- Every child has that spark of divinity within…
- Gokulam is the place where Lord Krishna’s magical days of childhood were spent.
- It was here that his divine powers came to be recognized.
- Balagokulam is a forum for children to discover and
- manifest that divinity,
- where they learn Hindu values
- in an enjoyable manner and make good friends
- Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS)
- Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt, volunteer-based organization, serving the needs of Hindus in the United States of America.
- HSS’ mission is to
- Preserve and promote Hindu Dharma and culture.
- Facilitate Hindus to appreciate, learn and practice Hindu way of life in USA.
- Instill pride and confidence in Hindus in general, children and youths in specific, about their identity.
- Raise Hindu awareness in the society around.
- Develop social awareness, volunteerism, discipline and leadership skills.
- To serve the Hindu interests and Hindu Unity.
- Visit http://www.hssus.org for more information.
- Send an email to infohss@yahoo.com for more information.
- How to contribute to Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh
- HSS has about 100 chapters in United States. Each chapter (known as “Shakha”) meets weekly for 90 minutes. A joyful atmosphere of learning can be seen at the Shakha, where all the family members take part.
- You may join this effort by
- Regularly attending the Shakha near you.
- Tell your friends about the HSS activities.
- Attend festivals and other events conducted by HSS.
- Offer your skills like web site creation, artistic work, writing, speaking, volunteering to teach children, etc.
- Any other way you can think of.
- Our Inspiration: India is the land of many gods, goddesses,great saints, kings,
- queens, freedom fighters, philosophers, and visionaries. All of them inspire us.
- Thoughts behind Balagokulam
- “Children are not vessels to be filled, but lamps to be lit” - Swami Chinmayananda
- "Look back, drink deep from the eternal fountains that are behind, and then march forward" - Swami Vivekananda
- When Sanskriti is imparted to a child, his tendencies are godly and when Vikriti increases, his tendencies are demonic.
- What is Balagokulam
- It is a forum where -
- Children learn Hindu values in enjoyable manner.
- Hindu children in USA learn to appreciate their cultural roots.
- All round personality development is achieved in practice.
- Children make new friends, participate in extra curricular activities, like skits, songs, etc.
- Children learn a sense of responsibility and grow up to be an ideal citizen.
- Our goal is
- To facilitate children to appreciate, learn and
- practice Hindu way of life.
- Instill pride and confidence in Hindu children
- about their identity.
- Raise Hindu awareness in the society around.
- Develop social awareness and leadership skills
- among children.
- Vyakti Vikas (All-round Integrated Personality Development)
- At Balagokulam, 360° personality development is achieved based on
- Hindu Dharma in the following ways
- Physical : Exercise and Games
- Spiritual : Study of Scriptures
- Mental : Yoga and other techniques
- Intellectual : Stories, Debates, Quiz, Projects
- A proud Hindu:
- Understands the Hindu philosophy
- Is convinced of its importance for a peaceful world
- Practices Hindu Values
- Helps fellow Hindu
- Identifies himself as a Hindu
- Group Dynamics
- Builds Confidence
- Face challenges of being part of two cultures
- Activities
- Regular activities:
- Shlokas and Bhajans
- Surya namaskar and Yoga
- Games
- Stories and quiz
- Arts and Crafts
- Special events activities:
- Skits
- Festival celebrations
- Picnics
- 1 – 5 days camps
- Community service
- Balagokulam Magazine
- Stories:
- Shlokas and Bhajans:
- Predefined set of shlokas with their meaning in simple English
- Small Bhajans for different gods and goddesses
- Arts and Crafts:
- Drawing, coloring and painting
- Akash Kandil for Diwali,etc.
- Clay work to create Ganpati, etc.
- Syllabus taught in balagokulam has been designed with
- attention to detail and to impart knowledge in an organized
- and enjoyable way.
- Two age groups (5-8 and 9-12)
- Tri-mester System
- Topics from six categories
- -festivals, dharma, heritage, history, moral, sangh)
- Two shlokas or mantra and two subhashitani (words of wisdom)
- every month
- One bhajan or Geet in two months.
- Every month one project (skits, arts/crafts, discussion, talent show)
- Questions (exercise) given after every month
- Friendly exams / certificate distribution
- (Ram Navami, Janmashtmi, Gita Jayanti)
- Activities on special events
- Celebration of Festivals:
- Community Service:
- Seva or service is the best way for us to realize the divinity in all
- Serve the needy
- Visiting elderly people in convalescent hospital
- Volunteer at Hindu temples
- Work with other voluntary groups in serving the community
- One to Five day camps :
- Vacation can be magical. That's the time to explore, enjoy and make more friends.
- Hindu Heritage Camp of HSS conducted during vacations or any other weekends
- has been a favorite event for the children
- Check www.balagokulam.org for upcoming camps in your area
- A unique Hindu magazine for children at $11 (4 issues),
- $20 (8 issues), $30 (12 issues).
- Magazine for the children by the children of the children.
- Most of the articles are written by children.
- Magazine has stories, poems, articles, quiz and more.
- Facts on Indian Science.
- Vedic Mathematics.
- Competitions – essay, art, poem etc.
- For children of age 5 and above.
- Best resource to answer children’s questions on Hindu culture .
- Subscribe online at: www.balagokulam.org/bgmag.
- Hindu Education Foundation (HEF)
- HEF, supported by HSS, is a project by concerned Hindu/Indian parents in the USA with the following objectives –
- Collaborate with school teachers and conduct training and informative seminars to bring an awareness of Dharmic culture and traditions.
- Provide multimedia presentations to students on topics related to Hinduism and India to remove misconceptions created due to inaccuracies in the current textbooks.
- Create resources for parents who wish to provide such opportunities for educators in their local areas.
- Interact with State Education Committees that define school curriculum so that prescribed school textbooks contain an accurate representation of Indic traditions.
- How to help Hindu Education Foundation
- Many schools solely depend on text books to teach about Hindu Dharma and India. Most text books do not present an accurate picture.
- You can support HEF to portray Hindu Dharma and India in a positive light by:
- Becoming an active member and advising HEF.
- Getting involved in your children’s school and helping shape their policy towards social studies.
- Helping school boards get an accurate picture of Hindu Dharma and India.
- Please visit http://www.hindueducation.org for more information.
- Send an email at join_us@hindueducation.org to become a member
- Thank you!
- For more information
- Visit www.balagokulam.org
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