The Team

Shetal Dandage

After successfully creating and managing her own business in India, Shetal has worked for the past two years in democratic school settings in the United States. She graduated from Maharaja Sayajirao University with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies. She is interested in helping to create democratic schools and resource centers in India, and she has completed projects with street children and creative teaching methods for slow learners. Shetal is deeply interested in integrating ideas from the democratic education system into the public school system, and for this she has already begun her work by leading workshops and publishing several articles.

Dana Bennis

Dana most recently organized the 2003 International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC), held in Troy, New York, which involved over 500 students and educators from around the world.  He worked with the Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO), a national/international non-profit organization that provides support and resources for those looking for educational alternatives.  Previously he taught at The Albany Free School, an inner-city alternative and democratic school in Albany, New York, as well as public and public choice schools in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He earned his Bachelor’s degree and teaching license in Music Education from the University of Michigan.  Dana brings his love for music and a determination to provide an empowering, democratic atmosphere for students in the United States and around the world, and hopes to accomplish this through outreach, networking, research, and dialogue with adults and students.

Julie Hill

Julie has experienced a variety of school settings in her five years of teaching.  She began her work in education with the Teach For America program in rural Mississippi and went on to teach in free schools and charter schools, including The Albany Free School during the 2002-2003 school year.  Julie has a Masters degree in Social Justice Education from Goddard College where she also earned her teaching licensure. She holds a Bachelors in English and Women’s Studies, as well as a self-designed major in alternative education.  She brings a commitment to sharing progressive educational philosophy with marginalized communities and a desire to work for human rights on a more global level.

Andrew Chen

Andrew taught at The Albany Free School in Albany, NY from 2002-2003 and helped to organize the IDEC 2003 conference mentioned above.  He spent several years in the San Francisco Bay Area, working at start-ups during the dot-com boom before earning his computer science degree at Santa Clara University.  In addition to his technical background, Andrew brings a passion for creating an equitable future for all through his work with democratic education.  He has published two articles – one in the Communicator, a journal on gifted education – and has volunteered as a mentor at several public schools.

Chris Balme

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Wharton School of Business, Chris is the co-founder and Executive Director of Spark (www.sparkprogram.org), an award-winning youth apprenticeship program based in San Francisco, California.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbalme