, they are buddies to our students, connecting with them in ways only peers can!
