ISKCON News: Education [pg. 1]

Books Are The Basis Week: Starts September 22nd, 2021

Mark your calendars. Books Are the Basis festival is being celebrated on September 22nd-28th, 2021, immediately after Bhadra Purnima on September 21st, 2021.

Gita Nagari Farm Launches Bhakti Immersion Experience

The Gita Nagari farm in Port Royal, Pennsylvania has launched the Bhakti Immersion Experience, a Krishna conscious residency for new and experienced bhakti practitioners aged 18 to 28 with three, six or nine-month options.

TKG Academy Holds Triumphant Graduation Ceremony After Successful Pandemic School Year

After a successful school year of keeping all students safe during the Covid-19 pandemic, the TKG Academy in Dallas, Texas held a graduation ceremony on May 27^th that felt “triumphant,” according to Vice Principal Gopi Gita Dasi. During the event, three students who had attended TKG Academy since preschool graduated from Twelfth Grade, while the rest of the school’s thirty-three students received end-of-year certificates.

ISKCON Ministry of Education 2nd Annual Virtual Global Symposium of Education

Online global event held on July 29^th – Aug 1^st2021 on Zoom. Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0vcuCtrjkoH9AT4P7zTX-56DQN-5l998OG

Srimad-Bhagavatam: A Comprehensive Guide for Young Readers Releases New Paperback Editions

New paperback editions of Srimad-Bhagavatam: A Comprehensive Guide for Young Readers Cantos 1, 2, and 3 are now available on Amazon.com, along with the just completed Canto 4.

Road to Vrindavan - Film Premiere - Online - Free

Online film premiere available to stream: March 30th, 8 PM – April 12^th, 6 PM (*extended on April 5th, 2021)

Extended EDT: https://watch.showandtell.film/watch/roadtovrindavan “The voices of girls and young women in this movie remind us of the urge and urgency for equality and education right now. It also beautifully highlights working with men and boys as an important step towards change.” - Malala Yousafzai, activist and Nobel Prize Laureate.

Culture Crossing: Krishna Kids in the Material World

We need to have good communication skills to be able to have conversations about tough topics and to maintain openness and trust in the relationship. Part of this means knowing when to stop talking.

Parenting Devotee Teenagers

When our children grow into teens, many of us find that inspiring them in Krishna consciousness becomes much harder. They are no longer enthusiastic to imitate us or join in with the devotional activities we initiate.

11 Stay-At-Home Krishna Conscious Activities To Do With Your Kids

The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough for parents and kids, as they try to find engagement while staying at home. Here are eleven tried-and-true Krishna conscious activities, as shared by devotee parents themselves!

Youth Learn Leadership Skills Via Nectar of Instruction Zoom Course

The Vice Principal of TKG Academy is offering online bhakti courses for teenagers during the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching them The Nectar of Instruction using Srila Prabhupada’s purports and Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Aid during School Closures: Srimad Bhagavatam for Young Readers

Many devotee parents are often wondering how to meaningfully engage their home-bound children in devotional activities, which is especially relevant during the weeks of school closures. A great remedy could be a book series by Aruddha Dasi, entitled as Srimad Bhagavatam: A Comprehensive Guide for Young Readers.

ISKCON Organizes Value Education Olympiad in Delhi

6200 students from 22 different schools of North Delhi, India participated in first Value Education Olympiad organized by ISKCON Punjabi Bagh.

New Krishna-conscious Online Learning Platform for Children Launched

On 1^st March, Bhakti Learning offered their new online Krishna-conscious program for children to Srila Prabhupada at his puspa-samadhi in Sridhama Mayapur.

New Educational Booklet Explores ISKCON and Hinduism

A newly-published booklet, entitled “ISKCON and Hinduism: Exploring the Hare Krishna Movement and its Broader Traditions,” will be used to help students and teachers in schools, as well as visitors to ISKCON temples, better understand ISKCON and how it relates to broader Hinduism.

ISKCON Sunday School Educators to Develop Common Vision at Baltimore Conference

At least 1,200 children in North America are enrolled in official ISKCON Sunday Schools every week. Sunday School educators are set to gather for a Sunday School and Youth Education Conference at ISKCON Baltimore from May 29^th to 31^st, to develop a common vision and share best practices.

Invitation to the Symposium of Education, Mayapur

Viplavah 2020, the Annual International Symposium by ISKCON Ministry of Education will be held on February 21st & 22nd, 2020, at ILS Venue in Gita Bhavan, Sridham Mayapur.

Invitation to Viplavah 2020 International Education Symposium

The Ministry of Education invites devotees to a symposium designed to bring together the many ISKCON-members involved in Education.

Ministry of Education Conducts Educational Census

ISKCON’s Ministry of Education has issued an announcement regarding an educational census among the educators and leadership of ISKCON to determine ISKCON’s current scope of activities and the future needs of the members

Establishing Structured Spiritual Education in Modern Times

Bhaktivedanta Vidyapeet Research Centre (BVRC) in affiliation with the Mumbai University recently conducted a Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Diploma Course. The course was delivered by renowned speaker, Gauranga Das, the Director of BVRC.

GBC College Trains Future Zonal Supervisors

Twenty-five devotees from all over the US and Canada began a Zonal Supervisor Training program, run by the GBC College for Leadership Development, to learn how to become top leaders in ISKCON recently.

Francophone Division of Mayapur Institute Launches

The landmark effort is the first time a Bhakti Sastri degree has been offered in French on such a worldwide scale. With twenty-nine countries where French is the official language, it’s an important step.

New North Carolina School “Goloka” Sees Rapid Growth

Starting in 2018 with a Montessori-style multi-age classroom for three to six year olds, it opened a first through fourth grade class this year, with plans to expand to a larger building in the next school year.

Young ISKCON Activists Take Part in Global Climate Strike

Over four million people around the globe walked out of their schools and workplaces on Friday September 20^thto demand an end to the age of fossil fuels. The protests were organized by young people led by 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg. The campaign has seen students walk out of their schools on Fridays to demand their political leaders take urgent action to address climate change.

Bhakti Course Based on Award-Winning Book “Wise-Love” Launches

“Wise-Love,” by Srila Prabhupada disciple Pranada Dasi, is described as “a handbook of the essence of bhakti written for a modern, Western audience.” “Wise-Love” is the book’s term for bhakti, meaning love grounded in reason and philosophy.

First Krishna Homeschool Convention

Forty four adults and nineteen children came together in the home of Sri Sri Kishore Kishori in Chicago during the weekend of July 13 and 14 to participate in the first-ever Krishna Homeschool Convention.

Kids’ Bhagavatam Program Gives Children Taste for the Spotless Purana

Beginning as simple home sessions, a program designed to teach young children the Srimad-Bhagavatam will soon be offered internationally via Zoom video conference. The resources are already being shared with parents everywhere on the lightofgodhead.com website and WhatsApp Group. Eventually, the full curriculum will be presented as a book.

First-Ever Krishna Homeschool Convention To Be Held in Chicago

Sri Sri Kisore Kisori Mandir will host grahasthas who are currently homeschooling their children, or considering it as an option for the future, for a first of it's kind "Krishna Homeschool Convention" to be held on Saturday, July 13 and Sunday, July 14.

The Boat of Transcendental Knowledge

Life in this material world is just like an ocean of ignorance. We are in the midst of this terrible ocean, which has been tossing us in the repeated cycle of birth and death from time immemorial.

Future Leaders of ISKCON Trained at GBC College in Brazil

A group of forty devotees have completed the first one-year GBC College Course in Latin America, which included online classes and two residential courses, preparing them to become ISKCON’s future leaders.

