The program is conducted for meritorious girls of 9 to 12th Std. coming from economically weaker section of the society. Monthly Sessions on any one Sunday for four hours are conducted. Various activities for their holistic development, character building and imparting value education, through inspirational talks by experts are arranged. Prayers and meditation is an essential part of every session. Regular interaction with parents helps to assess girl’s progress.
(An Integrated Children’s Welfare Project to assist underprivileged students in their academic studies):
Swami Vivekananda said that one of the causes of the downfall of India has been the negligence of her poor masses for ages. Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Memorial, Vadodara is running this project to assist underprivileged students in their academic studies. We have started this project in connection with 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Beneficiaries are the children of 4th to 9th Std. from nearby slums of Ashrama.
The unit runs for 6 days during a week, about 3 hours a day. A day is reserved; usually weekend to organize various extra-curricular activities for their holistic development. The session starts with prayers & meditation which help them to improve their concentration. A strict eye is kept on the progress of these students with the help of regular examinations. Special attention is given to the slow learners. Parents meetings are also organized periodically to inform about the development of their children. Minute attention is provided towards the health & hygiene of students.
The response is exponentially positive & we have seen the steady developments in the students. Not only they are excelling in their academic studies but have also grown in the cardinal values like truthfulness, discipline, respect for elders, reverence for motherland, etc. Their behaviour has changed considerably for the better & their bad habits are replaced with good ones.
Maa Sarada Kendra : Holistic development programme for girls
Vadodara centre is conducting activities for girls. The girl students attend it on every Sunday. The duration is of two hours from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon. The session starts with prayers & meditation followed by reading from the book of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. Beside drama, short speeches, discussion on great women of India, various other activities are conducted like music, group songs, art & craft, etc. At the end nutritious snacks are served.
Value Education Seminar: In Ashrama Premises
On mutually confirm date & time students along with their teachers visit Ashrama to participates in value education seminar.
The salient features are as under.
- Visit to the Meditation Hall
- Introduction of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission & its activities
- Introducing life and teaching of great personalities like Swami Vivekananda & others
- Video session with interactive talks on value education
- Visit to pictorial exhibition of life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda
- Visit to Library, Book Stall
- Values like truthfulness, fearlessness, self-esteem, respect to elders, love for motherland, etc. are the central theme of the programme
At the end light refreshment is given to students. An inspiring book of Swami Vivekananda is also given at the end.
Monks/ volunteers visit different schools at regular interval and impart value education to students. Swami Vivekananda’s messages of Man making, Character building and Nation building, is given through inspirational stories, quotes etc. Inspiring Books on Swami Vivekananda are given to the students free of cost.
On mutual confirmation with schools our experts along with trained volunteers visit school’s premises.
The salient features of schedule are as under.
- Experts give a talk on life and message of Swami Vivekananda
- Exhibition on life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda is displayed
- Values like truthfulness, fearlessness, self-esteem, respect to elders, love for motherland, etc. are the central theme of the programme
- Books on and by Swami Vivekananda are made available for purchase
- In special case video films and short clippings of value oriented lessons are shown and discussed.
Essay Competition : Nation building through character building
On the occasion of Swami Vivekananda’s birthday, every year state level essay competition for schools and colleges are organised. Around 5000 students participates in the competition. Nation building through character building is the motto of the competition.
Mobile Book Van (Vivekananda Jnana Jyot):
With the help of mobile book van volunteers visit schools, colleges, remote villages, etc. and display books and arrange exhibition on life & teachings of Swami Vivekananda along with value oriented books. To cater the need of book-display a specially fabricated van is used.
Summer Camp:
Every year a summer camp is organised for 10 to 15 days in the month of May for the students of 6th to 9th standard where nearly 100 students participate. Duration of the camp is about 4 hours from 8:00 am. to 12:00 noon. The camp starts with prayer & meditation followed by reading from inspiring books. Students participate in different activities and event like drama, musical dance, mono act, short speech, art & craft, etc. Video sessions, group discussion and games are also a part of daily activities. Nutritious snacks are given at the end.
Teachers’ Seminar:
Every year teacher’s Seminar is organised in the Ashrama. During the seminar experts and senior monks of the Ramakrishna Order are invited to discuss the role, dignity and importance of teachers, their problems and resolutions etc. Teachers share their classroom experience which is very important part of this seminar.
The experts discuss and suggest some guideline based on their own experience which help the participants during their carrier as a teacher.
During the seminar the role of a teacher in moulding the society in the light of teachings of great personalities are discussed.
Vivekananda Sanskar Shibir (Total Personality Development Programme for children of 6 to 13 years)
Today’s children are slowly moving away from the Indian Culture and are getting misled by the materialistic culture. A personality can be shaped best when the person is tender in age. Keeping this in mind, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Memorial, Vadodara is running ‘Vivekananda Sanskar Shibir’- Total Personality Development Programme for children of 6 to 13 years.
Swami Vivekananda’s message of strength, truthfulness, obedience, unselfishness, self-confidence, respect to parents and elders, awareness of health and hygiene, love for the nation and many such values are inculcated in children.
A brief outline is as under:
- Session begins with prayer, meditation and bhajans.
- Values are taught through inspirational stories from the lives of great personalities.
- Various skills of drawing, painting and easy handicrafts are taught.
- The class includes lessons on popular science, health & hygiene, history of India, environment etc.
- Nutritive snacks are provided at the end of the session.
Programme Duration – 2:30 hrs. (Once in week- preferably Saturday/Sunday)
- 1st Session (30 mins) Meditation, Prayers, Bhajans, Gita Chanting, patriotic, devotional and group songs etc.
- 2nd session (30 mins) Story telling (Inspiring/Motivational/Spiritual)
- 3rd session (30 mins) Sports/ Games (Indoor/Outdoor)
- 4th session (30 mins) Creative Arts (Craft / Painting /Best from the Waste)
- 5th Session (30 mins) Light Refreshment (nutritious)
Such Balak Sangh are run at:
- Kalali – Vadodara
- Subhanpura – Vadodara
- Chapad – Vadodara
- Anand – Dist Kheda
- Padra – Dist Vadodara
- Surat
- Vadodara (Ashrama)
Prayers, Gita recitation, Vedic chanting, meditation, Bhajans, Art & Crafts, Games to improve concentration, team building, etc. are held for children of 7 to 13 years on every Sunday for 1 ½ hours in the Ashram and other places also. The activities aim at imparting Value education, creating awareness about Indian cultural, religious heritage and their character building.
