About Us
Siriana Abboud, founder and teacher of Allusio Academy, is devoted to a life in early childhood education.
Her career began at Carnegie Mellon University. She received her B.S. in Psychology, with concentrations in developmental and social/personality psychology. Her additional major in French and Francophone Studies introduced her to bilingual acquisition and multilingual learning.
At Columbia University, Teachers College, Siriana gained her Masters in Early Childhood Education, in both general and special education. There, she became the youngest student selected as a QUIERE scholar, studying education through social justice. She received an additional certification in French teaching.
She has taught in twelve classrooms across New York City and Pittsburgh, ranging from infant to second grade. Her extensive experiences have equipped her with the knowledge and skills to serve students of all diverse backgrounds and abilities. Through her latest role as a head teacher in an NYC Universal Pre-K, Siriana developed an elementary mastery of Spanish, adding to her linguistic skills in English, Arabic, and French. She’s also a recipient of the NYC Big Apple Award.
Siriana values progressive pedagogies that are child-centered and informed by developmental research. As a teacher, she honors families as leaders of their child’s education. Her approach is inspired by those of Reggio Emilia, Montessori, and other play-based philosophies. She invites children to explore their communities while bringing their world into the class. She has been featured on NPR’s On Point Radio, Vogue Living Arabic, The Telegraph Food UK, and Pittsburgh Today Live.
Siriana is excited to apply her years of experiences and bring to you Allusio Academy, the ultimate home learning resource for families.
Nerisha Bhansali, Allusio Academy’s educational advisor, has taught in progressive schools across the globe for over 11 years.
After receiving her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Boston University, with a minor in Economics, Nerisha returned to her hometown of Mumbai, India to teach in a local preschool for two years. There, she completed a year-long diploma course in Early Childhood Education.
She soon became a founding member of Edubridge International School, one of Mumbai's only schools to offer three International Baccalaureate programs. After teaching for four years, Nerisha continued to Columbia University, Teachers College to pursue her Master's degree in Early Childhood Education. Her exceptional skills and experiences in the classroom led to her role as a kindergarten teacher in one of Manhattan's finest public schools. Nerisha expanded greatly on her knowledge of literacy and mathematics education for young children.
Last year, Nerisha returned home to become a lead preschool teacher at the American School of Bombay, praised as Mumbai's best international school. She teaches students from over 40 nationalities, integrating cutting-edge technologies with progressive and child-centered pedagogies.
Nerisha's unique experiences have supported her transition to remote learning. Since last winter, she has completed regular professional developments and webinars on best practices in the virtual classroom.