Hi, I’m
NATASHA BALLAL
Educator
Bangalore
Summary
- Experiential education leader with a strong foundation in IB CAS and the Career-related Programme, designing and leading transformative learning experiences rooted in sustainability, service, and student agency. Experienced in building cohesive, school-wide systems that connect learning to real-world contexts and global challenges. A collaborative leader committed to inquiry-driven, place-based education that nurtures reflective, compassionate, and globally minded individuals.
Overview
17
years of professional experience
7
Certifications
Work History
Kodaikanal International SchoolKodaikanal
Career Related Program Coordinator
07.2025 - Current
Job overview
- Built strong community engagement pathways while working closely with CP core teachers to ensure program coherence and quality.
- Leading the positioning and promoting the CP in the school, laying the groundwork for onboarding the first CP cohort.
- Developed a new course integrating religion, health, and environment to enhance student learning pathways.
- Developed and implemented ATL (Approaches to Learning) skills through the homeroom/advisory programme.
- Assisted in teacher evaluation cycles, coaching colleagues to build on strengths and adopt a growth-oriented approach.
- Active involvement in the recruitment process.
Kodaikanal International SchoolKodaikanal
CAS and Experiential Education
03.2023 - Current
Job overview
- Lead the design, implementation, and evaluation of the IB CAS programme for 200+ Diploma Programme students every school year.
- Provide strategic leadership for experiential learning across departments and programmes, embedding inquiry-driven and interdisciplinary approaches
- Design and scale student-led initiatives focused on sustainability, literacy, and community engagement
- Build and sustain partnerships with local communities, NGOs, and stakeholders to enable authentic, reciprocal learning experiences
- Mentor and guide students through the full CAS cycle, supporting planning, action, and deep reflection aligned with IB learning outcomes
- Collaborate with faculty to integrate experiential and place-based learning into curriculum design and pedagogy
- Ensure robust documentation, assessment, and compliance with IB CAS requirements and standards.
- Conceptualized and co-led a two-year international student exchange programme with St. Clare’s, Oxford, focused on sustainability, biodiversity, and community engagement, strengthening intercultural understanding and student leadership.
- Played a key role in shaping and advancing the school’s outdoor education programme, embedding experiential, place-based learning practices.
- Collaborated on the redesign of the field trips handbook to prioritise experiential, student-centred learning and meaningful engagement beyond the classroom.
Kodaikanal International SchoolKodaikanal
SEED HOD and CAS Coordinator
06.2023 - 06.2025
Job overview
- Lead the SEED Department, managing a team of teachers and staff, and overseeing the school community garden to strengthen experiential, sustainability-focused learning
- Provide strategic leadership in aligning Service as Action (MYP) and CAS (DP) across Grades 6–12, building a cohesive, school-wide experiential learning framework aligned with the IB
- Design and deliver interdisciplinary, place-based learning experiences aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Oversee weekly Service as Action and CAS opportunities, ensuring meaningful and sustained student engagement with local communities
- Lead and coordinate community-centred CAS projects, ensuring alignment with IB learning outcomes and high-quality student experiences
- Build and sustain reciprocal partnerships with local organisations, deepening student understanding of social and environmental issues
- Oversee FCRA-funded community projects, ensuring compliance, effective implementation, and measurable impact
- Manage departmental operations, including planning, scheduling, and team coordination
- Maintain accurate records of project timelines, budgets, and resource allocation for accountability and review
Kodaikanal International SchoolKodaikanal
SEED Teacher
07.2022 - 05.2023
Job overview
- Developed SDG-aligned curriculum for the SEED Department and coordinated weekly Service as Action initiatives, ensuring meaningful, student-centered engagement with social and environmental issues.
- Coordinated interdisciplinary field trips in partnership with the high school to provide authentic, hands-on learning experiences that deepened student understanding beyond the classroom.
- Implemented community projects focused on creating meaningful social impact.
WWF India
Senior Education officer
04.2021 - 06.2022
Job overview
- Planning and execution of environmental awareness projects for the local education system and volunteers
- Coordinating schedules and assignments for volunteer staff
- Developing and deepening partnerships with government organizations, schools and other stakeholders to enhance project success
- Content creation for various related course materials, handbooks and other publications
- Educating local teachers through personalized and small group assistance to support environmental education at a classroom level
- Mentoring college students on sustainability and project execution
- Developed plans, strategies to engage and execute employee engagement activities
- Work on Community outreach initiatives with schools and local community
- Acquired grants and other sources of funding for educational programs and projects and drafted proposals and agreements to support proper allocation.