Philosoph(ies) of Education

It is observed that there is a lot of argument on what is “the” ISKCON philosophy of education. In this regard the ISKCON Ministry of Education felt that there is a pressing need for ISKCON to compile a document about ISKCON philosophy(ies) of education.

A First-of-it's-kind Krishna Homeschool Convention

The unique feature of this convention will be multiple panelists and presenters with experience in homeschooling.

Bhaktivedanta Library South American Seminar: An Unforgettable Spiritual Adventure

In February 2019, a Bhaktivedanta Library Seminary was held with a great success in the farm of Nava Gundica dham, Mendoza, Argentina, with the idea of focusing on the service to the scriptures "sastra seva", promoting the vision of bhakti by studying and distributing Srila Prabhupada's books.

New School Textbook Teaches Success in Life Through Bhagavad-gita

A new textbook for schools in the Telegu language, entitled “Bhagavad-gita for Complete Success in Life,” has been written by an ISKCON devotee and published by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), the organization that manages the famous Venkateswara temple.

ISKCON Educators Meet in Mayapur for a Symposium

The ministry presented their new web platform, which was created with the intention to connect all the educators working in ISKCON and make the information about the different courses taught available to a wider audience.

Schooling the World: A Documentary Explores the Pitfalls of Modern Education

If you wanted to change an ancient culture in a generation, how would you do it? You would change the way it educates its children.

The Consciousness In Science Conference Was A Great Success

In preparing for the Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies’ Consciousness in Science 2019 conference opening ceremony at the University of Florida’s Harn Museum on Friday 18th January, so much interest arose that it was necessary for the organisers to curtail advertising efforts.

Manor Preschool Gets “Outstanding” Ofsted Grade

Ofsted (The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills) is the government organization responsible for inspecting all schools and nurseries in the UK.

Bhaktivedanta Academy Receives Grant for Science Education

The new grant will provide high quality anatomical models of different bodily systems for the students to study, which are normally too expensive for the school to buy.

IFAST Offers Innovative Online Lessons in Applied Krishna Consciousness

Established by the late ISKCON guru Bhakti Tirtha Swami, IFAST (Institute for Applied Spiritual Technology) operates on the idea that it’s not enough to simply give people spiritual knowledge – we must teach them how to apply it.

Mothers and Kids

It is an odd development of the modern world that being excessively anxious about our children is considered a virtue. We consider ourselves good parents if we make life easy for them, reward them for the smallest achievement, and are anxious for their safety and well being at all times.

First High School Graduation Held in Australian Gurukula

While most Year 12 students plan a week of partying at Surfers Paradise to mark the end of their school years, seven students from the Hare Krishna School at Eungella are planning something completely different.

Ministry of Education Conference Report (Alachua) Florida, USA

This conference was an intense, heart-changing event for all the attendees and the virtual participants.

ISKCON Teachers Get Much-Needed Support at 5th Education Conference

Teachers at ISKCON’s schools work very hard, often with little support – so the chance to connect and collaborate with fellow educators from all over North America at the fifth annual ISKCON Education Conference was a blessing.

ISKCON Educators Conference Will Be Held in Alachua, Florida

The ISKCON Ministry of Education’s annual education conference will be held in New Raman Reti dhama – Alachua, Florida June 21 through June 24, 2018. The purpose of this year’s conference is to facilitate connections between fellow educators.

Mayapur Institute: “Are You Growing In Your Spiritual Life?”

Mayapur institute paves the path for devotees' spiritual growth by in-depth analytical study of ancient scriptures facilitated by sincere practitioners.

Twenty-five Youth Attend Youth Camp in a New Format at ISKCON Varachha, Surat

Around twenty-five young persons attended a residential youth camp organized by ISKCON Youth Forum Varchha in Surat, which had a unique activity-based format of learning, modelled using techniques from the Institute of Education at the University of London.

Spiritual Awakening in West Bengal Schools

The Jagrata Chatra Samaj is a Spiritual Academy for Formation and Education (SAFE), an outreach program specifically aimed for students from schools and colleges in West Bengal, India.

VIHE Announces 2018 Bhakti-shastri and Bhakti-vaibhava Courses

This year the Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education (VIHE) has scheduled its English Bhakti-sastri course for the period starting July 5 and ending November 6, 2018, in Vrindavan, India.

The Bhaktivedanta National School in Mayapur

Children from any cultural background or religion may join the school, and Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and ISKCON children learn and grow in harmony, having equal respect for each others’ religion and background.

Teaching Evolution in Schools: What Science Explains and What Explains Science

An Indian Union Minister of State recently triggered a furor by stating that evolution is unproven scientifically and shouldn’t be taught in schools.

Educational Series Teaches Kids About Krishna Through the Joy of Festivals

A series of PDF activity books by Urmila Dasi, now available online, teaches children about Krishna consciousness through the joyful celebration of Vaishnava festivals. Extremely popular with parents and teachers, the series is set for a more elaborately produced print version soon, and may become part of a new official ISKCON Sunday School curriculum.

Florida Hare Krishna School Gives Lessons in Service

The art projects were distinct from most others. Students at Bhaktivedanta Academy of Alachua, FL, USA, had to use pieces of trash to create artwork weighing less than 50 pounds.

GBC College 2018 Graduation Ceremony – ILS, Mayapur

Twenty-three leaders from various locations in Africa, Bangladesh, China, India, Italy, Russia and Singapore, received their GBC College Graduation certificates and gifts in the presence of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, Srila Prabhupada, and over 600 ILS devotees including many ISKCON Gurus, GBCs and sannyasis.

Top Academic Scholars Appreciate ISKCON in New Short Film

A short film about a recent conference at Harvard University, in which academic scholars appreciate ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada, while also encouraging devotees to self-reflect, brought an audience at the Mayapur festival to tears.

1,000 Young People from Surat Attend Lectures by Radheshyam Das

Radheshyam Das, who is one of ISKCON’s pioneering youth outreach leaders, spoke on subjects such as: building bonds of trust, awakening leadership abilities, and true freedom.

Bhaktivedanta Manor School On the Lookout for New Head Teacher

For the past thirty-five years, the Bhaktivedanta Manor School in England has given children a loving Krishna conscious education, earning its moniker “The Small School With a Big Heart.” A year ago, the school moved into its own dedicated building. And now, with committed longtime head teacher Guru Charana Padma Dasi set to retire, it’s looking for a new principal to oversee its exciting next phase.

Disciples Course Inspires Family Mood, Dedication to Prabhupada and ISKCON

w website, http://www.iskcondisciplecourse.com/, has been launched for the ISKCON Disciples Course. Throughout the world, the course has been inspiring a family togetherness amongst devotees, as well as a strong dedication to Srila Prabhupada, their gurus, and Lord Chaitanya’s mission.

Brazil’s Bhaktivedanta Institute Offers Spiritual Refuge

Brazil's BHaktivedanta Institute became a pioneer for being possibly the first course of bhakti-yoga to use elements of “gamification”, application of game-design elements in its curriculum.

Mayapur Institute’s First Classroom “Kutir” is the Perfect Setting for Study

On October 15^th the Mayapur Institute of ISKCON opened its first classroom kutir, or hut, which creates the perfect atmosphere for study of the Vedic scriptures. Built with natural, environmentally-friendly local materials like bamboo, bricks and thatch, the kutir makes students feel like they have stepped back in time to learn with the sages of the Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Bhaktivedanta College Announces New Yoga Teacher Training Course

Set in the beautiful Ardennes region of Belgium, next to Radhadesh’s picturesque Chateau temple, the College’s scenic, secluded campus is ideal for the study and meditation required of a yoga course.

