Kalvi - Laboratory for educational research, Auroville.
Kalvi means education in Tamil, the language of the region in South India where the International township Auroville is situated. The idea of Auroville is to be a living experiment of new ways of living and being, to strive towards embodying human unity and harmony with the natural world. It is a place where people from all the corners of our planet, with different cultural backgrounds, can grow more conscious individually and collectively. Kalvi is an Auroville unit researching the practice of a new education called Integral Education as envisioned by philosopher Sri Aurobindo and Auroville's founder Mirra Alfassa. Building the foundation for Integral Yoga, Integral Education strives to bring together the mind, body and spirit to guide the student to find a place of greater unity and peace, through an active work to evolve the human consciousness. All our programs, courses and activities are a practice of this yoga. Kalvi sees Auroville as its learning environment, using different existing spaces in the community for its activities. With a diverse international team of professional educators, our work follows the latest research on transformative education internationally, is dynamic, and innovative.
Why does change have to start with education of adults?
The purpose of Integral Education / Integral Yoga is to explore the full potential of the human being, using all the operations of our consciousness, and translating a growing wisdom of the self into our everyday actions towards the world and others. Human unity and sustainable development will not become a lived reality through imposition of international agreements, agenda goals or regulations. It can only manifest through a transformation of human nature itself. This starts by critically questioning what education should serve, and radically changing how children are educated. Only through the courage and leadership of educators and parents who question the existing norms can a new way of raising children into this world gradually replace the present, outdated and directly harmful systems. Kalvi is for the educators and parents who want to be this change.
The education of children starts with the education of adults
Are you a research professional or education specialist?
Join us and volunteer with Kalvi ( minimum 6 months commitment)
The Team
Maya
Executive Director, Research, management and coordination. Developing methods and practices to bring systemic change in education. Maya facilitates teacher education programs for different age groups, Integral Education programs, activities with children, and works with innovative educational material design. • MS Degree in Education for Sustainable Development with thesis on Integral Education (Gothenburg University, Sweden) • BSc. Ed. in Pedagogical Studies with thesis on Integral Education (Umea University, Sweden) • BSc. Ed. with thesis on Freedom in Education (Gothenburg University, Sweden) • Montessori for ages 0-6, 6-12, 12-18 (Sweden) •Global Education (UNESCO) • Educators without borders (International) • Member of the Democratic Education movement (International) • Various training and experience working with children with special needs (Autism, Dyslexia, ADHD, ADD, and specific cases of heart disease, muscular disease, dwarfism)
Ishay
Creative director, management, finances and developing the educational materials for Auro.Games / teachers program. As a Worldschooler parent, Ishay has travelled extensively bringing education into the everyday of his children and life. • B.Ed. F.A. in Photography, Visual Arts and Teacher Education (WIZO Haifa Academy of Design and Education in Israel) • Photograpy startups • Web design
Michelle
Researcher and trainer. Michelle offers an introductory workshop for teachers and a positive discipline parenting course. Positive discipline is about community and growing together, leaving behind blaming and punishing, and instead nurturing connection and meaningful interactions. • Certified Positive Discipline Early Childhood Educator • Positive Discipline resource person to give introduction to teachers in schools ( any level) • Certified Positive Discipline Parenting Educator (CPDPE) • Emmi Pickler pedagogy and RIE Magda Gerber (New York/ Budapest/ Paris) • Reggio Emilia for Kindergarten (Los Angeles/ Reggio Emilia) • Montessori AMI trained 0-3 and 3-6 (France/India/South Africa) • Steiner for kindergarten – trained (France/ India) • Freinet (kindergarten and primary) (France) • Part of the Democratic education community (International) • Play of Painting – Arlo Stern – (A space for non-intervention and non-judgement) (France) • University Diploma as early childhood educator, with focus on multilingual students (UCLA, Los Angeles) Ashwini is the administrative face of Kalvi, welcoming new participants, volunteers and supporting the overall organization in a multitude of ways. • Masters in English • Bachelors in education • Has served as a school principal for 15 years • Has worked with children from age 3 to 18
