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Sri Sathya Sai Educare

The program is available at Sri Sathya Sai Global Council Centers throughout the USA and is open to all children between the ages of 6-18 years old. This is a program created by Sri Sathya Sai Baba that acknowledges and is inclusive of everyone’s religion, culture, and ethnicity. Students are taught to love all and serve all, and to help ever and hurt never.

Sathya
Dharma
Shanthi
Prema
Ahimsa

Sri Sathya Sai Baba's Educational Philosophy

Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s educational philosophy is holistic in that it fosters the inherent connection between science and spirituality, mind and heart, knowledge and wisdom, individual and society, and encompasses the entire life span from childhood to adulthood.

This educational philosophy is the perfect antidote to the gaps left in the current, secular education system. Challenging the current practice of education that focuses only on collection of facts and cramming of knowledge from the book to the head, this philosophy allows children to manifest their innate goodness, talent, skills, and excellence to benefit one’s home, community, nation, and world.

Guiding Principles of Educare

Divinity is love, and it is the undercurrent of all human values.

Educare elicits the inherent human values and translates them into action in daily life.

The purpose of education is for living a fully human and spiritual life.

The end of education is character and character manifests itself as the unity of thought, word, and deed

Program Genesis And Overview

During the formative period of the age group 6-18, it is easy to nurture and develop human values in children, and it is very natural for them to practice human values in their everyday life. Through the women’s wing (Mahila Vibhag) of the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations, Baba started Bal Vihars in 1969. He laid down the purpose, scope, and goals of the Bal Vihar program that emphasized the inculcation of morality, ethics, and spirituality.

These cultural centers aimed at complementing school education with valuable spiritual classes based on the teachings of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. These classes were delivered every weekend. A national conference was organized in 1971 for volunteers who had been trained as teachers and administrators of the program. At the conference, the name ‘Balvikas’ was chosen to better clarify the objectives of the program. Balvikas is a Sanskrit term which means ‘blossoming of the child.’

The aim of the program is clearly defined as Vikas or Blossoming pertaining to one’s entire being.

Timeline

1969

Formation of Sri Sathya Sai Bal Vihar in Bombay.

1970

First All India Bal Vihar Teachers' Conference held at Bombay.

1971

'Bal Vihar' remaned as 'Balvikas'. Formal structure given to Balvikas with rules and regulations for conducting the classes. Balvikas Magazine commences

1973

Second All India Conference for
Teachers conducted at Rajahmundry;
Three stage curriculum developed.

1975

Third All India Conference held in Prasanthi Nilayam; Syllabus for Group III prepared; Balvikas introduced to other countries.

1977

Fourth Conference organized in Prasanthi Nilayam; First All India Examination in Group III held; Introduction of ‘Diploma in Sathya Sai Education’.

1978

Central Training Camp for Gurus at Brindavan, Bangalore.

1981

Overseas Balvikas Gurus Conference held in Prasanthi Nilayam; Concept of Education in Human Values introduced.

1983

Central Training of Overseas Balvikas Gurus and Group III Balvikas Gurus in Prasanthi Nilayam.

1984 - Present

The program grew around the world and now is called Sri Sathya Sai Educare/Balvikas in USA