Art Exhibition Opens at ISKCON Nairobi

On July 8^th 2017, ISKCON Nairobi’s premises were a hive of activity. Over 800 new people were exposed to Krishna-consciousness via an art exhibition featuring the work of over 360 students from various primary and secondary schools of Nairobi.

Mayapur Institute to Inaugurate New Campus

Due to significant growth in student enrollment every year, the current Mayapur Institute classrooms and offices are inadequate. Hence, MI had embarked on setting up an exclusive campus at Mayapur.

New Book Teaches Mindfulness Through Drumming

Today, many schools in the U.K. and beyond are teaching children mindfulness, a widely acclaimed therapeutic technique that focuses our feelings, thoughts and emotions, and induces calm and emotional wellbeing. Jayadev Dasa, a well-known musician and kirtan singer from England, has written a book that teaches children mindfulness in a unique way – through fun Djembe drumming lessons. Jayadev, of course, was the drummer for the ‘70s pop group The Rubettes, which had a hit with “Sugar Baby Love” and sold twenty million records worldwide.

2nd Sannyasa Candidate Training Seminar Held in Mayapur

The number of sannyasis grows from year to year in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, to well over 100; and those who take the vows of this final ashram of renunciation are, since recently, receiving formal training over and above what they receive individually in the course of their devotional lives and through the guidance of their sannyasa mentors. In pursuit of this aim of formal training, on February 18 – 22 we held a Sannyasa Candidate Training Seminar in Sridham Mayapur.

Houston’s Goswami Academy to Hold Open House This March

ISKCON Houston’s Goswami Academy, an elementary school from pre-K to fifth grade, is already a success, teaching students from its own large congregation as well as ISKCON children from other states. But now the school, established in 2014, is also hoping to attract students from the broader Houston community to avail of its values-based education.

90 Students Graduate from Nairobi’s Hare Krishna Training Center

Despite the chilling cold and rainy weather of Nairobi, a large group of more than 250 devotees assembled at the Sri Sri Radha Banke Bihari Mandir to commemorate the ISKCON’s golden jubilee. Amongst them were Bhakti Narasimha Swami (South Africa), Akhandadhi Das (UK), ISKCON Nairobi Vice President Rukuma Das, Manasi Ganga Dasi, and 90 jubilant students who celebrated attaining a Certificate of Ethics and Morality after a year-long course on Vaishnava philosophy. The program is run by the Hare Krishna Training Center, part of ISKCON Nairobi.

Mayapur Schoolchildren Put on Their Own Radhastami

“Mayapur is so huge, and so many pilgrims come for the main Radhastami celebration at the temple, that it’s not really a community celebration,” says parent and teacher Noam Hillel. “So we decided to hold our own festival the evening after the main one, with students, faculty, parents and all other community members who wanted to attend.” About fifty youth under eighteen worked hard to put on the festival, with boys and girls embarking on their own separate efforts and bringing them together on the day.

A Statement on Child Protection within ISKCON

The one-hour film “Cost of Silence,” that was released on Nrisimha Caturdasi, raises serious questions for the ISKCON society and its leadership in regards to child abuse and child protection, as well as the authority and effectiveness of the ISKCON Child Protection Office. These are important questions and deserve thoughtful reflection and an energetic response.

New Eco-School Inaugurated In Krishna-valley, Hungary

Krishna-valley in Somogyvamos, Hungary is one of the fastest growing villages in the area. In the past two decades, due to the hard work of the devotees, the 275 hectars of land has become Europe’s largest eco-village. There are 50 children living in Krishna-valley, who, by know, outgrew the original school building. Therefore it was time to build a new building, which, with its 200 square meters, 3 classrooms, big communal space could accommodate an additional 48 students.

Newly Appointed Professor Talks Scholarship’s Role in Vaishnavism

Professor Ravi M. Gupta (Radhika Ramana Das) is the newly appointed Charles Redd Chair of Religious Studies, and Director of the Religious Studies Program at Utah State University. It’s a prestigious position that brings to mind a gruff, silver-bearded elder. But Radhika Ramana flips that idea on its head. At a youthful 34, he’s got a beaming smile of pearly whites and a full head of black hair. He’s also disarmingly unpretentious despite his astonishing academic journey.

Krishna-conscious Carnival at Hungarian Nursery Schools

It is an age-old custom in Europe that people say goodbye to the cold and dark winter and welcome spring in a celebratory way, singing, dancing, and dressed up in colorful costumes. The students of Krishna-valley and the Budapest Gurukula’s nursery schools did not want to miss out on the fun, so they also put up their own show, -- while at the same time kicking off ISKCON's 50th Anniversary year.

Mauritius Plans New School, Medical Center for 50th

The ambitious project will include a 800-capacity temple hall for Radha-Golokananda, a guest house and accommodation for devotees, a prasadam hall, a conference hall, exhibition areas, an auditorium and a five-star restaurant. It will blend traditional domes with modern western features. Arriving sooner is the Bhakti Preschool, for which the building has already been constructed at ISKCON Phoenix.

Interest In Vedic Pedagogy Increases in Finland

Finland has been one of the most successful countries in the world in education. The universities and educational institutions are open to different educational concepts. Among other high-quality educational programs, Finland is exporting the concepts of creative education to different countries - to India, too. Tattvavada Das has been part of the Finnish Council for Creative Education (CEE) team since 2014.

Sri Mayapur International School Needs High School Math Teacher

ISKCON’s Sri Mayapur International School (SMIS) has a vacancy for the position of a High school Mathematics teacher.

Back to School: Three New Lessons for the New Goloka Community

June 12th marked the last day of a moderately successful first year at the New Goloka Community School (NGCS), located in Hillsborough, North Carolina, USA. After pioneering for almost 10 months, the students are happy to take a break during the long summer stretching ahead.Challenges present an opportunity to learn and grow, and NCGS has done just that in their fledgling year.

Government Accredited Mayapur School Continues Expansion

After being officially affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in Delhi in July 2014, the Bhaktivedanta National School at ISKCON’s headquarters in Mayapur, West Bengal continues to expand its operations. The school has ensured that teachers’ qualifications and salaries meet with CBSE requirements, and is now undergoing a series of physical improvements and additions.

ISKCON School to Educate Tribal Children in Rural Assam, India

Saraswati Vidya Niketan in Assam was founded in 2011 as an adult educational program where ISKCON devotees educated, local village youth who were previously working in nearby towns and cities as a labourers. Most of them were suffering from alcohol abuse, addiction to gambling, which severely affected their economy, ecology and cultural roots.

Teaching Position Available at Australian Gurukula

The Bhaktivedanta Swami Gurukula School (New Gorvardhan, Australia) is currently seeking to employ Primary School Teachers for the continuation of 2015 academic year.

First Annual Congress Brings Latin American Educators Together

The first “Latin American Congress of Education with ISKCON,” brought together ISKCON educators from all over South America, along with prospective collaborators. Their goal was to create effective networks amongst each other, share inspiring reports of educational efforts; identify strengths and challenges faced in ISKCON education in South America; and develop practical proposals for implementation.

Children as Young as Four Months Learn Bhagavatam in London Group

A group of mothers based at Bhaktivedanta Manor near London are teaching their children the ancient scripture Srimad-Bhagavatam – from as young as four months old. “We began to develop a framework,” Sucirani says. “Then, when my son Madhav was just six months old, we thought, ‘Why wait until they can understand?"

ISKCON Detroit Invites Children to Winter" Kidz Camp"

he Krishna Kidz Camp has grown from 25 kids to over 100 as word spreads about the fun and exciting immersion into Krishna-consciousness during this four-day camp. The camp is filled with energy and excitement as these wonderful children begin to experience the spiritual bliss of learning about Lord Krishna.

