Kiran Faridi

Kiran Faridi is the founder and president of IAWV Elementary School. Her passion for education and commitment to fulfilling the needs of the Charleston Muslim community led her to lay the foundation of the first Islamic school in the state of West Virginia in 2018. She developed a strong team of professionals, educators, and community leaders, and together, they work tirelessly to achieve the mission and vision of what is now known as the IAWV Elementary School. In 2022, she accepted the full-time position as the Principal of IAWV School. 

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Ms. Faridi has been devoted to education for over a decade. After earning her Islamic education speakers training from the Islamic Network Group (ING), Berkeley, California, she founded a nonprofit educational organization in her local community— the Islamic Speakers Bureau of West Virginia (ISB-WV), to train Muslim speakers who would visit high schools and colleges and give presentations about Islam, diversity, equity, and inclusion. She served as the President of ISB-WV for five years. As a result of her services to her local community, she has been featured in “ING’s 25 Heroes.”

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She also gained experience and established a strong rapport with the diverse local Muslim community. She volunteered and taught for over eight years in a weekend school at the Islamic Association of West Virginia (IAWV). She also started a year-long high school program for Muslim Youth based on the Yaqeen curriculum. 

Ms. Faridi is a big proponent of Montessori philosophy. Her interest in Montessori started while homeschooling her children. After discovering her passion for Montessori pedagogy, it became a calling for her to share this unique philosophy with her Muslim community. 

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Her expertise in strategic planning, leading a team to advance a vision and mission, and her unwavering personality kept her persistent and successful in overcoming the many challenges of starting a new school, including leading the school safely during the unprecedented time of the pandemic. 

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She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, and she is currently pursuing a Master's in Education Leadership from Harvard University. 

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