NORTH BRUNSWICK — For Indians and non-Indians seeking to learn about Indian culture, Enjoy Explore India (EEI) will offer introductory workshops beginning in June.
EEI is the brainchild of Seema Moondra, a township resident who has been involved with Middlesex County’s 4-H Indian Langoor Club since 1996.
EEI will hold the Summer Exploratorium, a series of weeklong workshops for 10 weeks this summer, geared toward 6- through 13-year-olds. The topics include arts and crafts, cooking, math and science, theater, public speaking, writing, festivals, and music and dance.
Moondra said that culture needs to be learned and experienced instead of just read about, so everything will be hands-on, from cooking and arts projects to outdoor playtime and weekend field trips.
“If you [can’t] get to a place, that doesn’t mean you can’t learn about it,” she said. “I just want a more tangible way of learning. I want them to have memories of what they’ve experienced while learning. These memories, no one can take away.”
For example, she will use a painting from her home to teach the children about the work’s history and then have them design their own artwork.
Or, during the cooking class, while making a mango lassi, there will be discussions about the Indian fruit itself, as well as how the shape of the mango appears in everyday items such as clothing, heirlooms and artwork.
Another example would be to celebrate an Indian festival with its dress, food and crafts.
Even for public speaking, the students would choose a topic they are interested in, relate it to India and then create an oral presentation about it.
“It’s about how to make them connect with a country they don’t have a physical connection with,” the town Board of Education member said. “If you can capture that interest and then use that to help them learn about culture … that cultural learning becomes more meaningful and more in depth — it’s not superficial anymore.”
She said that anyone interested in learning about India should attend, because “when you share [culture] you break misconceptions, break barriers in a way, and when you share culture, you break the mystery. … A dynamic culture is always absorbed from other cultures.”
Behind Moondra’s dream is her need to find a way to pass on her culture to her own children. She came to the United States from India in 1987.
“Moving to another country is completely different because nothing is familiar,” she said. “What I experienced could never be experienced by my children because they’re growing up here.”
She said that adults have a strong background and knowledge of where they come from, but children need to learn their culture so that it becomes relevant to their lives.
“Culture is passed on from one generation to another through the sharing of ideas, experiences and knowledge. It is amazing how much knowledge has been passed on to us from ancient times, and much of it through oral traditions. We must build upon this tradition. We are in a new era where information is at our fingertips, but how we use it to make our world a better place will be key to our survival as a global community,” she said.
The workshops, to be held June 21-Aug. 27, are organized into half-day sessions. Participants may join as many courses as they like, as long as they stay for all five days of that particular course. Registration may be done up to the week prior to the beginning of each individual course.
An open house will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 1 at the Hidden Lake Towne Center, 610 Towne Center Drive, North Brunswick, the same location that the classes will be held; demonstrations of the workshops will be given.
The EEI website will also be launched at that time for information and for registration: www.enjoyexploreindia.com.
Moondra is also seeking teachers who would be interested in developing the curriculum with her, and for student counselors who would assist with each class. Anyone who is interested in culture and who enjoys working with children can be trained by EEI for the position.