Vedic Education Is a Primary Pillar for ISKCON Seattle

The Seattle ISKCON temple is a happening place. When someone enters on a Friday or Saturday, it feels like a Sunday feast. The classrooms are filled with teachers presenting a successful seminar called Discover Yourself, a crash course on the Bhagavad Gita that wets their appetite to delve deeper into the ancient wisdom of Lord Krishna. In the main temple hall there is a Bhagavad-gita class for curious visitors.

New Bhaktivedanta College Under Construction in Mexico

In Cueramaro, North-Central Mexico, ISKCON devotees are using natural brick and plenty of glass to construct a brand new “green” building for their Colegio Bhaktivedanta that will blend into, rather than invade, its natural surroundings. Colegio Bhaktivedanta follows other colleges in Belgium and Hungary named after Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who was renowned for his impact on spiritual education.

Gopal’s Garden: New Vrindaban's Family School

Just down the hill from the Sri Sri Radha Vrindabanchandra Mandir, in a simple wooden building under the shade of tall, leafy oaks and maples, lies the key to New Vrindaban’s future. Four children are currently taught in the brightly painted aqua classroom of Gopal’s Garden, a homeschool co-op established in 2007. That may not be many, but it doesn’t make Gopal’s Garden any less important to New Vrindaban’s families, or to the very foundations of the community.

How Religion Affects Children's Judgment of What Is Real and What Is Pretend

A tsudy examines how children need to look beyond their first-hand experience in order to learn about the world.

4th Annual Gita Camp Held at Houston Hare Krishna Temple

"Our children need to be engaged in our ever blissful spiritual culture and values. The only way, they can experience this bliss, is by engaging in pure spiritual connection with the process of Bhakti Yoga. Engaging their intelligence, mind, and senses in the devotional service to the Lord." This was the essence of the just concluded successful Children’s 4th Annual Gita Camp, held at Houston Hare Krishna Temple from July 7 – 13.

“School Without Walls” A Good Fit for Hare Krishna Children

Nancy De Luca Stempel (Nandapatni Dasi) the Executive Director of the Learning Community International, a private school “Without Walls” claims her school’s unique learning style is a good fit for ISKCON children.

ISKCON Devotees Present Vaishnava Culture at Italian Schools

There is a growing interest today in learning about different cultures and ways of life. In schools, in the workplace and in society in general, more and more people are sharing their traditions and different aspects of spirituality with each other. This year, two primary schools in Tavazzano and Sordio, in the province of Lodi, Italy, presented the culture of India.

Kirtan Shakti Album to Support Underprivileged Girls in Vrindavana

The proceeds from a unique new kirtan album, “Kirtan Shakti,” will all go towards educating underprivileged young women at the Sandipani Muni girls’ school in Vrindavana, India -- Lord Krishna’s birthplace.

Christians, Muslims, and Jews Come Together to Start the First Interfaith High School in the US

America's first full-fledged interfaith high school is currently enrolling freshmen for Fall 2014.

Raising Mormon (Or Any Religious) Kids to Keep the Faith

It’s a painful reality for Mormon parents (and all religious parents) that sometimes, their children leave the faith.

Teaching Positions Available in Australian Krishna School

The Bhaktivedanta Swami Gurukula School in New Gorvardhana Australia is currently seeking to employ Secondary School teachers of multiply subjects for the 2014 academic year.

Successful Stok Kangri Trekkers Raise $80,000 for Poor Children's Education

On September 11th, a group of 21 individuals from the United Kingdom started to trek Stok Kangri, the highest mountain in the Stok Range of the Himalayas in the Ladakh region of northwest India. Out of the 21 trekkers, 12 made it to base camp at 5,100 meters and 8 made it to the summit on September 17th.

Students of Sri Mayapur International School Install Prabhupada Deity

On August 27th, to celebrate the auspicious appearance day of ISKCON-founder Srila Prabhupada, the students and teachers of Sri Mayapur International school attended a very special event at the Srila Prabhupada ashram

Goloka Education Releases Sanskrit Curriculum for Primary Schools

Goloka Education, a company established in New Zealand and now based in Mumbai, India, is just about to publish the second printing of its Samskrta Vidyarambhah Part 1, the first volume in its new Sanskrit Curriculum for primary schools.

San Diego Judge Says Public School’s Yoga Instruction Not Religious

A California judge ruled Monday (July 1) that the teaching of yoga in public schools does not establish a government interest in religion.

New York School Goes All-vegetarian

Asked which school meals were their favorites, students at a public school in the New York borough of Queens don't say chicken fingers or meatballs. Instead, they name rice and kidney beans, black bean quesadillas or tofu with Chinese noodles.

ISKCON Educators Find Unity at Second Annual Conference

Twenty-eight delegates representing thirteen educational initiatives in eight different countries attended the conference in Radhadesh, Belgium. Some of the initiatives represented were ISKCON Educational Services in the UK, Bhaktivedanta College in Hungary, Bhaktivedanta Mission School in India, Goloka Education in New Zealand, and of course Bhaktivedanta College in Belgium.

Former IN Editor Graduates From Law School as Valedictorian

On May 23rd, former ISKCON News editor Navina Shyam Das graduated summa cum laude from law school at the prestigious Temple University, Philadelphia and was honored as Valedictorian.

Putin Approves New Education Law

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed new legislation that makes a course on the fundamentals of religion mandatory in all schools. It wasn’t clear if that means lessons on Orthodox Christianity or world religions generally.

International Conference Revitalises Education in ISKCON

Thirty delegates from twenty-one different educational initiatives attended ISKCON’s first International Educational Conference for many years—subtitled “Revitalising Education in ISKCON”—in Radhadesh, Belgium on May 4th, 5th and 6th this year.

Faith, Faith-Based Schools, And Family Stability Are Keys To Bridging The Achievement Gap, A Study Presented At Harvard Finds

In a large research synthesis study presented at Harvard University, personal religious faith emerged as the most important factor that was associated with the greatest reduction in the achievement gap, followed by family stability.

Bhaktivedanta Academy: Inspiring Excellence in Krishna’s Children

At the Bhaktivedanta Academy, a private elementary school located on a leafy five-acre plot in Alachua, Florida, ISKCON education is being taken to a new level.

Mayapur Academy Diploma in Arcana Course

Those who are interested can learn the art of Deity worship in Sri Dham Mayapur. The main teachers are Jananivasa Das Head Pujari in the Mayapur Deity Department and Nrsimha Kavaca Das ISKCON Deity Worship Minister.

New Courses Offered by Mayapur Institute

The Mayapur Institute has announced its new courses for the Fall and next Gaura Purnima.

Study: Education Liberalizes Religious Views

The old wisdom: The more educated you are, the less likely you will be religious. But a new study says education doesn't drive people away from God — it gives them a more liberal attitude about who's going to heaven.

The First Semester in Bhakti School in Brazil

The newly established Bhakti School in Franco da Rocha, near Sao Paulo, Brazil, has just finished its first semester. It is a government approved day school for children from 5 to 15 of age. It has 55 students.

Valedictorian Speech Delivered at Santa Fe High School Commencement Program by Devotee Youth

Abhimanyu Wolf was the valedictorian of the 2011 graduating class of Santa Fe High School, in Alachua County, Florida. Several thousand people attended the event and heard Abhimanyu speak about Srila Prabhupada and the vital importance of spiritual inquiry.

ISKCON Poland to Teach Spiritual Curriculum in Schools

ISKCON devotees in Poland have just finished writing an educational program that aims to provide primary and secondary school children with the cultural, social and philosophical basis for Krishna consciousness.

Bhaktivedanta Manor School Trips Leave Lasting Impressions

While summer holidays have already begun in the US, schoolteachers all over the UK are still looking forward to their six-week break from July 24th to September 2nd, when they’ll get to take some time off from their rewarding yet busy jobs.

