For my husband and me, conventional schooling was never an option for our son. Confused about the modalities and complexities of home schooling, we chanced upon Prakriti. One visit to the school, and we both fell in love with the space and the concept. The last 8 years have only led to a reinforcement of our faith. Prakriti is a place where the children can just be – be free, be themselves, and become whoever or whatever they wish to be.
As a medium of education, it has constantly encouraged our son to focus on conceptual understanding, following a practical approach towards learning. At an individual level, Prakriti has enhanced his mental and emotional quotients. In the most amazing way, didis and bhaiyas have understood him deeply as a person, rather than just a face in a crowded class. This has paved the way for his holistic development, and not merely academic growth. Prakriti has provided a stimulating atmosphere with games, music, art and meditation – teaching him to be independent and be able to think for himself.
Even we, as parents, have matured, thanks to relentless focus on a synchronised home environment. Group sessions, as well as one-to-one counselling have been a constant feature in our lives.
Prakriti, for us, is not just school, it is a community. And our younger one, too, has been added to it recently. Borrowing a line from the Prakriti anthem (ideated by my 2-year old), “Bachhon ke naam hain anek, ek naam hai Prakriti”.
I’m privileged to give my below testimonial for our Prakriti:
Prakriti has a deep meaning as it reflects “Nature” its serenity and happiness to be on its own, henceforth what else could be better to up bring our kids under the blessings of Nature such that they may transform not only to an educated and learned person but importantly they learn to learn the process of learning .
The way kids name their group y-o-y basis is a true reflection of that they have become inherent part of our nature as given by their own Prakriti. The way they learn new things and use them in their day to day life is phenomenal as then they have imbibed the learning and not only learnt to forget subsequently , I always say with conviction that things we learn from nature like swimming is something one will never forget in his /her life , similarly what kids learn and grow with under shelters of Prakriti is incredible and unforgettable not only the learning but the way they have learned it .
The way Prakriti infuses the technological advancement is an exemplification of their vision and the efforts they put in to bring this so simplistically and seamlessly is classic case of their being grounded to nature as nature is actually simple , we human beings make it so complicated and cumbersome to satisfy ourselves only.
The pedagogy adopted by Prakriti not only helps our kids to gradually grow and start questioning to explore reasons , do research and get into discussions but immensely enables parents to keep up the pace with their way of learning and upkeep our learning zeal. We feel so proud to see how such kids get so comfortable in handling complicated topics and getting prepared to take on tasks with an open mind and bent of mind “agree to disagree”.
What’s even more fascinating about the Prakriti is the integrated and cohesive approach which blends all aspects of overall development , the emphasis on to be strong by eating healthy and getting onto sporting activity even under limited resources and curtailed environment like the one we all are going through since Mar’20 under pandemic shows the affinity and broad vision of Prakriti which not only nurtures our kids but upping’s and enable them to tread their journey in this world facing all headwinds with courage and strength.
Last but not the least the passion with which all Didi & Bhaiya’s get involved with our kids is something which we as parents couldn’t have imagined , their accessibility and binding with kids is overwhelming and nostalgic , their desire to bring-in new ways , give them exposure to explore awesome places , learn to be compassionate with the culture and lifestyle of natives , make kids relish the serenity of nature is beyond words and can only be felt just like nature which our kids do with enthu and are always excited for more and more .
In nutshell I can say with conviction that if we are not part of Prakriti then we are keeping ur kids away from nature and if our kids aren’t bought-up under nature then we as parents can reflect back as how our upbringing has been and can very well answer to ourselves.
So let me conclude by posing back few questions as “Why not Prakriti” ? “If not Prakriti then What “ ? “Are we not stealing best upbringing from our innocent kids by not keeping them under shelters of Prakriti”?
I SAY FROM CORE OF MY HEART THAT LET PRAKRITI BLOSSOM AS ITS PRAKRITI WHICH WILL PREPARE / EMPOWER & LAUNCH OUR KIDS IN THIS WORLD TO BRING & SPREAD TRUE REJOICE AKIN TO NATURE
Prakriti is a way of life… When you join Prakriti, not only do you enrol your child, – you enrol yourself to a journey of learning and unlearning, to going back to the basics – to simple joys.
