Building School Wellbeing Systems for Every Student to Thrive
From Early Identification to Systemic Support—We bring decades of field expertise to modern school wellbeing infrastructure.
Our Story
Our Story: Born from the Field
Impactshala was founded in 2025 on a simple, urgent observation. After spending more than a decade working with government schools, teachers, and public education systems across India, our founders saw the same pattern everywhere: schools care deeply about student mental health, but support often depended on isolated workshops, individual counsellors, or short-term programs.
There was no practical, data-driven framework that helped schools identify student needs early, equip everyday educators, and respond consistently over time.
That is why we founded Impactshala. We believe student wellbeing cannot depend on individual effort alone, it must be embedded into the institutional capacity and daily practices of the school. Systems should serve students, not just the syllabus.
Why this Matters
Early Intervention Window
50% mental conditions begin by 14, 75% by 24, making school years critical for early support. (WHO)
System Gap in Schools
CBSE mandates 1 counsellor per 500 students, but most schools lack systems, training, and workflows for consistent support. (CBSE)
Global Burden of Need
293 million young people lived with mental disorders in 2019, showing scale of global education system challenge. (GBD, JAMA)
The Outlook
Our Vision
Every young person, regardless of background, has access to strong school systems that support their wellbeing, skills, and ability to thrive.
The Goal
Our Mission
To strengthen school wellbeing systems through screening, capacity building, and ongoing support, reaching 1 million students by 2050, and improving mental wellbeing, life skills, and long-term outcomes across India.
HOW WE WORK:
We work with schools to embed structured, technology-enabled wellbeing systems that are practical, scalable, and actionable.
Screening (Identify Needs Early): We use validated, technology-embedded screening tools to quickly identify student wellbeing needs. This enables early detection of concerns and allows counsellors to focus more effectively on targeted suppo
Data & Insights (Live Dashboard): All screening data is transformed into real-time dashboards that are continuously updated. These dashboards give counsellors live insights into student wellbeing and help school leaders take timely, evidence-based actions to improve the overall school environment
Capacity Building (Strengthen Educators): We equip teachers, counsellors, and school leaders with practical SEL tools to recognise, respond to, and support student wellbeing in everyday school practice.
Ongoing Support (Respond & Sustain): We support schools with targeted interventions, structured referral pathways, and continuous follow-up for students who need additional care, ensuring no student is left unsupported.
Our Collective Footprint
While Impactshala is a young organisation, our leadership team brings decades of combined experience in education, school transformation, and student wellbeing. Collectively, we have reached over 1 million children, trained 50,000+ educators, and worked with state governments and school systems across 20+ districts in India. Our team has held leadership roles at organisations including STiR Education, Kaivalya Education Foundation (KEF), Azim Premji Foundation, and Piramal Foundation, and includes alumni of the London School of Economics, IIM Ahmedabad,and the University of Bristol.
Meet Our Team
Sandeep Kumar (Core Team Member)
Sandeep Kumar Saini is Associate Director and a SEE Learning expert at KEF, with over 13 years of experience in the development sector. A Master’s in Social Work graduate and Gandhi Fellow alumnus, he has led large-scale teacher training, social-emotional learning, and community-driven education initiatives, strengthening educators and public education systems.
Furkan Khan (Core Team Member)
Dr. Furkan Khan is an Assistant Professor of Human Resource Management at EDII and an IIM Ahmedabad PhD graduate. His expertise spans leadership, motivation, career development, and innovation. Previously, he led large-scale school transformation and leadership development initiatives with STIR Education, Azim Premji Foundation, and Piramal Foundation.
Waseem Ahmed ( Core Team Member)
Waseem Ahmed is an education and child wellbeing leader with 13+ years of experience driving public system reforms across India. A Chevening Scholar and Co-Founder of Impactshala, he has led initiatives reaching over one million children and 50,000 teachers, specialising in social-emotional learning, adolescent mental health, and education policy.
Meet Our Team
Ready to transform the future of education?
Contact us today to learn how our programs can support your school or university.