UPCOMING EVENTS
20 February
Sikhs in the World
Sikholars
Stanford, CA, USA
27 February
Teacher Training-Level II
Norwalk, CT, USA
28 February
Getting to Know Vahiguru
Norwalk, CT, USA
28 February
Sikhi Today: Imparting the Ideals
Bhai Vir Singh Sadan
New Delhi, UT, India
3 March
Sikh Graduate Student: Intersecting Research & Activism
Guru Nanak Dev University
Amritsar, PB, India
4 March
Benediction
UCSA Humanitarian Awards
San Antonio, TX, USA
5 March
Achieving Good Today: Exploding Potential Around Us
Government Museum
Chandigarh, UT, India
20 March
What Constitutes a Sikh?
Basking Ridge, NJ, USA
|
|
|
Sikh Educators Network
SEN is Live!
The Sikh Educators Network (SEN) is here and we are just waiting for you to check us out online! Come visit the site, investigate the resources and forums we have available for educators all over the world!
With lesson plans, powerpoint presentations and graphic organizers available for download, the SEN web site can become a wonderful resource for stimulating creative thought in your classroom and your staff meetings. The SEN web site is intended to be a place where teachers and their classrooms can connect all over North America and beyond. Take a moment and read the Welcome letter from SEN coordinator Harpreet Kaur and see what SEN can do for your classroom today.
For limited time, SEN is offering free membership to all educators. Members will be granted access to premium content on the site so it is best to sign up after checking out the initial release in order to see what is also available to members! We look forward to your feedback and to your contributions in our burgeoning educational community.
|
|
Sevadar
Spotlight: Sara Stroo
Sara has been working with SikhRI since 2006, when she helped to edit and format the very first stages of Sojhi lesson plans. Since then she has filled a variety of roles: working a desk job in the office, writing and designing the 2009 Annual Report, sending out monthly newsletter, drafting grant requests and all manner of editing that comes her way.
Sara says that the work she is lucky enough to do with SikhRI is the perfect combination of challenging and rewarding. Her years of odd jobs at the Institute have given her the opportunity to learn new ways to look at the world, to reach out to people in it, and above all to appreciate this life for both the good and the bad, as this variety is what gives both of those qualities any meaning.
When she isn't doing jobs for SikhRI, Sara works part time in the publishing department of a magazine in Portland, OR, and part time in the development department of the Oregon Food Bank. She has two pug dogs and they bring her much joy (and warmth) when she reads on the couch at night.
|
Teenagers Workshop
Sikh Teenagers In America- "An Inconvenient Choice"
On 15 January, 2010, a presentation designed especially for Sikh youth took place in Norwalk, Connecticut. The activities and discussions were intended to get at the heart of the challenges, as well as the rewards, of maintaining a strong Sikh identity in the midst of modern American culture.
The activity was designed and facilitated by SikhRI's Director of Education Jasmine Kaur and Harinder Singh. Surrender Pal Singh also contributed to the development of the presentation. SikhRI considers it part of its mission to reach out to Sikhs at all ages and stages of life. Developing programs for our young adults is always an important component of our community building activities. We at SikhRI appreciate everyone who made this event a success, through their attendance, their thoughtful questions, and their organizing skills.
|
Modern Age
Northwestern University
About 65 people attended a presentation given on 30 January, at the Jacob Center of the Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, Illinois. "Sikhs in the Modern Age" was facilitated by Mohanbir Singh Sawhney and presented by Harinder Singh. The discussion included sections which addressed topics such as "Theology & Principals", "Sikh Worldview & Aspirations" and "City Without Sorrow."
The event attracted a diversity of attendees, and was developed by SikhRI in an effort to provide a forum for Sikhs to come together and discuss both the new possibilities and the new burdens of maintaining the tenets of a Sikh lifestyle in a contemporary environment.
|
UCSA
Sikh Americans: Language and Culture
As part of a United Communities of San Antonio event, SikhRI participated in the "Third United Communities" workshop at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, on 23 January, 2010. The afternoon's activites were designed to introduce the more than 50 young adult attendants from the San Antonio area to the Sikh language and culture.
Facilitated by Jasmine Kaur, Gurvinder Singh and Amrita Kaur, activities included demonstrating a conversation in Panjabi, engaging in an art project to represent Sikhs and learning some Bhangara steps. The event ended with a lively question & answer session.
