What We Offer
Downingtown Balvihar offers cultural and language curriculum from grade PreK to 6 and supports youths through Youth-group program in strengthening their cultural identity and shaping them into community leaders through volunteer work and community involvement. Also celebrates several events with our extended family of current and past members.
Classes offered
Culture Classes: PreK to Grade 6
Language: PreK to Grade 6
Languages offered: Hindi and Gujarati
Youth Group Program: Grade 7 and above
Summer Program: All grades
Culture classes overview
Downingtown Balvihar cultural classes enable students to understand and explore our Indian traditions, culture and values. Learning is based on all round development of students where they can make acquaintances with Bharat.
The journey of culture education starts at an early age (Pre School) with primarily a story and activity based curriculum and it progresses through advanced topics as the grade level progresses.
Our curriculum includes an overview of each aspect of India including traditions, scriptures, values, food, music, arts, festivals, history, geography, discussions about current social challenges and how we can contribute to solve them and more.
We try to integrate their Indian values along with theirs upbringing in America. We strive to nurture our children to help them become morally strong, emotionally stable and resilient and true responsible Global Citizens.
Language class overview
Downingtown Balvihar offers language classes to build in basic language understanding among children, starting very early from pre-K level and progressing to students in higher grades.
Commencing from the basic words and phrases, which children uses in their daily lives we approach towards vowels-alphabets and so on. The lessons are based on day to day things they see, hear and do, like colors, shapes, greetings, foods, clothing items, gestures and many more. Gradually we move forward to making words form alphabets learned and forming sentences so that they are able to communicate. We try our best to teach in a way that students are not overwhelmed, yet learn and feel engaged in classes.
We currently have 5 different levels for Hindi language and 3 different levels of Gujrati language.. Our goal is that kids become proficient in recognizing these vowels and alphabets by their sounds and words starting with them and are capable of reading and conversing. Communicating in their respective language with the family members while making their own sentences is a big achievement by the end of highest level.
YOUTH GROUP PROGRAM
For DBV graduates who are motivated to further explore, develop, and integrate a cultural relevance to their modern lives, we offer a robust Youth Group program (DBVYG). Under the guidance of dedicated mentors, DBVYG members put cultural values into action through volunteer work and community involvement. They strengthen their cultural identity through discussions, debate, and teaching. Through our guest speakers, DBVYG students benefit from the experience, knowledge, and guidance of South Asian role models from all walks of life. By working closely together with their peers, they form lasting friendships and a supportive cultural community of their own. DBVYG inspires and equips our young adults to become community leaders who represent the best of Indian values and culture. For inquiries on registration, please email balvihar.downingtown@gmail.com with the student's name, age, and grade.
SUMMER PROGRAM (oFFERED in 2020)
Summer program was introduced in 2020 and offered to all active DBV students. These programs provided them opportunity to explore the topics they are curious about and stay engaged with DBV family. Some of the courses offered are:
The Gita : Timeless Guidebook or Ancient Relic
A small group discussion to explore some of the main teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. Select passages and dissect their meaning. Students to be engaged in a moderated discussion about the applicability of those teachings in their modern lives. At the end of this 5 session course, students come away with a preliminary introduction to the Gita's teachings, appreciation of its living nature, and a continued desire to seek its relevance to their world.
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking
Introduce participants to the skills needed to create and deliver engaging presentations and to speak confidently in public. A number of different speech types are covered, such as informative and persuasive, prepared and impromptu. Participants have opportunities to practice these skills in each session.
Hindustani Classical Music
Introduction group course to Hindustani Classical music to give student a basic understanding of concepts of Saptaks, Swars, Thaat, Raag and Taal. Class goes through a set of alankaars or vocal exercises that can help the student practice and perfect their swars. It teaches basics of the swar-set and rules associated with 3 raags, students will be learning a swarmaalika in each of those raag, and a popular hindi film song based on those raag.
