Apni Shala Foundation, founded in 2013 is a registered non-profit organization with the vision to develop social-emotional competencies in children and youth across socio-economic backgrounds. Apni Shala works with children and youth in collaboration with government schools, private schools and NGOs to run experiential learning programs that aim to develop social and emotional competencies with a promotive and preventive approach to mental health. Over the last 5 years, Apni Shala has been working on the promotive and preventive mental health of students from low-resource communities in Mumbai.

Through its School Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programme, Apni Shala builds social and emotional resilience in students and the systems around them by developing the following competencies: Self-awareness, Self-management, Responsible decision making, Social awareness & Relationship skills. What began as a pilot in 2013 with one municipal school has grown into a long-term and whole-school programme being delivered in 18 municipal schools, 1 low-cost private school, and several NGOs and independent instituitions.

In 2017, Apni Shala founded Khoj- a community school in a low-resource area of Mumbai. Khoj is envisioned as a dynamic space for ongoing research and development of SEL-integrated school practices. Over the next five years, Apni Shala aims to work with over 50 schools through its School SEL programme, develop Khoj into a model school to inform whole-school SEL integration, and build capacity in 50 educators to facilitate SEL in schools through Apni Shala’s SEL Fellowship Programme.

Apni Shala believes and stands by the following values:

• Excellence
• Openness
• Cooperation
• Staying grounded

Apni Shala’s 4-fold mission is:

• Designing high-quality SEL programmes for students aged 9 to 15
• Delivering SEL programmes in partnership with schools and NGOs
• Running a high-quality SEL integrated school for Kg to Grade 10
• Capacitating educational institutions to deliver SEL-integrated education
• Advocating with the government for SEL-integrated education through preventive and promotive mental health approach in all school.

• Shifting the focus to the wholesome development of students and Integrating evidence-based and community-centric approach for mental-wellbeing in schools
• The organization uphold its values to its core which are- Excellence, Staying Grounded, Collaboration, Openness
• Their Programmes are designed in a way that they work with every stakeholder and work towards building and sensitizing them to be more compassionate and caring as a system.

Apni Shala is already working in partnership with the government and in the long term they are aiming to advocate for a full school mental health programme. If a corporate supports them they will be a contributor to de-stigmatise conversation around Mental Health. As the pandemic has once again highlighted the need of Mental Well being, Apni Shala has a lot of potential to grow and reach more people. The pandemic has highlighted the fact that how important and crucial it is to talk and invest in Mental Well-being. The reach of Apni Shala will be expanding in the next couple of years we aim to reach to more than 30 partners in next 3 years tapping to above 7000 children. The corporate partners will also get a space to physically be present and witness how the programme runs and can be an active volunteer in the system.