It is an important component of SikhRI's work to reach out to the non-Sikh community and increase understanding and tolerance among many different populations. We are especially grateful to those teenagers who attended and opened their hearts and minds at the session and to United Communities of San Antonio for the work they do and for inviting SikhRI to participate at this event.
|
Surat 2010
The Ardas
Over the weekend of 15 -17 January SikhRI participated in three sessions of Surat 2010 in New York City. The workshops SikhRI brought to the event were facilitated by Harinder Singh and Inderpreet Singh and addressed The Ardas.
On 17 January, Inderpreet Singh gave his talk, titled "Ardas-Double Sovereignty." He discussed the ways in which the impact of the modern West, with its increasing distinction between religion and politics, fails to account for the Sikh point of view.
From this foundation, Inderpreet Singh discussed the link of the spiritual and the temporal in the Panthic Ardas and the ways in which these texts can continue to inspire and guide religious and political activism in the world today.
In his session on 16 January, " Ardas: Meaning, Origin & Function," Harinder Singh explored the doctrinal and linguistic lessons of the Ardas, with sessions titled: " Meaning & Origin", " In World Traditions & Gurbani", " Development & Standardization", " Secondary Sources & Interpretations" and " Personal & Panthak Elements."
Each session attracted around 180 people and the Open Forum for audience engagement and questions on 17 January attracted about 200 people. SikhRI would like to thank everyone who participated and our coordinators in New York City for their invaluable help organizing this busy and productive weekend that we could be a part of!
|
Sojhi
Teacher Training
On 17 January, 25 educators came together at Bridgewater Khalsa School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, for a training session led by SikhRI Director of Education Jasmine Kaur and Harinder Singh. The session covered methods for maximizing the value of Sojhi curriculum through effective use of content and instruction technique.
As Sojhi curriculum is adopted in more schools across the United States, Canada and the UK, these training sessions are an important service SikhRI offers to all our adopting institutions. We strive constantly to assist instructors in becoming as comfortable as possible with the curriculum materials, and to encourage a high quality, standardized system of instruction for Sikh youth from Kindergarten through High School.
If you are interested in scheduling a training at your Khalsa school or in your community, or would like to learn more about all that Sojhi has to offer, please visit our Sojhi page and keep an eye on the newly launched Sikh Educators Network-- another way SikhRI is bringing passionate teachers together all over the world!
|
Liv
Nam: Identification with the Divine
On 13 February, SikhRI hosted another of our Liv Webinars. The 90-minute presentation by Harinder Singh covered a variety of topics such as: "Dead or Living Phenomenon", "Divine Name, Qualities and Action", "Gur Prasadi – By Guru’s Grace" and "Nam-Simran: How & Why."
This particular Liv was attended by several large groups of listeners- demonstrating another way that the Webinars can be used to unite communities of Sikhs and other interested learners. One group of more than 50 young adults from Toronto Sikh Retreat took a break from their ski trip to gather around a computer for the session, and the San Antonio Sangat, which holds weekly divans, listened to the Webinar together and used the topics as a springboard for a live discussion among themselves afterwords.
For information on upcoming Webinars, please visit our web site and check out your options! Webinars are a great way to connect with the global Sikh community. They are low-cost, high-value and available to anyone with Internet access anywhere in the world!
|
Thank yous
Sikh Research Institute exists to serve the community's education needs. As we strive to fulfill our mission of empowerment through education, we cannot be successful without the endless support of volunteers. Thank you to all of our volunteers this month who continue to inspire us with their strength, dedication, and passion!
Achint Kaur, Amrita Kaur, Avtar Singh, Dr. Harbans Lal, G.P. Singh, Gunisha Kaur, Gurbans Kaur, Gurpaul Singh, Gurvinder Singh, Harpreet Singh, Inderpreet Singh, Inni Kaur, Jagdeep Singh, Jasdeep Singh, Jasmeet Kaur, Judy Lacritz, Khurana Family (Amrita Kaur, Balbir Singh, Tavleen Kaur, Sahib Singh, Arshdeep Singh and Deepinder Kaur), Mandhir Singh, Mapreet Singh Jassal, Maudie Murada, Mike Goust, Mohanbir Singh Sawhney, Naindeep Singh, Narvin Anand, Palvi Kaur Dhillon, Parminder Kaur Batra, Parvinder Kaur, Prabhjot Kaur Jassal, Ranjit Singh Samra, Ravi Arora, Reena Arora, Simran Jeet Singh, Sumandeep Kaur and Surinder Singh.
| |
|
|
