Program Associate
Puja Thakkar is a Program Associate for the State & District Engagement and School Transformation teams at the National Center on Time and Learning. Along with managing the ELT initiative in Delaware, she leads the development of webinars and virtual meetings, corresponds with state and district leaders to provide updates on the progress of ELT efforts, and collaborates with colleagues to plan, prepare for, and implement technical assistance and planning sessions for multiple states and districts.
Prior to joining NCTL, Puja worked as a middle and high school math teacher in New Haven, Connecticut. Most recently, she completed a masters degree at the Harvard Graduate School of Education where she studied Education Policy and Management. Her experiences teaching in an urban district public school and an extended day charter school led her pursue education policy and advocate for Expanded Learning Time initiatives across the country. During her spare time, Puja acts as the Secretary and Board Member for Every Child Is Ours, an international non-profit organization that provides educational resources, materials, and professional development for rural and impoverished townships in Mexico, South Africa, and the United States.