AurovilleRadio

Our fourth day of exploring the laboratory of Auroville with a group of visiting and Aurovilian researchers, activists, educators and artists began with an Awareness through the Body (ATB) session, facilitated by Rosa in Shranga guest house’s Tai Chi Hall. The morning continued with a tour through the Auroville Earth Institute with Satprem Maini and presentations by Aurovilians on educational and research programs.

Satprem presented the impressive work of the Auroville Earth Institute in developing sustainable building technologies, training people from and building around the world for many years now. He also shared his dream of a new campus where masons, architects and engineers could learn and research sustainable building technologies. Aneeta enthusiastically told us about her educational program Anveshan in which young adults go on “yatras’’ or journeys along Indian rivers. On these journeys the youth not only explore the terrain they travel in, but also their inner Selves in that specific social and environmental context, as well as their inherent potential to contribute positively in their unique ways.

Dominique expanded on these examples of experimentation with education in Auroville by reporting results from a study conducted on the topic by her and a team of Aurovilians. Her research, which used the method of qualitative interviews with Aurovilians, brought out beautifully the integral understanding, experience and approach to education in Auroville as a learning campus. Last but not least young adults from the STEM-Land initiative presented their work in the Auroville schools Udavi and Isaiambalam, where they develop new ways to effectively and joyously teach school children math through practical self-directed projects.

At our lunch-venue, Youth Center, we learned about building tree houses from Josh, who in turn learned his craft from the Auroville Tree House Community, a project with which young Aurovilians build innovative treetop accommodation not only in Auroville but around the world.

00:00:00 – Auroville Earth Institute walk with Satprem (sustainable building technologies)
00:13:33 – Presentation by Satprem about the institute’s mission, research and training activities
00:33:55 – Suryamayi presents the following speaker and the theme of the day
00:35:45 – Aneeta talks about Anveshan, an experiential learning educational program
00:48:05 — Introduction of the next speakers Arun, Pratap and Poovizhi
00:49:05 — Arun, Pratap and Poovizhi talk about project-based learning in Auroville schools
01:10:20 — Introduction of the next speaker Dominique
01:11:40 — Dominique shares her research on Auroville as a learning campus
01:34:37 — Josh introduces us to the tree house building projects at the Youth Center
01:34:33 — Josh shows us the recent tree house constructions and takes us on walk through YC

For more information on The Bridge program visit:

https://www.facebook.com/thebridgeAV50
https://twitter.com/TheBridge_AV50

or contact thebridge@auroville.org.in

For more information on Auroville’s educational initiatives visit the following websites:

http://www.earth-auroville.com
http://anveshan.auroville.org
http://www.auraauro.com
http://auroville-learning.net
http://www.treehousecommunity.net

Pdfs:
1) – Satprem’s Earth Institute presentation pdf}
2) – Aneeta’s Anveshan and yatra presentation pdf}
3) – Dominique’s educational research presentation pdf
4) – {Arun’s, Pratap’s and Poovizhi’s article on project-based learning part 1 pdf
5) – {Arun’s, Pratap’s and Poovizhi’s article on project-based learning part 2 pdf