"We should tell children while they are very young that there is a power known as God who controls everything. If we teach a child to remember this divinity in all circumstances of life, that child will be able to keep his or her inner poise in every situation."
— Amma
Amrita Bala Kendra is a spiritual and cultural program for children ages 4–14. The classes focus on values education, traditions and spiritual practices. Through stories, games, music, field trips, arts and crafts, festivals, environmental activities and service projects, the Bala Kendra offers children an understanding of spiritual principles and how to bring them into daily life.
Classes are held on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month, 4:00–6:30 p.m. — chanting, storytelling, yoga, devotional singing and talks on social values, with snacks to close. Fun days include winter skiing, summer pool parties, bonfires and kite-flying.
Service activities: twice a year the children serve home-cooked meals at Bay Area shelters; each Christmas they visit a nursing home with cards, chocolates and carols; and every Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service they plant trees at MA Center, learning from the center’s resident experts.
Contact — East Bay: Anita & Sudhir Aggarwal or Varsha Govindani; South Bay: Lalitha Krishnan. More about the program: balakendra.org.
