Category: Showcase

An avenue of collaborative exchange and partnerships for Auroville is decided to be initiated to further Auroville, with different states of India, starting with Gujarat. Sanjeev was invited representing education along with an Auroville contingent of 6 people for 4 days along with 3 Governing Board members Dr. Jayanti Ravi, Secretary of the Auroville Foundation and Additional Revenue Secretary of Gujarat, along with Dr. G. Seetharaman, OSD-Auroville Foundation. Along with live online presentations by those not traveling various Auroville units: Auroville Consulting, Wasteless (environmental education), Svaram (music therapy and instruments), MG Ecoduties (Probiotics), Sustainable Architecture also made presentations.

In addition to presentations being made, MoUs to facilitate collaboration and exchange were signed with:

The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara; Kamdhenu University, Gandhinagar; Indus University; Auro University, Surat; Sardar Patel University; Revenue Department, Gujarat. ; Nehru Foundation Development Centre for Environment Education Society.

For more details on the visit refer to the enclosed attachment

https://drive.google.com/…/1QujF2m4UHD0L5oxAcIS…/view…

As we approach Yoga International Day on June 21st, today at Bharat Nivas, Auroville, school children across age groups practising yoga together (body, mind and breath as one awareness).

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BwyX6Pumo/

Integral Education workshop – an immersive learning while deeply exploring the principles and practises in the schools of Auroville and Bio-regions.

The plenary sessions followed by small group work sessions allows for the Integral Education Practitioners to exchange best practises while also brainstorming on new ideas, approaches to challenges in the classroom. This workshop had Shri Praveen and Shri Richard deep dive into physical and mental education in the light of Integral Education respectively. Our very own educators shared their experience on practising vital education.

Spread over three days, this is the fourth workshop over two years with over 100 – 150 educators participating each time. Their enthused participation, interactions in the small groups including their initiative to facilitate sessions has been highly motivating and inspiring.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14wJ1kNdNt/

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14psGSGzZW/

Being a child and retaining that childlike innocence, curiosity and trust is a beauty and joy forever. While each day is a celebration of the essence, November 14th is celebrated as Children’s Day in India and at Isaibalam school, it was celebration in the way we know best.

Dressed in their best, the joy and vibrancy of delight on their faces was contagious. With a visit to the exhibition at the Ilaignarkal School, Auroville an opportunity to learn. Back at school it was fun through activities and games,teachers and children mingled as one, with a spirit that is engaged in our schools.

_Sri Aurobindo said “The chief aim of education should be to help the growing soul to draw out that in itself which is best and make it perfect for a noble cause.”_

(From “The Ideal of Human Unity”, Chapter 12)

The one thing necessary for the child is to provide it with an atmosphere in which it can grow freely and normally, at Auroville, as part of Integral Education we practise ardently and passionately.

There was also honoring of children who had won at the Judo competitions. Their demonstration showed their skills, the focus and dedicated efforts, a testament to a blossoming when the environment is supportive.

Sanjeev Ranganathan, gave to each child their own trophies, acknowledging their effort and encouraging them.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GiAUnbyJ7/

Nitividhana, Civilizational Public Policy, a three day immersive workshop organized by Brhat was inaugurated today at Bhumika Hall, Auroville.

Across three days, sessions by well-known speakers will focus and converge on Integral Approaches to Education, Sustainability and Governance.

The highlight of the workshop is to bring in the philosophy and perspectives as shared by Sri Aurobindo, his vision for Public Leadership. Interesting to listen in and participate would be the sessions on Civizational Lens for Governance, Integral Education for Policy Thinking and finally the Synthesis for Philosophy and Public Policy.

The sessions would not only be informative and enlightening, that the focus on bringing in Sri Aurobindo’s vision on the topics is indeed very promising and heartening.

The welcome and inaugural address was given by Shri (Dr.) Sanjeev Ranganathan, (SAIIER) Board member, Sri Aurobindo International Institute of Educational Research) and very passionate about education.

Other speakers include

Sri Shraddhalu Ranade (Sadhaka, Educator & Scientist), Dr. Mala Kapadia (Director, CIKS, Anaadi Foundation), Dr. Pankaj Saxena (Co-Founder & Director – Cultural Research, Bṛhat) and Sri Amritanshu Pandey (Director – Strategy & Ops, Bṛhat). May we grow in His light and vision and to be continually guided .

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AxBn2zqye/

Under the prestigious Yuva Sangam Phase-V initiative, part of the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) program under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, a total of 60 students from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have come to Tamil Nadu. NITTTR Chennai serves as the nodal institute for Yuva Sangam in the state of Tamil Nadu. The main goal of this program is to travel across India to learn about its traditions, historical roots, and national values.

In Auroville, the students visited SAIIER and interacted with Sanjeev asking questions to understand about Auroville. They also visited Matrimandir, Solar Kitchen, Unity Pavilion and Savitri Bhavan to learn about Sri Aurobindo and the values of Auroville. At SAIIER, they were introduced to the concept of integral education.