Teacher Needed at Sri Mayapur International School

Sri Mayapur International School has a vacancy for a Year 1 teacher starting in August 2011. There are 12 intelligent, well behaved, devotee children in this class aged between 5 and 6 years old.

Teaching Vacancies at Sri Mayapur International School

Sri Mayapur International School has vacancies for the following teachers starting in August, 2011: High School Biology Teacher, English Teacher, Middle School Science Teacher, Primary School Teacher.

Bhaktivedanta Manor Primary: The Small School With A Big Heart

One of the only ISKCON schools to remain standing in Europe today is struggling, but continues to push on with new ideas for growth, full of faith in its ideals. A 2008 Ofsted Report says “Relationships between adults and pupils are exceptionally good and as a result, pupils behave very well and their attitudes to learning are good.”

Now, ISKCON Turns Nanny In Visakhapatnam

With a view to provide divine touch, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), is all set to open its play school to impart value-based education for children in Visakhapatnam.

Hungary’s Bhaktivedanta College Moves Into New Renovated Villa

ISKCON Hungary’s Bhaktivedanta College for Religious Science, the first fully accredited Vaishnava Theology College in Europe, is set to move from its old rented location into its own brand new building this February 9th.

Academic Positions at Vrindavan Gurukula

Bhaktivedanta Gurukula and International School at Vrindavana, India invites applications for High School and Post-graduate Teachers in following disciplines: English, Sanskrit, Physics, Chemistry, Life Science, Mathematics and Social Studies

Mayapur Institute Offers Groundbreaking Online Course

After the success of a pilot Bhakti Sastri Online course by the Mayapur Institute for Higher Education (MIHE), the Institute will offer another round of this groundbreaking step in ISKCON education from January 29th 2011 to April 29th 2012.

Gita Jayanti Celebration at Bhaktivedanta International School, Vrindavana

On the auspicious occasion of Gita Jayanti, the advent day of Srimad Bhagavad Gita, students from all grades put up an all day long celebration program. Arrays of colorful placards depicting the shlokas of Bhagavad Gita, the thematic displays of Bhagavad Gita teachings, high-spirited book distribution and the exuberant kirtans made it an event that gurukulis will always cherish.

Second Krishna-Avanti School To Open In Leicester, UK

When it opens, the Krishna-Avanti Primary School, Leicester, will become the UK’s first cross-community Hindu school, providing a Hindu ethos but with half its places allocated purely on the distance that parents live from the school, regardless of their faith.

Bhaktivedanta College in Radhadesh Offers Online Courses

Starting in January of 2011, Bhaktivedanta College will offer for the first time a complete one-year VTE Bhakti Sastri course online at www.bhakti-sastri.com

ISKCON Member Appointed Chaplain to Oxford University

Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies Shaunaka Rishi Dasa, also an ISKCON devotee, has recently been appointed Hindu Chaplain to Oxford University, the first to take on such a role in the history of the famous 900-year-old school.

Sri Mayapur International School Sports Day

The students of Sri Mayapur International School held their Annual Sports Day on December 16th. The event was well attended by parents, community members and special guests.

Teaching Vacancies at Sri Mayapur International School

There are vacant positions for Grade 6 primary school teacher (start by March 2011) and high school English teacher (to start January/February 2011).

Bhaktivedanta International School in Vrindavan Is Accepting Applications

Bhaktivedanta International School (BGIS) in Vrindavan, India, is now accepting applications from prospective students for admission into standards II-IX and standard XI for the academic year 2011-2012

New Bhakti Bhavan to Educate and Inspire Devotee Women

A new residential and educational ashram for women, called the Bhakti Bhavan—or “House of Devotion”—was launched at the ISKCON community in Alachua, Florida this October, and is currently offering its first “Bhakti-Sastri” study course.

Academic Conference on `Religions: War, or Peace?`

On November 18th, the state-accredited Bhaktivedanta Theological Collage of ISKCON Hungary held its sixth annual academic conference. The topic of this year`s discussion was `Religion: War, or Peace`?

A Platform for Students to Showcase Their Talent

A five-day inter-collegiate cultural event, ‘Rasa Fest', organized by ISKCON, Hubli-Dharwad, India, started on Monday, the 23rd of November. It was inaugurated by astrologer Shymrao Ramrao Jumnalkar on the ISKCON premises.

Govardhana Puja At Sridham Mayapur`s International School

The Primary School students Of Sri Mayapur International School spent a happy afternoon recently celebrating the festival of Govardhan Puja.

Mayapur Institute Is Calling All Senior Devotees

The Mayapur Institute is calling all the senior devotees to participate, share their life's experience and mentor younger devotees, and as an exchange experience fresh realizations and receive new inspiration about their parts in Prabhupada's mission.

Alachua's Bhakti Bhavan for Women Offers Bhakti-Sastri Course

Bhakti Bhavan for Women, Located at New Raman Reti in Alachua Florida, is now offering a Bhakti Sastri Course.

ISKCON Leadership Course Completes Its Trial Run

An international leadership training course for ISKCON devotees has just wrapped its two-year trial run in Washington D.C., North America.

Bhaktivedanta College Lets the Music Begin

The ninth inauguration ceremony began with speeches by the Principal, Yadunanadana Swami, the Administrative Director, Jaya Krishna Dasa, Trustee and Instructor Braja Bihari Dasa, and another visiting teacher, Urmila Dasi.

Bulgarian Protesters Demand Compulsory Religious Classes

Over 5,000 Bulgarians demonstrated Friday in Sofia to demand that religious instruction in this majority Orthodox country become compulsory in schools, police said Friday.

Third School for Underprivileged Children Opens in Vrindavana

A third Sandipani Muni School will open in Kikinagla Village on October 23rd, to provide free education for poor children in Lord Krishna’s birthplace.

Schools Pick Up New Krishna Conscious Reading Series

Dr. Best Learn to Read, a brand new 84-book series teaching children how to read English in a Krishna-centered way, was officially launched during the Janmastami festival at the UK’s Bhaktivedanta Manor on September 2nd.

ISKCON Goes Back to School

As a new school year rolls around, we ask ISKCON’s Minister for Educational Development Sesa Dasa what’s in store for our children’s education this year, and in the future?

ISKCON Australia School Hall Receives Government Funding

The Australian Commonwealth Government is funding $250,000 of a new $300,000 Multi-Purpose Community School Hall for the Bhaktivedanta Swami Gurukula on ISKCON’s New Govardhana farm.

Save Yourself: Mayapur Institute Upcoming Courses Announced

Whether you are riding a wave of success in your devotional service or you are overwhelmed with life's challenges, please seriously consider fortifying and empowering yourself by attending the Mayapur Institute's Bhakti-sastri or Bhaktivaibhava Courses beginning November 10th in Mayapur.

Vedic Leadership Seminar in Sydney, Australia

On August 7th an 8th, 2010, almost 60 devotees gathered in Sydney, Australia to attend a Vedic Leadership seminar presented by Bhakti-Vidya Purna Swami. The seminar was held over two days with profits donated to the Mayapur Gurukula, to fund scholarships and other requirements.

European Women’s Seminar Nurtures and Inspires

Twenty-six devotee women from the Czech Republic attended a seminar entitled “Nurturing the Devotee Within You to Serve the Devotees Around You” from July 3rd to 9th this year, in the tranquil setting of Germany’s Simhachalam farm.

PhD Thesis Tackles “Zonal Acharya System”

Arya Dasi, a student at the University of Leeds, England, is doing her PhD thesis on a rather unique topic: ISKCON’s zonal acharya system of the 1980s.

