A US charter school based on the Hindu model.

[tushar pandya]

Hari OM!

Vishwas has asked me to share information with this group about a charter school I was talking to him about.

This school is in the east coast, in the state of Massachusetts, it operates in a model where some direct instruction is needed but also has parts that can be done remotely. My understanding is that a bunch of people were able to come up and create an endowment for the University of Dartmouth. This was able to spawn off a center for Indic studies and a few supporting activities for studies related to Hinduism in the US. One of them is this school. They have been empowered by the state of Massachusetts to give a High school diploma equivalent. The Pundit ji who is the head of the school has designed a system where the claim is to get a child through the high school equivalent in about 4 years depending on the age when they join. Yoga, Sanskrit, Bharat natyam, ayurveda etc are part and parcel of this system.

The Charter school enables religious schools to get government funding and operate. In the US mostly Christian schools have benefited from this but also some Islamic schools. I do not know of any other School related to Hinduism like this in the US, with the exception of the http://www.maharishischooliowa.org/ Maharshi school in Iowa, but that was before the Charter schools came along I think. Same with the Jiddu Krishnamurthy school in Ojai. 

The logic was to be able to get immigrants or kids without background in the US schooling system to get through an accelerated system. Pilot batch was some Bhutaneese Hindu refugees who had to flee Bhutan due to religious persecution. I have met some of these kids and was impressed by their skills and ability to carry themselves and communicate. They started from a ZERO knowledge of English and are today nicely educated by many different standards, arts, communication, Sanskrit etc.

The website of the foundation is http://3rfoundation.org.

[Gunjan]

Thanks and very encouraging. I was in Boston for 9 years so will share this info with my group there.

So what is the take for us? Can we replicate it country wide? Should we involve orgs such as HAF and AIF?

Sent from my iPhone

[tushar pandya]

Q So what is the take for us? 

Each one takes different things. I shared this for multiple reasons mainly because Vishwas asked me to but  some of the others are: 

Such schools ARE there. White folks actually VALUE education based on solid Hindu values and pay premium buck for it.  Ironically Indians and Hindus are mostly seeking English education while in their hearts believing that Hindu education is nice and quaint, but that it does not have a place in giving direction to worldly life. In the bay area there are hundreds(maybe thousands) of desi kids who pau $1000 or more per month for private school. Many times it is a Christian school. Are Indians, Hindus interested in Hinduism?  Does Hinduism and Hindu culture have a place in the lives of or lifestyles of the modern techno desi? Bottom line: Are Desi Hindus interested in converting to Hinduism? At what "cost"? 

Two there is a spectrum of such schools. One high end other not so high end and as a consequence not one where path is determined to merge into mainstream.

Three, in charter schools there is an option which other organized communities are using to open schools for their values and interests. Hindus are mostly not doing this while Christians and Muslims are.

Four, the system allows for many paths as shown by this school which is non-traditional in many ways and affiliated to a University and yet is authorized to give a High school certification, which is accepted by a state and a university.

Q: Can we replicate it country wide? 

The need for replicating comes when the number of "customers" who seek the service increases beyond what the one can serve. If loads of parents are queing up to sign up their kids for such schools, the question of replication comes. The other reason to replicate is for geographic reasons. The MA based school has a model where travelling to MA during summer while being remote rest of the year works (I think). The school in Ojai and the one in Vedic city is for the community that is so interested and inspired by the concepts and values of Hinduism and Vedas/Vedanta shown by their masters that they are willing to live their lives around it. While the white run schools in Ojai and Vedic city have a big following and demand, I do not think the one in MA has local desi techno Hindu parents queing up to put their kids.

Q: Should we involve orgs such as HAF and AIF?

My question would be what is it that you expect from those organizations? Do their charter match?

 Do those organizations want to be involved? 

From what I understand, HAF does not operate in a way where they welcome or even encourage feedback/input from Hindu community. Their model is where members participate by financially supporting what they are doing and occasionally adding voice to their cause by making calls or signing petition. The communication is one way street with them.  They decide the cause. I do not see HAF wanting to get into schooling business. They are trying to influence how Hinduism is addressed in text-books and later or by extension how it is dealt with in schools. They are not engaging community yet.

I am not very familiar with AIF.

