A childhood fraught with surgeries and major hospitalisations, founder student Shiva Datta found his niche in Step By Step school’s (SBS) Centre for Special Education (CSE). Born with a complete bilateral cleft lip and palate, he underwent a total of thirteen reconstructive surgeries that have left him with a facial palsy on the left side along with speech and feeding issues.
Though his adversities are many, Shiva continues to bravely tackle them head on. From Akshar in Kolkata to Step by Step School Noida, he was fortunate in finding a nurturing learning environment with caring professionals along the way. When he joined the academic program in CSE in 2008, he faced the daunting challenge of being part of a big school where he was the odd one out with a facial anomaly. But the inclusive ethos of SBS helped to equip him with the ability to hold his own and participate in whatever came his way. Creative teachers helped to spark an interest in jewelry making and fabric printing. Steady counselling support tried to bridge communication and social gaps. He honed his computer skills, and used it as a medium to successfully give examinations. With the support and guidance of the special educators he successfully passed his class X through National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). When he left SBS and moved on to a different arena in 2016, he could look back to a truly holistic school life.
He joined Shaurya Vocational Centre in 2016.At present he is studying for his Senior Secondary NIOS examinations, learning photography and developing his Photoshop skills.