With Bhagawan’s abundant grace, Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Jyothi (SSSVJ) program was launched on the auspicious Aaradhana day Mahotsavam, on April 24th 2016.

Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Jyothi program aims to supplement and enhance the levels of motivation and learning experience of students of the schools adopted under the program, by leveraging and improving the eco system in which the schools operate. In addition to focusing on the holistic development of the children, the volunteers under the program across India work with the goal of instilling Human Values into the children and inspiring them to become ideal citizens of India through various seva activities.

As on September 2018, 783 schools have been adopted where the program is being implemented with full vigor. Another 139 Schools are being adopted, that will make 922 schools in total.

Some of the notable activities under Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Jyothi program include,

  1. Teaching Bal Vikas
  2. Providing Parenting tips to parents
  3. Providing teaching aids
  4. Counseling to children and teachers
  5. Soft skill development for teachers
  6. Support to children having challenges in studies
  7. Promotion of arts and music
  8. Personality development classes for the children
  9. Creating opportunities for participation in competitions
  10.   Training children with special abilities and
  11.   Sports activities
  12.   Providing infrastructure support to the schools by undertaking repairs to the classroom, painting, providing benches, constructing toilets, and drinking water facility etc.

The Bal Vikas Curriculum for SSSVJ schools have been specially created by the National Bal Vikas Team on the principles of Sarva Dharma sama bhavana. The universal teachings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba are being followed in the SSSVJ schools by the Bal Vikas Gurus.

The selections of schools are done through a detailed survey by the volunteers and identified selection criterias. Emphasis is given to most needy schools. The program is implemented over four phases viz. Energise, Empower, Equip and Evolve. Each of the phases has been designed to enable meticulous implementation of the program.

In all seven stakeholders have been identified viz,

  1. Children
  2. Teachers
  3. Parents
  4. School Management
  5. Villagers
  6. Local government
  7. Volunteers.

Seva activities have been planned around all of them as they play important role in creating the eco system of the children.

By design, each adopted school has been mapped to a Sathya Sai Samithi such that there is clear ownership and responsibility of program delivery. While youth are generally given primary responsibility of the program, all the wings of Sri Sathya Sai Seva organisation, India are encouraged to participate in the seva activities. With the aim to expand and being inclusive, special sessions are conducted in nearby colleges to create awareness about the program and involve new youth, not associated with the organization, in the seva activities, thus creating an opportunity for them to participate and understand the bliss in doing seva.  

With the grace of Bhagawan, the seeds sown over last 2 years are sprouting, as some of the villages in which adopted schools are located, are becoming Bhajan centres and teachers of the schools are showing extraordinary interest in the program and expressing interest to get trained as Bal Vikas Gurus. The last phase of the program in an adopted school involves getting the educated youth from the village to assume the responsibility for continuity of the program in the school under the guidance of the Samithi members and the teachers assuming the responsibilities of Bal Vikas Gurus.

Adoption of 900+ schools is expected to benefit over 150,000 Children and 7000 teachers directly. This involves more than 10,000 volunteers from all the wings of Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations, India.

With more than 81 different seva activities identified and detailed in a guideline book released in 2016, which requires involvement of people with different skill set, Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Jyothi Program is truly the mother of all seva programs.