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Celebrate 10 years of TED-Ed Student Talks with Archana Mohan

Discover how Archana Mohan, co-founder of Bookosmia, used TED-Ed Student Talks to amplify children’s voices and tailor activities for online learning in India.

February 26, 2025

Enriching the student experience through online community: A conversation with Archana Mohan

Since 2014 student groups around the world have used TED-Ed Student Talks to share their ideas. To celebrate 10th anniversary, TED-Ed launched the “10 for 10 years” series, spotlighting stories of impact from facilitators.

In this feature, Archana Mohan, award winning author and co-founder of Bookosmia India’s largest free, open digital platform for children shares her journey. She reflects on how the Student Talks program perfectly aligned with Bookosmia’s mission to give children a platform to express their voices. She also explains how her team adapted the program’s activities for their students’ unique needs and an online learning environment.

Read the blog on the Ted Ed website. The link is given below.

https://ed.ted.com/blog/2025/02/26/enriching-the-student-experience-through-online-community-a-conversation-with-archana-mohan

Archana Mohan

Archana Mohan is a former journalist and co-founder of Bookosmia – India’s No 1 publisher ‘For kids by kids’. She is an award-winning children’s author who has written books on Yakshagana (on preserving Karnataka’s folk dance form), Not That Different and Extra (on inclusive classrooms and communities) and Howzzat (on sports journaling). She has won an award for her writing at the Commonwealth level. Her book ‘A sad-happy school day’ recently won the ‘First prize for inclusion and socio-emotional writing’ for children at the Children’s Book Trust awards. Her new book ‘Biggies don’t play’, an outcome of a year-long partnership with the EkStep Foundation is about helping adults rediscover play. She loves sports, inclusion and helping every child find their unique voice. She has been appreciated by TED-Ed for her work with the TED-Ed program in India.

Archana’s Books

1. Extra -Extra Chromosome, Extraordinary Love

Mentored by storyteller, award-winning social entrepreneur, and India Inclusion Summit Fellow Shivani Dhillon (whose family is the real-life inspiration for the book), written by children’s author Archana Mohan and illustrated by Prarthana Merchant, the book is the perfect handbook to introduce children to the joys of a beautifully diverse world.

Featured on The Better India | The Hindu | The Indian Express and many more

The story does not aim to preach or put the focus on disability. Instead, through the lives of these delightful young characters it shows us that when given a chance, there can be no better ambassadors of inclusion than children playing together.

Buy The Book – click the link below

EXTRA! Extra Chromosome, Extra Ordinary Love | Children’s Book

2. Yaksha

Puneet Rajkumar endorses Bookosmia's children book Yaksha

Endorsed by the likes of Puneet Raj Kumar, Yaksha is the first ever children’s book on Yakshagana, featuring an Indian superhero!

The book tells the story of eight-year-old Yaksha who feels he isn’t special until one day he learns of a 200 year old secret about his family. A beautiful narrative weaves in cultural history with modern day storytelling.

A collaboration between Bookosmia and Yakshadegula.

Author- Archana Mohan, acclaimed writer and winner of 2009 Commonwealth ‘Highly Commended Story Award’

Illustrator- Adithyaa Sadashiv, widely celebrated artist and founder of Vinyaas Studios.

Lisa Ray et al and loved by kids. Adapted into a theatrical script by members of the Indian Ensemble.

Yaksha was launched at the iconic Ranga Shankara, Bangalore as part of the International Theatre Festival for Children.

The first print run of 1000 books was sold out in the first week. Since then the Yaksha name has carried itself far and wide- from Bangalore to Arunachal Pradesh to New York.

Widely covered- The Hindu | Indian Express | The Hindu (again) | Indian Express (again) & Yaksha play The Hindu | First India

Buy The Book – click the link below

Yaksha

3. Biggies Don’t Play

In ‘Biggies Don’t Play’, we meet an 8-year-old girl who has bought into this idea, convinced that being a ‘big girl’ means abandoning the simple pleasures of play. But as she observes the world around her, she begins to realize that being big doesn’t mean losing one’s sense of wonder and joy.Buy The Book – click the link below

Biggies Don’t Play

4. Howzzat Journal

Sports is just like life, with it’s ups and downs, dreams and team work! So when you put your thoughts, feelings and actions into paper, it helps you :

(a) discover yourself (b) reflect and learn from experiences and (c) create beautiful memories for the future So what are you waiting for? It’s time to start this beautiful journey to know yourself better.

Buy The Book – click the link below

Howzzat Journal for every sports fan

5. Not That Different Comic Book

Comic book? On Autism? For kids? Why not- here is one that will make them enjoy, think and lead people with differences, in making the world a better place.

Featured on BBC Worldwide| BBC Hindi| NDTV India| Mid-Day| The Quint

Loved by Anil Kumble, Harsha Bhogle, Lara Dutta, Sameera Reddy, Shruti Hassan

Buy The Book – click the link below

Not That Different Comic #Autism

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This article is published by Bookosmia, India’s #1 publisher for and by young people. Bookosmia publishes stories, books, podcasts, events, TED-Ed talks, workshops, bedtime stories and more related to kids and young adults.

Photo Credit – Copyright Free, Royalty Free images from pexels and canva

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