There is much more to education than just academics: The Green Acres Academies (TGAA)

1) How has school education changed over the years and why is integrating technology an ideal aspect of learning these days?

Education is changing due to technology, and the pandemic has given discipline a major thrust, making it more adaptive and easier to understand. Technology has not only made remote teaching/learning easier, but it has also helped root out rote learning processes and bring a more interactive and thought based learning process to the forefront. The use of technology in education fosters individualized, self-directed learning experiences, making education more about skill development than facts memorization.

By finding the right balance of technology into teaching and learning experience, TGAA helps students develop a well-rounded set of skills and experiences that will prepare them for success in the 21st century.

2) What is a Google Reference School and how TGAA is integrating technology and working towards offering holistic education?

Google-Reference-Schools are recognized by Google for their outstanding use of technology to drive positive learning outcomes. TGAA has been recognized as Mumbai/Maharashtra's first Google Reference School in the year 2021.

Through the integration of Google Workspace for Education, which includes productivity tools such as Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Google Classroom, TGAA enriches students' learning experiences while integrating the technology provided by Google into modern teaching and learning processes. The Google-Reference-Program is an invite-only program, and we are very honored to receive this recognition from Google.

When integrating technology, it is important to strike a balance between using technology as a tool and providing other types of experiences such as outdoor education, field trips, experimentation and project-based learning for students. We do this by integrating technology into the curriculum in a way that enhances other learning activities, rather than replacing them.

3) TGAA has grown tremendously over the years, from the flagship campus at Chembur to two new campuses in Mulund and Kalyan. What are your future plans for the brand?

Our future plans involve opening a full-fledged campus in Ghatkopar. We will continue to add campuses each year and support other schools to operate efficiently through curriculum and management services based on our tried and tested model and years of in-depth research.

4) How has your journey been as an educationist and an entrepreneur, Mr. Rohan Parikh

My educational background includes a BSc from Wharton Business School, an MBA from INSEAD, and over 20 years of experience in real estate in Mumbai and Sri Lanka. I always had a keen interest in education which allowed my passion to emerge. To better understand the education-space, I pursued a Master's degree in Education at Johns Hopkins University. Since then, I have been focused on building an incredible team of experts and founded TGAA, Chembur, an ICSE curriculum school which aims to provide affordable yet holistic, and well-rounded education. TGAA has since expanded with additional campuses in Mulund and Kalyan.

For more information about The Green Acres Academy, please visit https://www.tgaa.in/