- Developed partnerships with parents, NGO's and organizations to build awareness, increase support and share resources.
Center For Environment Education
Project Associate
11.2016 - 04.2021
Job overview
- Planned, and implemented assigned projects, in a timely manner
- Closely collaborated with project members to identify and quickly address problems.
- Developed comprehensive training material for local stakeholders.
- Presented speeches on topics such as Biodiversity, Ecotourism, and the like.
- Implemented alternate education methodology to make information more entertaining and easier for children's education.
Center For Wildlife Studies
Research Assistant
03.2011 - 04.2012
Job overview
- Performed statistical, qualitative and quantitative analysis.
- Validated data to check information accuracy and integrity while independently locating and correcting concerns.
- Planned, modified and executed research techniques, and procedures
- Gathered documents and arranged research data, created maps to plan field work
- Worked with principal investigators to coordinate qualitative research into assessing human wildlife conflict and species distribution
- Worked with a huge volunteer base organizing field work in remote parts of tiger reserves
Center For Environment Education
Project Associate
02.2009 - 01.2011
Job overview
- Documentation, report compilation and content research for the interpretative panels conducted.
- Developed comprehensive training programs for rural as well as urban schools.
- Conducted conservation education camps at various wildlife sanctuaries and Tiger reserves.
- Developed outdoor education modules for the children of rural schools.
- Facilitated training programs and workshops for local teachers and forest department.
Education
Pondicherry UniversityPondicherry
Masters from Ecology and Environmental Science
01.2014
Mount Carmel CollegeBangalore
Bachelor Of Science
01.2008
Bishop Cottons Women's Christian CollegeBangalore
PUC
01.2005
Skills
- Experiential Learning & Programme Leadership
- CAS & Service Learning Design
- Sustainability & Community Engagement
- Student Agency & Leadership Development
- Place-Based & Inquiry-Based Pedagogy
- Intercultural Understanding & Global Citizenship
- Partnership Building & Stakeholder Engagement
- Programme Strategy, Implementation & Evaluation
Accomplishments
Research Assistant and co-authored "Assessing Patterns of Human-Wildlife Conflicts and Compensation around a Central Indian Protected Area"—a NatGeo-funded project.
Co-authored a paper, "Collective Initiative to Protect Biodiversity of Kodagu Sacred Groves," which was presented at an international conference on climate change in Thailand.
Citi Sci 2021 Conference—drafted the abstract and submitted the paper on the WWF Dragonfly Festival, a citizen science initiative.
Hosted quizzes and webinars on biodiversity, sustainability, and species for a wide range of audiences.
Co-authored a paper, "Collective Initiative to Protect Biodiversity of Kodagu Sacred Groves," which was presented at an international conference on climate change in Thailand.
Citi Sci 2021 Conference—drafted the abstract and submitted the paper on the WWF Dragonfly Festival, a citizen science initiative.
Hosted quizzes and webinars on biodiversity, sustainability, and species for a wide range of audiences.
Certification
- IB Ed Building teacher competencies Cat 3
- IBED Principles of Equitable and Inclusive Education, Cat 3.
- IBCP Subject-Specific Seminar: Community Engagement Cat 3
- IBCP Service Learning—Transforming Academics into Action Cat 1.
- IB CAS Certification Category 1
- Leading from the Middle - Notosh
- Global Impact Diploma on the Imperfect Art of Living Course Training
Languages
English
Native
Native
Kannada
Intermediate (B1)
B1
Timeline
Career Related Program Coordinator
Kodaikanal International School
07.2025 - Current
SEED HOD and CAS Coordinator
Kodaikanal International School
06.2023 - 06.2025
CAS and Experiential Education
Kodaikanal International School
03.2023 - Current
SEED Teacher
Kodaikanal International School
07.2022 - 05.2023
Senior Education officer
WWF India
04.2021 - 06.2022
Project Associate
Center For Environment Education
11.2016 - 04.2021
Research Assistant
Center For Wildlife Studies
03.2011 - 04.2012
Project Associate
Center For Environment Education
02.2009 - 01.2011
Pondicherry University
Masters from Ecology and Environmental Science
Mount Carmel College
Bachelor Of Science
Bishop Cottons Women's Christian College
PUC