June 7, 2016

Booklaunch! The Book Featuring the Integral Education Model of Sadhana School, co-authored by Trans4m Junior Fellow Silvan Büchler and Sadhana’s Vice Principal Dr. Radhike Khanna successfully launched in Mumbai

VR Purnatva: A Holistic Approach to Education – the long-awaited book on the Integral Education Model of S.P.J. Sadhana School, India’s most renowned school for specially abled Citizens and a partner organisation of Trans4m, has been presented to the public. […]The book, co-authored by Silvan Büchler and Dr. Radhike Khanna, was the result of an intensive, co-creative process – involving, in addition to the authors, a team of highly dedicated and experienced school teachers of S.P.J. Sadhana School, called “the Sadhana Innovation Ecosystem”, Prof. Alexander Schieffer and development economist Rishab Khanna.

Trans4m Junior Fellow Silvan Büchler dedicated his bachelor thesis based “research to innovation” and six months of his life to fully focus on surfacing the integral education model of S.P.J. Sadhana School – which has its origin in the FACE Program, that itself emerged some two decades ago out of the intense teacher-student action research process between a specially abled child “Vasudha” and Dr. Radhike Khanna. The initials of the first names of Vasudha (V) and Radhike (R), together with the Sanskrit term for Wholeness “Purnatva” gave the model its new name.

Trans4m’s Integral Worlds approach to education was employed, together with the original FACE program, to articulate and frame the unique educational model and process of S.P.J. Sadhana School.

The launch took place in Mumbai’s Willingdon Club. It was co-chaired by the founder of S.P.J. Sadhana School, Mrs. Durga Jain, Sadhana’s Principal Sister Eileen Gaitonde and Dr. Radhike Khanna.

After the official opening address of Sister Gaitonde, Trans4m’s Alexander Schieffer was invited to deliver a short keynote speech – thereby also representing the lead author Silvan Büchler. A number of teachers – Fionika Sanghvi, Tejal Kothari, and Ranjana Mahadevia – provided powerful testimonies of integral education at S.P.J. Sadhana School and their role in the innovation ecosystem. Dr. Radhike Khanna provided the concluding speech, honouring the contribution of everyone, as well as shared an outlook into the future of the integral education process at S.P.J. Sadhana School.

The launch took place with many parents and teachers, friends and followers of S.P.J. Sadhana School and became a celebration of a huge collective achievement.

India’s renowned filmmaker and social activist Arunaraje Patil, who did a number of documentary movies on S.P.J. Sadhana School, was present, as was the Head of Corporate Social Responsibility of Deutsche Bank India, that generously supported this research-to-innovation.