Spotlight - Educational Initiatives

Service & Social Programs | Updated: | 5 min read


Spotlight - Educational Initiatives  

Gurudev's vision is to provide world-class holistic education opportunities that facilitate cognitive, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual growth. He has founded a range of educational programs and institutions ...

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Gurudev’s vision is to provide world-class holistic education opportunities that facilitate cognitive, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual growth.  He has founded a range of educational programs and institutions …

Promoting Literacy

Gurudev’s earliest education-based initiatives focused on children of marginalized communities who would otherwise be child laborers. In October 2007, the Art of Living Foundation unveiled a joint declaration with UNICEF to further the cause of child rights. The Foundation works to provide both quality education as well as health care to students and parents. Students and parents regularly attend stress-relief workshops and are provided free stationery, uniforms, and mid-day meals.

One such rural school is located near the Foundation’s international center in Bangalore. Started in 1981 with 30 students, it now provides value-based education to over 2,330 children from 45 surrounding villages.

  • The initiative now includes over 1,262 free schools in tribal India
  • Benefits more than 100,000 children across 2032 villages
  • Almost 95 percent of students in the schools are first-generation literates

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Vidya Mandir

The Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Vidya Mandir (SSRVM) Trust was founded in 1999 as a Charitable Spiritual and Educational Public Institution to impart a values-based education in a stress-free and child-friendly environment. The Trust supports several educational institutions, from rural schools to urban universities.

For more information, please visit  ssrvm.org.

Sri Sri University

The Sri Sri University in Orissa, India, is a multidisciplinary educational institution that combines quality education with leadership skills, social responsibility and ethics. The academic majors that will be offered are Management, Law, Government, Mass Communications, Cultural Studies, Engineering, Medicine, Ayurveda, Vedic Sciences, Biotechnology and Research Sciences. University admissions are based on aptitude tests alone, and the campus will include recreational facilities, meditation halls, and a sports complex.

For more information, please visit srisriuniversity.edu.in

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at Sri Sri University Inauguration with students

College for Ayurvedic Science and Research

The Sri Sri College for Ayurvedic Science and Research was started by Gurudev to revive Ayurveda, the ancient system of healthcare that is native to India. The college is affiliated to with the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore, and offers a five year B.A.M.S. (Bachelor Medicine and Surgery) professional degree course. Some of the special features of the college include a herbal garden with diverse varieties of medicinal plants and a state of the art Research and Development Center.

For more information, please visit sscasrh.org

Mobile Agricultural Institute

Since its inception in 2003, the key objective of the Sri Sri Mobile Agricultural Institute has been to provide guidance to farmers and empowering them to become self-reliant,  and revive organic farming. The Institute’s projects include workshops on chemical-free farming awareness, environmental conservation, and the advantages of organic fertilizers and pesticides.  The Institute emphasizes the use of indigenous seeds, over genetically modified ones, and cooperative seed storages have been set up.

Junior College

The Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Pre-University College started in 2003 in Bangalore, India. Affiliated with the Pre-University Board of Karnataka, the College’s aim is to provide affordable and high quality education to students, helping them launchtheir careers. The program seeks to help student overcome the increased burden of private tuition. The initiative gives students the special training needed to face competitive examinations for professional courses.

Rural Development Trust

The Sri Sri Rural Development Trust was founded in 2001, with a vision to provide permanent and alternative sources of income to the rural population in India. The Trust works in conjunction with the Art of Living Foundation to implement initiatives such as vocational training programs for women and youth, self-development workshops, free medical camps, and the Youth Leadership Training Program.

For more information, please visit ssrdp.org

World Forum for Art and Culture

The World Forum for Art and Culture (WFAC) was started with a vision to allow global artists to come together to create historic art through collaborations, and also provide an open platform for teaching and learning traditional art-forms from across the globe. It offers both online live classes with ace teachers, and self-paced classes to fit in with busy schedules.

For more information, please visit worldforumforartandculture.com

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