Chinmaya Mission Sacramento has been conducting Chinmaya Bala Vihar and Study Group classes for a few years now. This 2008-2009 academic year represents 16th consective year for our Sacramento Bala Vihar, Serving the Greater Sacramento Community. It is a satellite of Chinmaya Mission San Jose and has grown under the guidance of Acharya Uma Jeyarasasingham.
"The purpose of Balavihar is to impart values to the children and art of right thinking among the youth."
| What is the Chinmaya Mission? | |
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Chinmaya Mission was formed by a group of devotees, in 1953 in India after Swami Chinmayananda’s first series of talks held in Madras, India. The purpose of Chinmaya Mission is to provide to individuals, from any background, the wisdom of Vedanta and practical means for spiritual growth and happiness, enabling them to become positive contributors to society.
Click here to go to the main Chinmaya Mission Web site, if you want to learn more about the Mission. |
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| What is the Balavihar? | |
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In Balavihar, the rich cultural heritage of India, including its teachings on moral values, is taught to children and youth at different levels, using the medium of stories, drama, arts and crafts, and discussion. Children are also taught popular Bhajans and Slokas. Chinmaya Mission centers have become models for teaching India’s rich spiritual heritage and the fundamentals of Vedanta to the next generation. The Balavihars are organized into grades which match the grade of the child in school. Each of the grades caters to the age group of the child. The grades range from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12.
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| Who conducts the Balavihar classes and what is their background? | |
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The current teachers for Balavihar are volunteers who devote their time to educate the children using a Mission-wide curriculum/syllabus that is directed toward the ages of the members of the group.
In addition to their children, the parents also have a choice of classes to attend. Please remember that the Balavihars are not like childcare centers where the parents drop off their children and leave. It is expected that parents will also participate in one of the Adult study groups. |