Tuition Sponsorship for US Devotees at Bhaktivedanta College-Radhadesh

The North American GBC is looking for future leaders, intelligent and devotionally-inclined young men and women who would like serve Lord Chaitanya’s sankirtan movement by making a career of full time service in ISKCON USA America. To help fulfill this aim, the North American GBC is offering a two-year scholarship to Bhaktivedanta College in Radhadesa, Belgium.

Veggie Project Expands To Fight Childhood Obesity

Sergio Escafuller hopes to change the way people think about fruit and veggies. He’s landed his first job at The Veggie Project, which brings farmers’ markets to communities that tend to have the lowest concentrations of grocery stores and poor produce selection.

Krishna Kids and Drugs: Depending on Mr. Leland

It was like sending a baby into battle that day. Mr. Leland was going to lead a school seminar about the dangers of drugs. It was a set up that no sane adult would have taken on. But Mr. Leland went head first into disaster.

Forthcoming Children’s Readers to Combine Quality and Krishna

A brand new 84-book series to be released this September promises to teach children how to read English in a Krishna-centered way, while utilizing top-quality professional materials and teaching methods. And it has more than a few surprises up its sleeve.

New Training Center for Women in Alachua, USA

Srila Prabhupada indicates in the Bhagavad Gita, that women, in particular, are the protectors of religion in Vedic society. If women are not properly trained and protected, then the moral fiber of the children and the entire family declines. Toward this end, ISKCON is establishing a training facility and ashrama for new devotees, specifically women in Alachua, Florida.

Emotional Graduation Ceremony at Bhaktivedanta College, Radhadesh

On June 16 in Radhadesh the graduation ceremony was held for seven students from Bhaktivedanta College. Radhadesh's temple president, Hrdaya Caitanya Dasa, summed up the feelings of everyone present when he said, “We are very happy to see students graduating today. But we also feel sad since some of them are leaving - they have become part of the community.”

Summer Training Courses for Ladies

Beginning on July 3rd 2010, at ISKCON`s Simhachalam Farm in Germany there will be two training courses for ladies.

Mayapur Institute Fall - Spring Courses

The Mayapur Institute is going to start this year’s curriculum in November 2010 and will continue until February 2011.

We Are All Children of Mother Earth: Drawing Competition

The Education Team of Krishna-valley Indian Cultural Center and Eco-Farm of Hungary has organized a national drawing competition for children.

Where’s Hanuman?: Award-Winning Finalist In The US National Indie Excellence Awards 2010

The US National Indie Excellence Awards 2010 announced the winners and finalists for this year’s competition. Torchlight Publishing’s Where’s Hanuman? was chosen as one of the Finalists in the Children’s Picture Book category.

Vaishnava Parent Resource Website

A new educational website has been launched to help parents to raise their children in Vaishnava faith.

16 Students Graduate From Accredited Bhaktivedanta Colleges

In June and July 2010, sixteen students will graduate with Vaishnava Theology degrees from two state accredited Bhaktivedanta Colleges in Europe: Budapest, Hungary and Radhadesh, Belgium.

Luxury Estate Becomes Home to Spiritual Retreat

A new luxury retreat in the suburbs just a few miles outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is offering ISKCON groups the use of its facilities for educational seminars, conferences, and training programs.

Largest ISKCON School in US Meets With Support

Bhaktivedanta Academy, a devotional primary school located in Alachua, Florida, hosted its third annual spring fundraising event on Friday, April 23rd.

ISKCON to Launch New Educational Institute for Spanish Speakers

A brand new ISKCON educational institute will deliver a unique service: all of its spiritual, philosophical, and vocational courses will be offered in the Spanish language only.

New Music School Opens in Mayapur

With the inauguration of new Bhakti Vedanta Music School in Mayapur, devotees from around the world can systematically learn to play traditional Indian musical instruments.

American Muslims Increasingly Turn to Home Schooling

On a chilly afternoon in western Loudoun County in Washington State, a group of children used tweezers to extract rodent bones from a regurgitated owl pellet. A boy built a Lego launcher. A girl practiced her penmanship. On the wall, placards read, "I fast in Ramadan," "I pay zakat" and "I will go on hajj."

Mumbai's Bhaktivedanta School Celebrates Govardhana Puja

On Friday, October 9th, 2009, the students, teachers and parents of the Bhaktivedanta Swami Mission School celebrated Govardhan Puja with great aplomb and splendor. It was the last day of school before breaking for the Diwali vacations. The school management divided the teachers into three teams to systematically celebrate the pastime of Lord Krishna lifting Govardhana Hill.

"Lord Krishna Existed. School Texts are Wrong"

Did Krishna exist? Most certainly, says Dr Manish Pandit, a nuclear medicine physician who teaches in the United Kingdom, proffering astronomical, archaeological, linguistic and oral evidences to make his case. "I used to think of Krishna is a part of Hindu myth and mythology. Imagine my surprise when I came across Dr Narhari Achar (a professor of physics at the University of Memphis, Tennessee, in the US) and his research in 2004 and 2005. He had done the dating of the Mahabharata war using astronomy. I immediately tried to corroborate all his research using the regular Planetarium software and I came to the same conclusions [as him]," Pandit says.

Bhaktivedanta Research Library Inaugurated in Kolkata, India

As the sun rose above the Ganges on the morning of June 30th this year, young trainee priests from ISKCON Mayapur’s Bhaktivedanta Academy poured ghee onto the flickering flames of a ceremonial fire sacrifice, and chanted Vedic mantras for auspicious effect.

There was excitement in the air.

Vrindavan Jhulan Yatra Bliss for Gurukula Students

The high school students of Bhaktivedanta Gurukula and International School in Vrindavan were in ecstasy when the Krishna Balarama Temple management asked them to decorate the swing for the Divine Couple Sri Sri Radheshyamasundar on the first day of Jhulan Yatra. The four day swing festival culminated on Balarama Purnima, Lord Balarama's Appearance Day.

Mayapur Institute for Higher Education Enters Tenth Year

This year, as the Mayapur Institute for Higher Education and Training (MIHET) enters its tenth year, staff and students alike look back on a decade of learning, inspiration and, of course, hard work. The seed for the project was planted between the years of 1988 and 1996, when American-born Janmastami Dasa traveled to India on seven different occasions to attend courses at the Vrindavana Institute for Higher Education (VIHE).

ISKCON Launches All-India Literary Quiz for Children

As an offering to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada on his 50th sannyasa anniversary, ISKCON Vrindavan, ISKCON Pune and Bhaktivedanta Gurukula and International School - Vrindavan have jointly launched the prestigious All-India Bhaktivedanta Swami Literary Quiz for ISKCON children between 10-15 years. The organizers are expecting thousands of entries from temples all over India.

Bhaktivedanta College Bhakti Sastri 2009

The Bhakti Shastri course encourages students not only to memorize the contents of Srila Prabhupada’s books but also to digest the philosophy and practically apply it. Professionally designed by the Vaishnava Training and Education team, the course draws together the principles of Krishna consciousness and progressive education.

21 Students Graduate from Bhaktivedanta College in Radhadesh

Twenty-one students successfully completed another academic year at Bhaktivedanta College in Radhadesh, Belgium, and a graduation ceremony took place on June sixteenth. The room was crowded when the tired but satisfied undergraduates and staff were joined by cheering temple devotees, friends, supporting members, and a few proud parents.

Mayapur International School Now Accepting Enrollments

The Sri Mayapur International School's holistic approach to education engages the body, mind, intelligence and words of devotee children from all over the world. It prepares them to fulfill their life's purpose spiritually, at the same time providing internationally accepted skills, training and academic education.

