SAIIER Sri Aurobindo International Institute of Educational Research Annual Report 2017-18 SAIIER, Administrative Area, Auroville 605101, Tamil Nadu, India 0413-262-2982 | [email protected] Acknowledgments Thank you to all report writers: Aha! Facilitator Team, Aishwarya A., Aloka, Anna, Arun I., Auralice, Bhaga and LOE team, Bogi, Celine, Deoyani, Devi, Egle, Fabrice D., Francesca, Francoise, Gilles G., Grace, Hartmut, Honor, Ing-Marie, Jaya, Jean-Christophe, Jean-Yves, Jill, Jinu, Jyoti and Nandanam Kindergarten team, Kaliananda, Kalou, Kripa, Krishna and Auroville Film Festival team, Laurence, Lisbeth, Manoj, Marie, Marie-Claire, Marion, Martin G., Martin S., Mary and Transition School team, Maya, R. Meenakshi, Miriam, Nathalie, Nele, Nina, Paula C., Philippe and Thierry, Poovizhi, Pratap, Priya, Rabindra and Narendra, Rajesh and Kumar, Rosalba, Ruchi M., RV and Claire, Sabrina, Sangeetha, Sanjeev R., Saranya B., Saraswati, Saravanan, Satyavan B., Selvaraj A., Shraddhavan, Sophie and ACI team, Subash, Sudhir, Sundar, Suriyagandhi, Surya C.R., Swati, Tamar, Thambidurai, Thomas, Varadharajan, Vladimir, Yvelise, Xavier Cover photo by: Olivier N. Report prepared by: Arun, Kristen, Prabha/AVDzines Contents Report from the SAIIER office.....................................................................................1 List of projects supported in 2017-18.........................................................................3 Auroville schools Aha! Kindergarten.................................................................................................7 Deepanam School..................................................................................................9 Dehashakti School of Physical Education.............................................................15 Future School......................................................................................................17 Kindergarten........................................................................................................22 Last School...........................................................................................................24 Lilaloka................................................................................................................26 Nandanam Kindergarten.....................................................................................29 Teachers' Center..................................................................................................33 • Supportive Learning Teacher Training Course and Supervision for Auroville Schools..............................................................................35 TLC (The Learning Community) • Baking English.........................................................................................37 • Independent Learning............................................................................39 Transition School.................................................................................................40 • Creativity Throughout the Program........................................................48 • Holistic Assessment for Integral Education.............................................51 Outreach schools Aikiyam School • Establishing an Affective Curriculum......................................................55 Arulvazhi Education Centre.................................................................................57 Aurohamsadhwani Arts Centre...........................................................................59 Ilaignarkal Education Centre................................................................................60 Isai Ambalam School...........................................................................................64 Kuilappalayam Cultural Centre............................................................................68 Life Education Centre..........................................................................................70 • Research on Education, Skills, Employment and Employability among Youth in the Auroville Bioregion.......................................................72 Oli School............................................................................................................75 STEM Land...........................................................................................................76 • Deep learning of Mathematics through EBD and materials....................79 • Effective learning environments by utilization of LIAPs (Leadership in Action Programs) in STEM................................................................83 • Factors and interventions influencing students' attitude towards mathematics ....................................................................................86 Facilities and programs Aranya Forest • Awareness camps on bio-diversity conservation....................................91 Aurofilm...............................................................................................................94 • Attending the 48th International Film Festival of India in Goa.................97 • “Panorama of Contemporary Indian Cinema”......................................100 • “Auroville – From seed to sapling”.......................................................102 Auroville Archives..............................................................................................103 Auroville Campus Initiative: SAIIER's Department of Further Learning.............105 Auroville Nature Camp......................................................................................107 Auroville Theatre Group....................................................................................108 CRIPA (Centre for Research in the Performing Arts)..........................................110 Eluciole Circus School........................................................................................111 Gratitude Animal Farm......................................................................................112 Kailash Youth Residency....................................................................................113 Kalabhumi Art Studio.........................................................................................115 Kalabhumi Music Studio....................................................................................117 Laboratory of Evolution – Centre of Human Unity.............................................119 Pitanga Cultural Centre......................................................................................122 Sanskrit Research Institute................................................................................125 Savitri Bhavan....................................................................................................127 Savitri Hostel.....................................................................................................130 Scholarship and Education Fund........................................................................131 Telos..................................................................................................................132 Unity Pavilion.....................................................................................................133 Independent projects Research • Aurogames Research, Development and Implementation...................137 • Developing and testing Auroville-based supplementary materials for standard curricula, more effective sustainability education..........139 • “Seeds of the Sacred Groves”: Presentation at the Madras University International Conference..............................................................144 • Survey of post-Tsunami Eco-Restoration efforts by Auroville in three villages along the coast.................................................................146 Activities • Arjuna Archery......................................................................................147 • Auroville Film Festival 2017..................................................................148 • Auroville Tinkering School....................................................................150 • Awareness Through the Body (ATB)......................................................152 • BHU/EARTH Performances...................................................................156 • Cooking program..................................................................................157 • “Divine Flowers” exhibition..................................................................158 • Educational Food Growing Programs at three Auroville schools..........160 • Film Making Apprenticeship.................................................................167 • Innovative Open Source Developer Training.........................................171 • Mandala Practice..................................................................................172 • Mira Cultural Group..............................................................................174 • Mother's Photographs..........................................................................176 • My Creative Satsang.............................................................................177 • Stewardship for New Emergence..........................................................178 • The Unicorn Collective – Season 2........................................................180 • “Veil: Two Sisters”.................................................................................182 • White Peacock Ceramic Studio.............................................................183