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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
6200 students from 22 different schools of North Delhi, India participated in first Value Education Olympiad organized by ISKCON Punjabi Bagh.
On 1st March, Bhakti Learning offered their new online Krishna-conscious program for children to Srila Prabhupada at his puspa-samadhi in Sridhama Mayapur.
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.
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 29th to 31st, to develop a common vision and share best practices.
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.
The Ministry of Education invites devotees to a symposium designed to bring together the many ISKCON-members involved in Education.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Over four million people around the globe walked out of their schools and workplaces on Friday September 20th to 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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The unique feature of this convention will be multiple panelists and presenters with experience in homeschooling.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This conference was an intense, heart-changing event for all the attendees and the virtual participants.
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.
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 paves the path for devotees' spiritual growth by in-depth analytical study of ancient scriptures facilitated by sincere practitioners.
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.
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.
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.
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.
An Indian Union Minister of State recently triggered a furor by stating that evolution is unproven scientifically and shouldn’t be taught in schools.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
On October 15th 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.
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.
On July 8th 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.
'The 5 Drop Formula For Restoring Healthy Relationships' by ISKCON's leading relationship experts Vimala Devi Dasi & Jaya Sila Dasa.
Check out the Facebook page of two Vaishnavi girls, who have just started a facebook page so people can more easily direct message to them with questions about the philosophy. They will post other videos and articles that relate to Krishna consciousness, which those developing an interest in the philosophy will hopefully find interesting! : https://www.facebook.com/ThoseHareKrishnas/
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Food for Life Vrindavan (http://fflvrindavan.org) is a humanitarian aid organisation officially recognized by the Indian government. For the last ten years, we have worked in the poorest villages in the Vrindavan area (120 Km south of New Delhi).
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.
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.
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.
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.
Bhakti Raghava Swami talks bout the importance of the Varnashrama College.
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.
ISKCON’s Sri Mayapur International School (SMIS) has a vacancy for the position of a High school Mathematics teacher.
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.
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.
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.
The Bhaktivedanta Swami Gurukula School (New Gorvardhan, Australia) is currently seeking to employ Primary School Teachers for the continuation of 2015 academic year.
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.
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?"
A Day in SMIS is a short video which shows how the school gives a unique opportunity for young devotees to progress in their academic education, while at the same time having the unique experience of living in Sri Mayapur Dhama
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.
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.
A documentary follows a Pakistani girl, Malala Yousafzai, through a perilous six months as she loses her education, is forced into exile and faces an uncertain return back home in Swat, Pakistan. Later on, in October, 2014, for her achicievents in fighting for the girls' right to eductaion, Malala becomes the youngest Nobel-prize laureate.
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.
A powerful drama performance by 2nd generation ISKCON devotees.
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.
A tsudy examines how children need to look beyond their first-hand experience in order to learn about the world.
"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.
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.
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.
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.
America's first full-fledged interfaith high school is currently enrolling freshmen for Fall 2014.
Students, teachers, friends, administrators and ISKCON-leaders share their thoughts about an extraordinary educational project in Radhadesh, Belgium. A video by Filip (Gaura Govinda) Cargonja, Suravarya Das and Dinadayal Das.
It’s a painful reality for Mormon parents (and all religious parents) that sometimes, their children leave the faith.
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.
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.
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, 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.
A California judge ruled Monday (July 1) that the teaching of yoga in public schools does not establish a government interest in religion.
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.
A video by Bhaktivedanta College.
A beautiful snapshot of a unique school for girls in Sri Mayapur Dhama - the Anasuya Vidyamandala. A short film directed by Deva Gaura Hari Das.
Bhaktivedanta Manor School is a unique independent primary school which aims to develop a child's full academic, spiritual and moral potential. The School believes in delivering a high standard of education and preparing pupils to become individuals of sound character, behaviour and competence.
The 18 min. video has been photographed by Caitya-Guru Das, written and directed by Krishna-lila dasi (Krisztina Danka, PhD) and produced by Karuna Productions (www.karunaproductions.com)
Bhaktivedanta College is the home of some young devotees from all over the world. Together they pursue academics and learn to love Krishna in a nurturing and thriving community, Radhadesh. This video provides a taster of student life.
To learn more: http://www.bhaktivedantacollege.com/
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.
The Mayapur Institute has announced its new courses for the Fall and next Gaura Purnima.
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.
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.”
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
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.
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.
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 (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
The Primary School students Of Sri Mayapur International School spent a happy afternoon recently celebrating the festival of Govardhan Puja.
Bhakti Bhavan for Women, Located at New Raman Reti in Alachua Florida, is now offering a Bhakti Sastri Course.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A new educational website has been launched to help parents to raise their children in Vaishnava faith.
Bhaktivedanta Academy, a devotional primary school located in Alachua, Florida, hosted its third annual spring fundraising event on Friday, April 23rd.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Many lessons have been learned during ISKCON's transformation from temple-based to congregation-based communities.
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.