BalGokul

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What Is BalGokul?

BalGokul is a place for children to come together, learn practice Hindu culture and heritage, understand Bharat (India) and make good friends with similar interest and background.

Gokul is the place where Lord Krishna spent his childhood days. Gokul is the place where talents, mischiefs, strength and also the divinity of Krishna blossomed. People realized that he was not an ordinary boy, but an incarnation of God. "Bal" means Child. Bal Gokul is the place for the children to enjoy together and also discover their potential and blossom to the fullest extent.

Durga Temple Parents and Volunteers run BalGokul for our children.

Vision

To ignite, foster, revere and preserve ancient Sanatan (Hindu) Dharma, Culture, Values and Way of Life amongst children.

Mission

To provide a fun, social and educational environment that enables children to acquire a healthy understanding, and subsequently a pride and reverence for their ancient Sanatan religion, culture, and a core value system so that the children are inspired to apply them into their daily life, exchange thoughts and ideas with peers, develop a confident self-identity, and sense of belongingness to the community.

DBG Overview

• Total Duration: approximately 9 months, September - June Weekly

• Location: Durga Temple Lower level classrooms

• Weekly Timing: Sundays 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Classroom Groupings

Classroom	Age	Grade guidelines
Prithvi	4 - 6 yrs.	Pre-k - K
Jal	6 - 8 yrs.	1, 2
Vayu	8 - 10 yrs.	3, 4
Agni	10 - 12 yrs.	5, 6
Akasha	13+ yrs.	7+

DBG Weekly Recurring Activities

• Bhajans

• Religious Class

• Language (Hindi)

• Arts & Crafts and Games

• Children get DBG library membership as part of the program where they can check out 250+ Amar Chitra Katha books on various Hindu religious and historical characters

Religious Class and Bhajan Curriculum Goals

• Facilitate children to appreciate, learn, and practice Hindu Dharma, Values and Way of life

• Instill pride and confidence in Hindu children about their identity

• Understand our Hindu way of life by exposure to aspects such as prayers, bhajans and stories

• Reinforce concepts children through participation in cultural activities, role plays, skits, Q/A sessions, quizzes and class discussions

• Develop students' leadership skills and sense of community by having them volunteer during events to do setup, help in temple activities, and help in general DBG activities

DBG Staff and Volunteers

1. All DBG classes and activities are staffed with either Fixed or Rotating volunteer resources

2. All Activities have a Primary and a Secondary staff

3. Rotating Activities are opportunities for Parents' Volunteering to assist with:

   • Arts and Crafts

   • Games

   • Children Seva

   • Logistical Support (technical, chairs / event setup, bhajans/classes prep, etc.)

DBG Participation in Temple Cultural Activities and Other Events

• Bhajans/Shlokas recitals

• Dusshera and Holi Mela parent volunteer driven cultural performances

• Participation in other events such as Shivaratri, Ramnavami, Janmashtami

• Games/Sports Day

• Annual Day in June

DBG Fees and Charges

• Durga Temple - No charge

• Books - $10 per book

• Registration Fees

• $100.00 - First child

• $75.00 - Second child (sibling)

• $50.00 - Third child (sibling)

TERMS & Conditions of Registration

1. BalGokul is run by volunteers. For efficient running of the program on Sanatana (Hindu) dharma and heritage, parents are expected to volunteer and share responsibilities in various activities of BalGokul and Durga Temple. Each family is required to volunteer 10 hrs. for the duration of the program. Families unable or unavailable to meet the volunteer hours requirement will be charged an additional fee of $75.

2. Parents of children ages 4 - 6 yrs. old (Prithvi) class must sit with the child in the class.

3. Parents or delegated Guardians ARE REQUIRED to be on-premise at Durga Temple at all times when children are attending the DBG program. Children CANNOT be dropped off for the DBG program unsupervised.

4. Parents are expected to follow all the rules and regulations applicable to the program, including Durga Temple policies. For further information, please contact DBG team at dtbg.communications@gmail.com

5. For safety of everyone, children/parent should stay home if they are sick or have any COVID-19 symptoms. If a teacher feels a child is sick, the DBG team will ask the parent to take the child home.

6. Parents are expected to follow all Durga Temple and CDC COVID-19 guidelines.

Governance and Administration

• To Contact DBG Sponsor Kusum Taneja: Click here.

• To Contact DBG Coordinator Madhuri Prasad: Click here

• For Questions Contact: dtbg.communications@gmail.com