Chaitanya Education Foundation

All children have a right to an appropriate educational environment where they can learn and grow. 

Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities face many challenges, and learning does not come easily to them. They need specialized instruction and special equipment, which makes education expensive. For these children, such an environment is often not available in their neighborhood.

Our mission (who we are)

Chaitanya means:

energy that sustains life

The name recognizes the life force that exists in all of us — even those who are called intellectually and developmentally disabled.

Chaitanya Educational Foundation (CEF) was started in 1995 to serve the cause of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. CEF currently runs school in Bangalore, India to serve this population in a residential neighborhood

Board of Directors

  • President: Sunita Shastry
  • Secretary / Treasurer: Prasad Shastry
  • Member: Mary Shallbetter
  • Member: Joe Shallbetter

Chaitanya Trust Bangalore, India Board of Trustees

  • Anasuya Sastry
  • Chaya Seetaram
  • MLGK Prasad

Chaitanya Mano Vikasa Kendra

Chaitanya Mano Vikasa Kendra is a day school for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and learning disabilities in an urban setting in Bangalore, India. The school provides an educational program for children aged 4 to 16 years. It has a trained staff of three: a head teacher, an assistant teacher and a teacher aide.

The school supports an economically disadvantaged population. Families pay a small fee to cover school supplies but the school is primarily supported by charitable contributions and fund-raising activities organized by Chaitanya Educational Foundation in USA and Chaitanya Trust in India.

Children at Chaitanya Mano Vikasa Kendra typically have disabilities in the following categories:

  • Intellectual and developmental disabilities caused by damage to,
    or improper development of the brain that happens prenatally, during birth or right after birth. They can also be caused by infections or accidents during the first few years of life.
  • Learning disabilities leading to difficulty in reading, writing, or calculating without having any sensory deficits or intellectual and developmental disabilities.

How You Can Help

Direct Contribution 
You can help by making a donation to Chaitanya Educational Foundation. You can make a one-time gift or one at periodic intervals.

Matching Gifts
Many companies offer to match a donation made by their employees, sometimes up to a specified amount, to the charity of your choice. It is a way to double the value of your donation. Check with your company before making a donation. Check with your company before making a donation.

Adopt-a-Child Program 
A donation of $200 will cover the educational needs of a child for a year. This donation can be made in one sum or in installments. You will receive two newsletters and details about the child you helped.

All donors will get a receipt for their tax-deductible contribution. Donors will also receive The Initiative, a newsletter published twice a year that will inform them of the progress made by the school and the foundation.