Many memories rush to mind whenever someone asks about Prakriti, and to us few things have always stood out.
We had just enrolled our child in pre-school program and were being briefed by Shilpa Didi, and she said, when we tell our children, “Pyar se” we should also softly, reassuringly touch the child while saying so. This tactile, soothing approach helps the child to calm down and experience those words in a holistic sensory way. This has been so-so helpful. No one teaches you how to be parents – but at Prakriti you get a chance to be good ones!
The other has to be the Day care program. We had looked far and wide and never could settle on anything. In fact one renowned place had laughed at us when I asked what kind of stories they tell their 1.5 yrs old…
When you embrace Prakriti, you inherit a village – the care, affection, attention that the children get in Day care is second to none. One day, I was trying to sleep with a migraine, my 5.5 yr old comes up and starts rubbing my forehead – “Deepa Didi aise hi karti thin jab hum so nahi paate the.”
There is so much more that can be said. No words can do enough justice. The good part is that everyone “sees” your child. All you have to do is commit to the experience.
Last but not the least will have to be how everyone addresses each other – Didi and Bhaiya. Allowing the child to be free of any hierarchy and bureaucracy teaches them the value of respect, and oneness that no lesson can teach.
Six weeks have passed since Tej joined Alt school with Prakriti, and a day hasn’t gone by when he doesn’t eagerly await his LIVE learning sessions. I stress upon LIVE as the sessions truly bring learning to life. Whether it’s the weather that’s in discussion, or observing patterns in everything around, it has opened Tej to new and interesting ways of looking at life and at himself. The boy who was once intimidated and struggled to read past a page of a story book, today confidently reads 4-5 books a day, comprehends them, and has developed the ability to interpret the same. He keeps a daily journal recording his ‘inner weather’ which he proudly reads to us like a novella 🙂 All this in just 6 weeks!
Learning/ teaching online can be challenging, yet the group discussions have lent space for individual thinking and have been active and lively; delivered with such patience and respect; while maintaining discipline at the same time.
But most of all, Tej feels loved 🙂 A big shout of THANK YOU to Aditi and Mehak Didi’s for nurturing Tej and his peers with so much care, sensitivity and equanimity. The time Didi’s have spent beyond class hours to fix his matras and listen to his endless ramblings have not gone unnoticed, and is well appreciated. Tej feels at home with the two of you, and wonders when he might travel to meet you all in person 🙂 No doubt there is still a lot of ground to cover, but we are so thankful for a great start, and hope the program sustains even post lockdown.
If we were to judge how wealthy we are on the happiness scale, Tej would be a millionaire! Thank you all for keeping his spark alive.
When we started looking for a place where our child could settle down while the two of us went to work, we came across a number of places that made us realise that it was going to be a difficult task finding a good daycare for our son. Our search led us to Prakriti, which was just a few years old. There was something quite reassuring about this place from the moment we got there—and it had to do with its people, its architecture, its ethos and most importantly the way in which they interacted with children, whether they be four months old or six years old. Though they had never taken care of such small children, they agreed to be our partners on this journey. We have been with Prakriti for six years now and our son is very well settled here—it is practically his second home, he is so comfortable with the space and the people he interacts with in this space. Prakriti runs a very good daycare programme and we would recommend it to all parents who are looking for something similar.
“Prakriti daycare is built in a very warm, cosy and close to nature space, with lots of lush greenery, a small habitat for animals like rabbits and fishes, and quite open play areas and enclosed ones.
The daycare had become a second home to my toddler. It is indeed a place where as a parent I felt secure and glad to send my child, as it provided an environment where children feel loved, nurtured and free to explore their surroundings. The daycare staff is quite friendly and helpful, and they also provide healthy food to kids.
“Keep growing Prakriti!”