Mayapur Institute Expands Bhakti-Sastri Course

What students have been learning in MI's Bhakti-Sastri course is real knowledge for the soul. The Bhakti-Sastri degree, originally conceived by ISKCON's founder Srila Prabhupada, is a course where students systematically study key literature in the Gaudiya Vasihnava tradition. It is a metaphorical “Bhakti Bank” in that it's an investment of time and energy.The interest that accumulates is bhakti or love.

ISKCON Vrindavana's School Students Get Top Exam Results

The Council for the Indian Secondary Certificate of Education (CISCE) released their final exam results recently and ISKCON Vrindavana's Bhaktivedanta Gurukula and International School (BGIS) students in the 10th and 12th grade had a 100% pass rate.

ISKCON’s Bhaktivedanta College Opens New Library

ISKCON’s Bhaktivedanta College in Belgium, which currently has 27 students from 20 countries and is accredited by University of Wales, Lampeter, inaugurated the opening of its new library and offices this May 17.

The College has been in operation since 2002, but this new development marks a major step in its history.

The Social Role of Cows

Throughout history many traditional societies have centered on a particular animal, and the relations the people develop with that animal influence the values of the whole society. We think of the role of buffalo in shaping the lives and values of the Native Americans of the Plains. Similarly, we think of the Laplanders and their reindeer, or even the New England whaling villagers and the whales.

Second ISKCON Studies Conference:3-6 July 2009

The ISKCON Studies Institute is pleased to invite you to the second ISKCON Studies Conference, "The Guru: Person, Position, Possibilities", to be held at Villa Vrindavan, near Florence, Italy, from 3-6 July 2009. The Conference is a forum for presentations of research and open discussion among the participants.

Vedic Library in Assam Evokes Encouraging Response

Guwahati, May 12 (ANI): A Vedic library instituted by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) at Guwahati in Assam has met with encouraging response from the youth in the state. Named after ISKCON's founding spiritual master Swami AC Bhaktivedanta, the library is specially meant for the student community and all communities irrespective of any faith, colour, caste and creed.

Major Newspaper Ranks ISKCON Vrindavana's School as Best

The Amar Ujala, a daily Indian newspaper ranked 34th in the world in circulation, has selected ISKCON’s Bhaktivedanta Gurukula and International School in Vrindavan (BGIS) as the top school in the Mathura district and the second best school in the State of Uttar Pradesh.

ISKCON Launches Leadership Training in India

In India, members of ISKCON’s Governing Body Comission and the GBC Succession Committee, along with top ISKCON educators, have developed a new training program called ISKCON LEADS (Leadership Education And Development System). The program gives current ISKCON leaders an opportunity to identify potential leaders within their temples and regions. Candidates enter a comprehensive training program of seventeen four or five-day courses, totaling 89 days in a three-year period.

Prabhupada Seminars: "Loving Prabhupada is Easy"

Srutakirti Dasa became Prabhupada’s personal servant in August 1972. His service was to be by Prabhupada’s side twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. He traveled with Prabhupada for 2 ½ years, and around the world five times. Srutakirti always felt very cared for by Prabhupada, his eternal father. His biological father died when he was only three years old, so he felt Prabhupada was truly his father in every way.

Vrindavan Gurukula Graduates Fourteen Students

Bhaktivedanta Gurukula and International School (BGIS) in Vrindavan held it’s 4th Graduation ceremony on April 6th. Fourteen students graduated with their high school diplomas in Academics and Bhakti Yoga studies. One student completed a dual enrollment program, obtaining both the Indian Certificate of Education and an American high school diploma.

Utah Students Get Lesson in Foreign Religion and Culture

SPANISH FORK — Older Utahns may not consider the wide-open spaces of southern Utah County a cultural mecca, but school students who regularly make the trip here know better. Rising atop a knoll along U.S. 89 amid a patchwork of gentlemanly farms and pastures, the stark white domes of the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple gleam in the sunlight — a mirage in the desert that may well disappear on second glance.

French 'Spiritualist' Awarded Prestigious Templeton Prize

PARIS (Reuters) - French physicist and philosopher Bernard d'Espagnat has won the 2009 Templeton Prize, billed as the world's largest annual award to an individual, for his work affirming the spiritual dimension of life. The Templeton Foundation announced the $1.42 million prize at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris on Monday.

Interview: Yadunandana Swami Discusses Sannyasa

Recently the principal of ISKCON's Bhaktivedanta College in Radhadesh, Belgium was approved to enter the renounced order of life known as sannyasa in the Vedic tradition. Below is an interview conducted by Dina Dayala Dasa that highlights the reasoning behind his making such a committment.

Food For Life Portugal Launches Educational Program

ISKCON’s Food For Life program in Portugal is celebrating fourteen years of dedication to helping the needful this March 19. In 2007, the local government awarded the organization a Silver Medal recognizing its service, and today its efforts show no signs of slowing down.

Bhaktivedanta College Principal Accepts Renounced Order

At its recent annual general meetings in Mayapur, India, ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission approved Yadunandana Dasa as a candidate for sannyasa, the renounced order of life. Yadunandana is the principal of Bhaktivedanta College, a Vaishnava school accredited by the University of Wales, Lampeter, and located in the rural Ardennes region of Belgium.

Professor Burke Rochford Gives Course at Radhadesh

E. Burke Rochford Jr., a professor of sociology at Middlebury College, has studied the Hare Krishna movement for over thirty years, and as a well-wisher and friend of the movement, has written numerous articles addressing its development. In January of this year, he came to Bhaktivedanta College to give a course on ISKCON and Society, and has been an inspiration for the many students who attended.

ISKCON Studies Institute to Hold July Conference In Italy

The ISKCON Studies Institute will hold its second conference at Villa Vrindavana, near Florence, Italy, from 3–6 July. The theme of this year's conference is "The Guru: Person, Position, Possibilities."

Russians Add a New Dimension to Vaishnava Education

In 2008, a new Vaisnava training initiative was launched in the city of Sotchi on Russia’s Black Sea coast. Unlike many previous versions of bhakti-sastri curriculum (in depth classes on Gaudiya literature), the present course is based on interactivity and emphasizes practical application of knowledge as its main component.

Hare Krishna Sunday School Curriculum Now Online

A popular Hare Krishna Sunday School curriculum, used successfully over the years by ISKCON temples, gurukula schools, and homeschools, has just been made available online. The idea first came to teacher and homeschooler Tapasvini Dasi many years ago while running a small gurukula in Houston, Texas.

Bhaktivedanta College Graduates Join ISKCON’s Frontline

Graduates from Bhaktivedanta College in Radhadesh, Belgium, have recently taken up managerial positions in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

Aravindaksa Dasa is the College’s first graduate to take on the post of temple president – in Antwerp. And Bhaktavasa Govinda Dasa was elected vice-president at the Wrozlaw temple in Poland. Both graduates are also teaching educational programs based on their studies at Bhaktivedanta College.

Governor Hands Over Doctorate To Hare Krishna Monk

Sahdeva Dasa of ISKCON Secunderabad, on October 23rd, received his doctorate in Krishna consciousness from Sri N.D.Tiwari, Governor of Andhra Pradesh, India. In a convocation, held at Rajbhavan Hyderabad, the assembled media and academic community watched a saffron robed Hare Krishna walk in with gown and hood to receive his doctorate.

Study: Religion is Good for Kids

Kids with religious parents are better behaved and adjusted than other children, according to a new study that is the first to look at the effects of religion on young child development. The conflict that arises when parents regularly argue over their faith at home, however, has the opposite effect.

Society: Sex Laws Are 'Unfair to Teachers'

Teachers should not be prosecuted for having affairs with their sixth formers, a union chief has said.

NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates said it was an “anomaly” that a teacher who had sex with a pupil aged over 16 could go on the sex offenders register.

Vice President Needed for Kansas City/ Rupanuga Vedic College

Kansas City is known as the Heart of America as it is located geographically in the center of America. It is also called the “City of Fountains” because it has more than 200 fountains, the second most in the world, just behind Rome.

Radhika Ramana Dasa: Leaping Across Oceans

At just twenty-six, Radhika Ramana Dasa has achieved goals that some might consider over-ambitious for a lifetime. He has a PhD from Oxford, a published book with two more on the way, a teaching post at one of the most prestigious universities in the US... and yes, he’s met the pope. No, seriously.

UK's First Hindu Faith School Opens

Pupils are due to start term at the UK's first state-funded Hindu school. The Krishna-Avanti Voluntary Aided Primary School is in Edgware, north London, an area where almost a third of people are Hindu. The school offers an education based on Hindu values and beliefs but lessons will follow the national curriculum.

Brits Campaign to Loosen the 'Grip of the Godly' on State Education

IN BRITAIN, a largely secular country where churches retain their historic role in education, there is little agreement about the place of religion in schools. Some fret that schools for children of a particular faith foster segregation; others cite parents’ right to educate their offspring as they see fit, adding that religious schools outperform secular ones (though opponents say that is because richer children go to them). Such rows tend to entrench attitudes, rather than lead to resolution.

ISKCON Teaches Bhagavad Gita Online

The World has adopted many great concepts, which originated in India. Be it the core of mathematics--Zero--or the way to healthy living--Yoga. Similarly the Bhagwad Gita is one of the most famous spiritual classics in the world. ISKCON attempts to unlock all the secrets of the ancient knowledge of the Gita and places them before us as an exciting opportunity for self-improvement and spiritual fulfillment.

Homeschooling Krishna’s Children

When Ananta-Rupa Dasa and Arudha Dasi enrolled their five-year-old son Radhika Ramana in a private school, they expected impressive results. But sitting in on his math class, Arudha noticed that although he had finished his work, his teacher was too busy with her other students to challenge him further, and he was bored with nothing to do. Most schools, Arudha realized, cater to the needs of average students – above average children were bored, and below average children were frustrated.

A Learning Curve: Educational Options for ISKCON Children

When it comes to education, ISKCON has learned a lot.

In the sixties and seventies, when our society was but a tottering toddler itself, we had young children with an undeniable need: to be educated. Not even considering outside schools as an option, we began to teach them ourselves without first educating teachers.

Californian Parents May Home-school Without Teaching Credential

Parents may legally home-school their children in California even if they lack a teaching credential, a state appellate court ruled Friday. The decision is a reversal of the court's earlier position, which effectively prohibited most home schooling and sparked fear throughout the state's estimated 166,000 home-schoolers.

Guns for Texas School's Teachers

Teachers in one part of the US state of Texas are to be allowed to carry concealed firearms when the new school term opens this month. The school superintendent in Harrold district said the move was intended to protect staff and pupils should there be any gun attacks on its sole campus.

Mayapur Institute: Fulfilling ISKCON's First Purpose

The Mayapur Institute's revised approach to the VTE Bhakti-sastri course, which will be piloted in Mayapur on November 9, 2008, deals with the main subjects of Bhakti-Sastri in seven distinct units. These seven units reflect the fundamental principles of learning presented in ISKCON's first purpose and in the VTE (Vaisnava Training and Education) approach to education, wherein students progressively learn knowledge ("spiritual knowledge"), skills ("techniques of spiritual life") and values ("check the imbalance of values...") in a systematic manner.

Drums Greet UK's First Hindu State Primary School

Britain's First Hindu state school has been launched with a traditional ceremony of Indian drums and the chanting of ancient prayers. Pupils at Krishna-Avanti Primary School will have dedicated yoga and Sanskrit lessons and will grow vegetables, in line with the strict vegetarian principles of the school.

Punjab Chief Minister Pledges Lakhs For ISKCON Library

June 1, India - Chief Minister of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal, arrived by helicopter at the groundbreaking ceremony for ISKCON’s Sri Sri Radha Gopinath temple in Ludhiana, Punjab’s largest city. GBC Gopal Krishna Goswami, ISKCON Ludhiana temple president Rajasuya Dasa, and other ISKCON leaders gave Badal and his cabinet ministers a warm welcome.

Building Starts for UK's First State Funded Hindu School

The holy ceremony of Bhumi Puja (ground-breaking) ceremony of the first ever state-funded Vaishnava-Hindu School in Britain will take place on Saturday 7th June 2008 and marks start of building works to be completed in August 2009. The Krishna Avanti Primary School is situated in the London Borough of Harrow.

Judge Denies Motion for Summary Judgment Against CAPEEM

California Parents for the Equalization of Educational Materials (CAPEEM) scored a major victory on Tuesday when Judge Frank C. Damrell, Jr. of the United States District Court of the Eastern District of California rejected the defendants' motion to dismiss CAPEEM's lawsuit to correct inaccuracies in sixth grade history textbooks.

Govardhana Sanskrit School Starts New School Year

Staff at Srimad-Bhagavat Vidyapitham, the BBT's Sanskrit school in Govardhana, India, are requesting the help of ISKCON leaders to recruit students for their next school year beginning in April 2008. "Every year our three-year Bhāgavata Śāstrī course begins afresh," says headmaster Gopiparanadhana Dasa. "We already have some students registered, and want to admit another eight to ten by October."

Indian Music to Feature in UK's School Curriculum

London (PTI): Lilting strains of the sitar and other forms of Indian music will feature prominently in the curriculum of schools in London from the forthcoming academic year starting in September. The Harrow-based Krishna Avanti Primary School, Britain's first state-funded Hindu school, will weave elements of Indian music, dance, drama and yoga into the national curriculum.

400 Dallas School Children Chant Maha-Mantra

Professor Hill, principal of Stonewall Elementary School in Dallas, Texas, recently requested local ISKCON devotees to stage a Vedic music and dance performance for his students.

When a small group of four devotees arrived at the school on Friday February 22nd, they were welcomed by students and teachers all dressed in Indian attire, including saris, punjabi suits, kurtas, and yogi pants.

Classes Underway at Mayapur's Deity Worship Academy

Eighteen international students have begun an intensive course at The Mayapur Academy, ISKCON's deity worship training school. The Academy, which opened its doors in December 2007, offers classes on deity dressing, cooking, performing fire sacrifices, and more.

ISKCON Mayapur to Open Multilingual Reading Room

ISKCON's flagship center in Mayapur, India will soon be home to the "A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Reading Room," a unique library that will house all of Srila Prabhupada's books in 80 languages.

UK's Krishna-Avanti School Revises Admission Policy

London, England - Britain's first state-funded Hindu school has revised its admission policy in view of criticism of its efforts to define a 'practising Hindu', and has now made temple priests responsible for determining the status of a Hindu family applying for admission to the school.

ISKCON Devotee to Teach at Chinese University

Prof. Kenneth Valpey (Krsna Ksetra Dasa) from Oxford University has been appointed to the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) who have recently established a Professorship in Indian Religions and Culture to strengthen its research and teaching.

Congregation Development Course at Bhaktivedanta College

Many lessons have been learned during ISKCON's transformation from temple-based to congregation-based communities.

Modern Students Devour Old Math

Kamlesh Shetty had used a trick from a quaint concept called Vedic math, a compilation of arithmetic shortcuts believed to have been written by ancient Indians who lived centuries before Christ, during a glorious period in Indian history called the Vedic Age. Its math has now crawled into the 21st century to further Shetty's dream of cracking a nasty engineering entrance exam.

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