Shishu Vihar

Kids Upto Pre-K

Intro to God & Godesses, Small Stotrams with Actions

Purpose:

To create a social and physical environment where young children are exposed to spiritual concepts and values like devotion and concern for others. Also, to support parents to incorporate spirituality into children’s daily lives and creating a deeper contact with the child.

What is taught and How?

In Shishu Vihar, children are given an introduction to our religion and culture. The curriculum, designed by Swamini Supriyananda, a child psychologist, includes sensory play, movement, music, stories, and repetition to help facilitate learning and to create a love for God.
With the guidance from Swami Supriyanandaji, the children systematically learn about Lord Ganesha, Devi Mata, Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva, Lord Rama and Hanumanji. Each month is devoted to learning prayers, bhajans and songs, listening to stories, performing yoga, playing games and creating arts and crafts related to a specific deity. The children complete the year learning about Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda.

Grades K & 1

Bala Ramayan

Through the enchanting stories of Sri Rama, children not only expand their imagination but also absorb timeless values like courage, truthfulness, and compassion. These inspiring lessons help shape strong character and a loving heart.

Grades 2 & 3

Bala Bhagavatam

Children develop deep faith and a sense of inner security as they explore beautiful stories from the Bhagavatam. With the belief, "If I am good, God will protect me," they learn that goodness and devotion bring strength and peace.

Grades 4 & 5

Symbolism In Hinduism

Why do we worship deities? What do the symbols mean? Children discover how these sacred forms represent the One Lord and how they guide us to leave with harmony, balance, and happiness - both at home and in the world.

Grades 6 & 7

PO Box Mr. God

Key To Success

PO Box Mr. God- Children explore the idea that God is both within and around us - ever present and accessible. Through chanting and reflecting on simple verses from the Ramacaritamanasa, they learn that living with love, disclipline, and humility makes each of us a divine address of God.

Key to Success: Living with values. Success isn't just about achievements - it's about who we become. Children learn how living with values like discipline, focus, and kindness leads to happiness, peace, and lasting success - both in school and in life.

Grades 8 & 9

Hindu Culture

Children begin to understand that our Hindu Saṁskṛti is not just a tradition- it's a guide to living with purpose, peace, and strength. Through the simple yet profound teachings of the Upanishads, they learn how to handle life with clarity, reduce stress, and align with the deeper goal of life.

Grades 10 & 11

Life Lessons - Part 1

Teenagers are empowered with simple yet profound tools to face life's challenges with confidence. Rooted in the wisdom of Advaita Vedanta, these sessions help teens reflect deeply, live mindfully, and appreciate the joy in purposeful living.

Grade 12

Life Lessons - Part 2

Leadership & Seva Activities

" Youths are not useless, they are used less" - Swami Chinmayananda

Chinmaya Bāla Vihār lays the foundation for holistic development of our future global citizens. Through the well-designed and age-appropriate Bāla Vihār curriculum, our children learn values and heritage and are equipped to continue our spiritual legacy. They also become inspired to explore and enhance their innate abilities through extra-curricular activities.

Children learn the values of:

selfless giving and hard work through service efforts,

communication skills via Assembly and cultural presentations, and

teamwork and collaboration in camp activities

servant leadership skills by coordinating community outreach activities.

Sevā

Vision: To perform selfless service with dedication, and devoid of any thought for reward or personal benefit.

Why should we do Sevā?

Service to humanity is service rendered to our Lord. Sevā is not merely an act of charity. It is service to God in His universal form. Thus, sevā is our devotion made visible. To help our fellow man is our duty and privilege.

Every Sunday morning, we gather together with our children and vow to "…. live honestly the noble life of sacrifice and service…" It is our duty to honour this pledge by putting it into action. It is a great opportunity for us to teach by example to be grateful to all that we have been blessed with and to instill the value of service from a young age.

Sevā Bhāva

We must strive to strengthen our sevā bhāva by constantly reminding ourselves that we are the instruments of the Lord while performing our duties, and offer the fruits of our service at His lotus feet. We at Chinmaya Arcanā are privileged to have the opportunity to serve our community. We welcome all to join us in this noble endeavor wherein we give so little, and yet receive so much more in the form of indescribable joy, satisfaction and fulfillment.

Sevā Activities

Cook for residents at Ronald McDonald House

Red Cross Blood Drive

Chinmaya Organization for Rural Development (CORD)
- Serve in CORD centers in India
- Raise money through Walk-A-Thon/Read-A-Thon

Care Packages

Volunteer at food pantries

Volunteer for Adopt-a-highway

Volunteer at events and camps

'Go Green' campaign

If you are interested in participating in our community sevā activities, or would like to learn more, please send an e-mail to menta.bindu@gmail.com

Our Sevaks/Sevikas

Reflection:

"Our children are our wealth - thus considered the great acharyas of Hindu culture from time immemorial, and rightly so. In the formative period of childhood, a child has the most malleable state of mind, readily available for moulding and casting into the right personality. To mould the behaviour of an individual is to mould the character of a community. This is what education strives to achieve. I believe that we can give a purposeful direction to a personality even in the days of early childhood. Later on, no doubt, we must hammer out for the child new extensions and open up new dimensions for its play in society through literary, scientific and social studies. Whatever the child is to be later on - a political leader, an economist, philosopher, scientific scholar or a glorious artist - his contributions to the society will directly depend on his character and personality." ~ Swami Chinmayananda