Many students want to do well in school and college, but staying focused has become harder than ever. Phones, social media, and constant distractions often make it difficult to give full attention to learning. After seeing this in her classroom for many years, Dr. Suniti Vadalkar decided to look for a practical answer.
Instead of relying on one field alone, she brought together her experience in design, education, and classroom learning to create WOW – Wonders of Wellness, An initiative, and also published as a book that helps students build better focus, creativity, and happiness through simple daily activities. The initiative begins with interesting art engagements like water colours, calligraphy, or sketching, followed by interesting interdisciplinary insights. These are jigsaw puzzle pieces in colourful envelopes, which are picked by all students. Dr Vadalkar shares the insights. After the session, students put together the jigsaw. There is a reflection booklet provided to enable students to reiterate their learnings.
The Student Challenge That Started It All
As one of the first faculty members at FLAME University, Dr. Vadalkar spent more than 21 years teaching students from different backgrounds. During this time, she noticed a common pattern. Many students were talented and eager to learn, yet they often found it difficult to stay focused and fully involved in the learning process.
She wanted to understand why this was happening and what teachers could do to help.
Rather than looking for quick fixes, she spent time observing students, listening to their experiences, and trying different classroom activities to see what worked best.
How Art and Design Shaped WOW
Before joining academia, Dr. Vadalkar built a successful career in advertising. She was the founder and creative director of Cat’s Creatives, a Pune based agency that rendered services to organisations such as HDFC Bank, CanFin Homes, Godrej GE, and Live In Jeans to cite a few. Besides being a graduate in applied art, she also studied, painting, and later completed a Ph.D. in Design, from CEPT, Ahmedabad.
This background shaped the way she approached learning. Design is often about understanding people, testing ideas, and improving them through feedback. She applied the same thinking in the classroom by creating activities that encouraged students to observe, reflect, think creatively, and stay engaged.
These ideas later became an important part of WOW.
The Classroom Became Her First Reader
One of the most unique parts of WOW is that students played an active role in its development.
The book took two years to complete, and every activity was first shared with different student groups. Dr. Vadalkar carefully listened to their responses and kept the ideas that students found useful and meaningful. Around 29 students and eleven faculty (she calls them WOW buddies), from FLAME University helped shape the WOW initiative through their participation.
This process helped create a book based on real classroom experiences instead of assumptions about what students might need.
The Thinking Behind WOW
Dr. Vadalkar describes WOW as a “remote for the monkey mind.” Through creative activities and simple practices, the book encourages readers to improve focus, strengthen creativity, and build habits that support learning and personal well-being.
Alongside teaching, she has published research in leading international journals and written three books. Her work continues to bring together art, design, education, and research with one shared goal: helping people learn more effectively.
Growing the WOW Initiative
The WOW initiative is expected to become available on the national SWAYAM platform, allowing learners across India and beyond to take part in its activities.
Dr. Vadalkar is also preparing her next book, ACADEMENTIA – The Other Side of A, B, C, which focuses on educators. Together, her books reflect a simple belief: when education is shaped by careful observation, creative thinking, and student participation, learning becomes more focused, meaningful, and enjoyable.