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From: Gunjan <gunj...@yahoo.com>
To: tushar pandya <tusharp...@yahoo.com>
Cc: "samskrita...@googlegroups.com" <samskrita...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 1, 2013 2:06 PM
Subject: Re: A US charter school based on the Hindu model.

[gunjan s]

Thanks Tushar.

Question is what can we do in Bay Area, California?


I did share some ideas with Vishwas M last time we met at Kaveri. Where are you based? Can we meet up?

Gunjan

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From: tushar pandya <tusharp...@yahoo.com>
To: Gunjan <gunj...@yahoo.com>; "samskrita...@googlegroups.com" <samskrita...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 2, 2013 9:37 AM

[tushar pandya]

I am in the bay area as well. South bay. Very happy to meet with anyone interested in this.

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From: gunjan s <gunj...@yahoo.com>
To: tushar pandya <tusharp...@yahoo.com>; "samskrita...@googlegroups.com" <samskrita...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 2, 2013 11:10 PM

[gunjan s]

Vishwas Mahodaya

Can you please arrange a meeting of all interested people. We can invite Sudhindra too.

Dhanyaadah

Gunjan

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From: tushar pandya <tusharp...@yahoo.com>
To: "samskrita...@googlegroups.com" <samskrita...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 3, 2013 8:40 AM

[विश्वासो वासुकिजः (Vishvas Vasuki)]

+ sudhindra

On Thu, Oct 3, 2013 at 3:36 PM, gunjan s <gunj...@yahoo.com> wrote:

Can you please arrange a meeting of all interested people. We can invite Sudhindra too.

Sure - everyone interested is welcome.

कदा? 2 PM

कुत्र? Google Office 2350 Bayshore Pkwy, Mountain View, CA 94043। (being a convenient centroid of our locations.)

Can either/ both of you set an agenda so that the meeting is productive?

Or it could be just brainstorming in the following format: Everyone attending can take turns in saying what he or she desires within 5 minutes. After can be three rounds of that we can end the meeting. 

Other suggestions are welcome.

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Vishvas /विश्वासः

[विश्वासो वासुकिजः (Vishvas Vasuki)]

Bonus - You can stay back and attend Devdutt Pattnaik's talk in the area at 3:45 - https://www.facebook.com/events/217198925115894/

[विश्वासो वासुकिजः (Vishvas Vasuki)]

Looks like two interested people cannot make it. Hence cancelled. gunjan-bhai - please identify an alternate time and call a meeting.

[gunjan s]

19th or 26th? at 9:30 SamskrtBharati Balkakshya location in cupertino (Sarvguna after school day care)?

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From: विश्वासो वासुकिजः (Vishvas Vasuki) <vishvas...@gmail.com>
To: gunjan s <gunj...@yahoo.com>; Sudhindra BB <sudh...@bonvibes.com>
Cc: tushar pandya <tusharp...@yahoo.com>; "samskrita...@googlegroups.com" <samskrita...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 3, 2013 10:56 PM

Subject: Re: A US charter school based on the Hindu model.

[विश्वासो वासुकिजः (Vishvas Vasuki)]

On Sun, Oct 6, 2013 at 5:37 PM, gunjan s <gunj...@yahoo.com> wrote:

19th or 26th? at 9:30 SamskrtBharati Balkakshya location in cupertino (Sarvguna after school day care)?

नमस्ते गुञ्जन। १९,२०-तम-दिनयोः संस्कृतभारत्याः कार्यक्रमो वर्तते प्रातःकाले। ६-वादनान्तरं मिलितुं शक्ष्यामि।

२६-तमे दिनाङ्के मेलनं शङ्क्यं परन्तु, ११ वादनानन्तरम् एव युक्तम् मम कृते (अहं दूरे सान्-ब्रूनो परिसरे वसामि अतः तावत् शीघ्रं न आगन्तुम् इच्छामि।)। तत्रापि ५-वादनं मह्यं बहु समीचीनं भविष्यति (कार्यान्तराय तत्र आगन्तव्यं भविता)।

तथापि मदभावे भवन्तः मिलन्ते चेत् तत्र मम सन्तोषः एव (अहं युवाभ्यां सह पूर्वमेव मिलितवान् खलु)।