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December 2008: Jai Bhim International's Creative Director, Ann, returned to India, to lead Engliah language sessions at The National Network of Buddhist Youth 2008 Retreat in Bor Dharan, India. 

2008 Scholarships: Jai Bhim International provided 20 students with $25 scholarships to attend this year's NNBY Conference in December. These scholarships will cover the costs of Conference Registration and the week's expenses. Scholarship priority was given to students traveling to the Conference from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and Bodh Gaya.

This conference was a way for youth from all over India to come together in the context of a Buddhist retreat, to learning more about the Buddhist Dharma and the legacy of Dr. Ambedkar. It was an opportunity for youth to build friendships and develop leadership skills, which they then bring back to their own communities.

English Teacher Training:  After the retreat, Ann met with a group of Indian English-as-a-Second Language ("ESL") teachers serving Dalit students in the Nagpur area. This is the first of our ESL Mentoring Projects being created in collaboration with our English Teaching Advisory Board. We drew on the Reflective Teaching Project, currently being practiced at City College of San Francisco, and reviewed models of student-centered learning, inspired by the revolutionary vision of the Pioneer Educator Paolo Freire.

Our vision is that Indian ESL teachers will support and encourage one another professionally as peers for the long-term, drawing from their own experience and knowledge base, rather than relying on ESL teachers visiting from overseas. This is inspired by the Buddhist vision of "sangha", or supportive spiritual community.

Teachers and students alike can become empowered in their learning, and this empowerment is exactly what Dr. Ambedkar envisioned for his community. Interestingly, as a PhD student at Columbia University, Ambedkar studied under John Dewey, one of the original pioneers in the field of public education.

Help support our projects by investing in our work.

Jai Bhim International provides Indian Buddhist youth with the spiritual, educational, and emotional tools to create personal and social change, for a culture freed of caste prejudice and discrimination.

We collaborate with organizations and individuals in India to implement projects that include youth conferences, English language classes, leadership training, and cross-cultural mentoring.

jai bhim international -caste-free generation- 

p.o. box 460595 san francisco, california usa 94146 info@jaibhiminternational.org