Asian Indians in Livingston

SANSKRITI
India Cultural Center

SANSKRITI: Indian Cultural Center, is a brand new initiative of AILIV designed as its cultural wing. Although 'Sanskriti' simply means “culture" but in reality Sanskriti means much more than that. To us, ‘Sanskriti’ means a way of life, a term which indicates ‘identity’ without any xenophobic connotation, a term which indicates the values that are passed on from one generation to another, a term which captures everything a civilization stands for!

The SANSKRITI center in Livingston is visualized as an epicenter of all that is Indian, all that captures the essence of being Indian, an civilization so old as time itself and still so relevant and thriving, a culture so ancient but still willing to reinvent and redefine itself every moment, a culture which is so unique and distinct but is still capable of assimilating everything good in mainstream American civilization without diluting its own ethos …..

The SANSKRITI center in Livingston is visualized as a celebration of something that is “so unique that it is for all practical purposes totally universal as is being Indian” - a center which is Indian enough to appeal to older generations but still so mainstream that the second and subsequent generation Indians can relate to it.

There are three critical building blocks of any identity - 'Language', 'Culture and 'Ethos'.  SANSKRITI is going to cater to all these three elements.

• Language: India currently has 22 scheduled languages recognized officially by the Government of India. Sanskriti will attempt to teach any language that has at least 5 interested students and at least one available teacher along with a substitute teacher.
• Culture: This is a very large segment and includes music, dance, foods, festivals, myths, architecture, monuments among many other things. Sanskriti will host performances and lecture demonstrations showcasing India's culture both ancient and modern. Classroom lessons will include audio - visual presentations.
  
• Ethos: the ethos of Indian culture is best captured by the sense of “universal love for humanity”, where everyone is a part of a larger reality than themselves, where the sum is greater than its parts . This love of humanity has been the reason why India is home to so many diverse cultures & religions; Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism to name a few. The central essence of all those expressions of humanity is how we need to love each other and care for those who are more unfortunate than us. SANSKRITI  will reflect this ethos in its tenets by adopting ‘philanthropy’ as its third critical building block. The word Philanthropy is made up of two words: 'philos' meaning “loving” and 'anthropos' meaning “human being” - thus philanthropy means love of human kind. Loving what it is to be human is a key element of Indian civilization. SANSKRITI in its efforts will include community service in local populations (for Indians and others alike) as well as the Indians living in India. Most of its efforts in India will by by way of teaming up with non -governmental organizations in India that cater to the needs of the underprivileged children through secular approaches.

Our vision for the SANSKRITI: India Cultural Center is to:

• Offer India Immersion Summer Camp
• Offer Indian culture classes to both children and adults
• Provide after-school day care with focus on Indian culture
• Organize social and cultural activities for senior citizens
• Host music, dance, drama, and art performances
• Organize guest lectures and demonstrations pertaining to Indian culture

SANSKRITI School 

SANSKRITI: India Cultural Center will provide a nurturing environment for all people to gain knowledge and appreciate the rich and diverse cultures, heritage, and values of India in a secular environment.  

In the academic year 2010-2011 (September-June), the Center is offering the following educational opportunities to children ages 5-18:

• Module I: Culture (10:00-11:00)
• Module II: Language (11:00-12:00)

Our recommendation is for children to participate in both modules as language is an integral part of culture; however, they will have the option of participating in any one module of their choice.

By the end of the year, students will be able to:

• Identify different types of Indian dance, music, and musical instruments
• Differentiate between festivals and foods from different regions in India
• Create unique pieces of poetry, art, and handicrafts
• Perform in a skit based on Indian mythology
• Recognize significant landmarks in Indian history, politics, and geography
• Imbibe Indian values and have pride in their Indian heritage
• Appreciate the diversity of Indian cultures and traditions

Module II: Language: Students may choose to learn Hindi or another Indian language based on demand and interest (minimum 5 students in a class). In the first half of the academic year, the emphasis in all language classes will be on conversational acquisition of language. Our methodology, promoted by leading linguists, will be to immerse students in native Indian settings using audio-visual presentations. Special attention will be given to pronunciation and comprehension. Students will later learn to read and write the alphabet, simple words, as well as numbers.

By the end of the year, students will be able to:

• Speak basic sentences using third person pronouns , plurals, and gendered nouns
• Know family relationships, parts of the body, colors, animals, fruits, vegetables, common household objects
• Read, write, and pronounce the alphabet
• Write and recognize simple words
• Count and pronounce numbers
• Have a vocabulary of 50 - 100 words

Community Service: This will be an integral part of the curriculum. Age appropriate projects will be designed for all students to help them serve a cause of their choosing. Students will work with non-profit organizations that are engaged in the upliftment of the poor and the underprivileged in India, especially the underprivileged children. A trip to India, at the end of the academic year, to see and interact with the people helped by the non-profit organizations will be organized.

• Use interactive workshops and multimedia
• Set predefined milestones of learning at the end of each level of learning
• Create unique curriculum to focus on conversational acquisition of languages
• Encourage creative projects in all classes to enhance the learning experience of students
• Offer mentoring opportunities to older children (high school and college students) to participate in the teaching and community service activities
• Use Internet to supplement teaching

Details of the Sanskriti School are given below:

• Time: Sundays, 10:00-12:00; for a tentative calendar of the classes, please click here
  
• Location: Peanut Shell, 7 Regent Street, Livingston, NJ 07039
• Fees: $250.00 for both modules; $150.00 for one module. Sibling discount – 10%
• Form can be downloaded by clicking here
  

Please mail the form along with the check to AILIV, C/O Shobha Gunnery, 48 Lincoln Ave, Livingston, NJ 07039.