Shayur Shah

Bold Idea: Create learning experiences for children aged 6-13 that are relevant and engaging, which connect children to their interests, their life, and the real world.

Path to Metis: Shayur’s life-calling in education began as a curious and enthusiastic youngster schooling in Nairobi. Drawn to the process of learning through exploration and discovery, the seeds of fascination with the world and a love for learning were planted within him. He went on to study Management in the UK and his career began as a divisional manager at a Kenyan company. Then, about 15 years ago, his calling to education emerged. Recognising that the future wellbeing of the world lies in the hands of children, and following his passion to teach, he began his journey through volunteer work; he designed and ran value-based courses for children in his community.

He then moved to India and worked as a primary school teacher at two high-quality schools, Rajghat Besant School and Shibumi. He also worked as a manager at a not-for-profit organisation in India, which together with his previous managerial experience in Kenya, gave him a rich set of management skills. In recent years, he has traveled extensively and learned about various pedagogical approaches in different parts of the world such as Finland, India, the UK and the USA.

He returned to Kenya in 2017, and founded The Illumination Space with the vision to nurture aware, responsible, intelligent and empathetic global citizens who are equipped to live fulfilling and happy lives while contributing to the wellbeing of humanity and the planet. He aims to do this by creating engaging and relevant learning experiences that connect children to their interests, their life, and the real world. In addition to this, Shayur is also the Head of Curriculum at MLC Prep, a new innovative school in Nairobi where he is putting his knowledge and experience into use by developing a bespoke curriculum that incorporates best practices from around the world.