Newswire.net — February 9, 2015) Creve Coeur, Missouri — In December 2014, 2nd grade students at Community School in St. Louis, Missouri had an opportunity to communicate with students their age on the other side of the globe. More than 20 students wrote letters to students at the SAEA Academy in India as part of a cross-cultural learning program. The team of second grade teachers at Community School believe this correspondence, facilitated by NCI, will “inspire deeper learning and bring a wealth of knowledge that cannot be found in videos, books, field trips, and restaurants here in St. Louis.”
The Community School cross-cultural correspondence project is just one of the programs developed by New Creation International to encourage cross-cultural learning between students in the United States and those in developing nations such as India.
New Creation International (NCI) is a non-profit organization based in St. Louis, Missouri. The organization’s mission is to help provide children in developing nations with access to quality education and to assist youth around the world in becoming conscious, creative, global citizens through the practices of integral education.
Integral Education is an educational philosophy which employs holistic learning methods to guide children on a path of self-discovery and total development. The integral education model focuses on four key areas of development: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Physical education promotes the development of a strong and healthy body. Emotional education fosters the development of an energetic and empathetic character. Knowledge-based education aims to develop an intelligent and creative mind. Finally, spiritual education encourages the cultivation of consciousness and self-awareness in children. NCI believes that all children need skill and value-based education in order to become mature, capable, and self-sufficient citizens.
Due to poverty, marginalization, and a variety of related health factors, millions of children around the world do not have access to education. In 2012, approximately 58 million primary aged children were not enrolled in school or did not have access to a classroom. NCI is committed to helping reduce this number and has already begun improving access to education in India through its support of the Sri Aurobindo Educational Academy and Society School.
In 2013, NCI announced its formal adoption of a small school located in rural India, The Sri Aurobindo Educational Academy and Society (SAEA). SAEA was founded in 2010 and began with 75 students from nearby villages. NCI facilitated training workshops for local teachers, supplied a curriculum, and provided educational materials for the school. With NCI’s help, approximately 300 children are now receiving an education at the SAEA School in India. The founders of NCI believe that all children have a right to quality education and are committed to helping children in disadvantaged communities realize this right.
NCI was co-founded in 2013 by a team of local professionals and dedicated board members who share a passion for integral education and the promotion of cross-cultural awareness and communication in St. Louis schools. The organization was formed to serve charitable and educational purposes both locally and abroad. On September 13 2014, NCI hosted its first open house to introduce its mission, vision, and the impact of its recent projects with the St. Louis community.
NCI hopes to work with other schools in the St. Louis area and is currently in the process of developing a curriculum for integral cross-cultural learning to be introduced to schools and educators in St. Louis this year. NCI has teamed up with the St. Louis University Wellness Center to co-sponsor a free information session and workshop for teachers, students, and faculty on Awareness through the Body (ATB). ATB is a series of sequential activities designed to help children and adults become more aware of their own strengths, perceptions and emotions. The workshop will be held on the SLU campus in St. Louis on March 30, 2015.
NCI’s achievements are made possible by the hard work and generosity of its board members, a team of volunteers, and various outside supporters who continue to donate their time and skills to pursuing the educational and charitable goals of NCI a reality.
“It is the youth who can build the new world.” – Sri Aurobindo
About New Creation International
To assist children of developing nations in becoming conscious, creative, global citizens through the promotion and practices of integral education.