Mr. Naresh Grover, Director of the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), along with his team, recently visited Auroville, a one-of-a-kind experimental township in South India. The visit was inspired by interactions with students from Yuva Sangam, who had recently explored Auroville and shared enthusiastic accounts of its unique ethos and innovative development model. Captivated by their insights, Mr. Grover and his team decided to experience Auroville firsthand.

A key highlight of the visit was a tour of Isai Ambalam School, an innovative educational institution in Auroville. Mr. Grover and his team observed students engaging in activities such as gardening, STEM projects (building treehouses and playgrounds), and interacting with animals, including cows and dogs, fostering a Gurukulam-like environment. Dr. Sanjeev Ranganathan explained the school’s curriculum, which integrates academics with nature, culture, and creativity, aligning with the National Education Policy (NEP).

Mr. Grover was particularly intrigued by the school’s approach to teaching mathematics, blending Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) with modern programming and visualization techniques, creating a balance between Eastern and Western pedagogies. He encouraged Auroville schools to participate in AICTE’s Ministry of Innovation Cell (MIC) programs for schools and extended an invitation to Dr. Sanjeev Ranganathan to share these practices with AICTE for potential implementation nationwide.

Dr. Sanjeev Ranganathan also shared insights about Auroville’s unique Bachelor of Vocation (B.Voc) program in affiliation with Pondicherry University. This program equips students with real-world skills, universal values, and leadership capabilities, fostering a shift from dependence to interdependence with community, nation, and the world. Mr. Grover lauded the program’s transformative impact on youth, promoting holistic and sustainable development.

Mr. Grover and Dr. Sanjeev Ranganathan further discussed the natural integration of Integral Education principles in Auroville schools, which have influenced the NEP. They explored avenues for collaboration and outreach initiatives to extend Auroville’s educational practices beyond the township.

Additionally, Mr. Grover expressed interest in Auroville’s participation in initiatives like the *Smart India Hackathon (SIH)*. SIH, envisioned to promote innovation and out-of-the-box thinking among young minds, aims to institutionalize a model that harnesses the creativity and technical expertise of students for the nation’s benefit. Through SIH 2024, the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell (MIC) seeks to crowdsource solutions to improve governance, enhance quality of life, and address India’s pressing needs. Post-SIH, the Ministry is committed to developing, implementing, and deploying winning ideas by supporting the concerned ministries and departments in this endeavor.

In conclusion, Mr. Grover expressed gratitude to Dr. Jayanti S. Ravi for the warm welcome and commended Auroville’s remarkable contributions to education, sustainability, and innovation. He reaffirmed AICTE’s commitment to fostering collaborations that advance Auroville’s unique model across the nation.

Facebook Link- https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DsbNdwe2b/

   02-05-19 Radical Transformational Leadership : What does this     imply?Guest Speaker: Dr. Sanjeev Ranganathan

Audio Link: https://www.audioacrobat.com/email/EDvYwfxsq

 

Conscious Business – Conscious Learning

Join us for a conversation with Dr. Sanjeev Ranganathan, who received his PhD in Electronics from Columbia University in New York City. He is motivated by his growth as a human being and supporting the same in others. He believes that this can be achieved by deep meaningful educational experiences for both facilitators and children in the schools, at STEM Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) centers and Aura Auro Design, a technology business he coordinates.

Sanjeev will share how he invests in developing skills, competencies and inner capacity. He finds these practical, effective and a time saver. Offering and attending courses through technology experts improves skills; applying in contexts of different projects helps improve our competency and the stewardship tools as well as meditation helps us ground ourselves and be present in what we do.

He shares how the tools and templates for radical transformational leadership have allowed the work they do with the children to be profound; and, at the same time, supportive of the growth of the team members, enabling them to be intensely engaged in the technology. Working with children gives meaning to what they do and be more responsible. Similarly, interacting with a high quality team at Aura helps us reflect on how to do our technology job well and reflects on how we facilitate or teach.

Sanjeev says that true creativity comes from a deep space of oneness and knowing that creates breakthroughs not possible from linear thinking. We always think of creativity as a mental function, but find its more the heart that yearns to make something possible and then the brain kicks in!

Seventeenth Episode: Guest in the 2nd segment : Dr. Sanjeev Ranganathan

Bio:Dr. Sanjeev Ranganathan received his PhD from Columbia University in Electronics. He is the recipient of the Lewis Winner award for best paper at ISSCC. He also volunteered for Asha for Education in various capacities and interacted with over a 100 NGOs in India working on education. He has worked at Silicon Labs, NXP, ST-Ericsson, Aura Semiconductor and has built chips used by over a billion people.Sanjeev is passionate about developing critical thinking skills with children and in helping them learn and connect with their deepest self.

Since Jun 2013 he has been working with children in Udavi School and Isai Ambalam School, both outreach schools of Auroville. In Jan 2015 he founded Aura Auro Design (AAD) along with engineering graduates in and around Auroville and in Sep 2015 with them established STEM Land (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics Land) a space of learning for children and adults. STEM land-AAD build skills, competence and inner capacity in youth to be contributing members of the community and society as a whole. He is also the executive of the Isai Ambalam school. His contact information is: sanjeev.ranganathan@gmail.com and +91 8940262969.

~sandhiya