Lalitha “Lily” Harish-Chandra (1934-2019) enjoyed a long and joyful association with Crossroads Nursery School, beginning with her older daughter’s enrollment and continuing through her years of active service on the Board. Early education was a lifelong passion for Lily. As a young girl, she grew up watching her mother establish one of the first Montessori programs in India, an experience that deeply shaped her belief in the importance of those earliest years of learning.
As a member of the Institute community, Lily warmly welcomed visiting families from abroad. She loved sharing stories about the children at Crossroads, often speaking proudly of how they formed friendships and flourished together, even when they did not initially share a common language.
Lily was, however, concerned about rising tuition costs for families. She often reflected on the importance of that first school experience and wondered why people so readily supported their universites but seldom their very first alma maters.
In her memory, Lily’s family has established the Lily Harish-Chandra Tuition Assistance Program to provide access to early education opportunities for families who might not otherwise be able to afford them, extending the caring and nurturing community that Lily cherished.
For further information on Crossroads’ Tuition Assistance Fund for families without IAS affiliation, go to Tuition information page.
To make a donation to the Lily Harish-Chandra Tuition Assistance Program, please contact our program director at crossroads@ias.edu
