Coinciding with the national Teacher Appreciation Week celebrated during the month of May, the Hindu Education Foundation held the fifth annual Teacher’s Appreciation program called ‘Guru Vandana’ throughout the USA to highlight the importance of the Teachers in shaping the future citizens of the country.
Guru Vandana means “Reverence for the Teacher” – it is the thanksgiving from a student to a teacher, expressing his/her gratitude.
The Guru Vandana program provides a platform for students to honor their teachers, for imparting knowledge and wisdom to them. This event was organized in collaboration with the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) USA, in 27 school districts including schools from the Houston, Sunnyvale, Chicago, Peoria, IL, New York, and Boston areas. More than 325 teachers from about 125 schools have been honored by their students in the presence of large audiences.
School Teachers, Superintendents, Executive Directors and Mayors of the towns have enthusiastically participated in the programs and appreciated the initiative. “They also explained a lot of the culture, and I didn’t know about it so it was a learning experience for me” said Professor Xavier Garza from the University of Houston, Victoria. One teacher response after the event “The thanks is all mine! What a special day. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the honor bestowed upon my colleagues and me. The kids were a joy to watch—so talented and devout. The food was outstanding, and the gifts were too kind. I felt like a million bucks leaving the ceremony on Saturday.”
The event and its unique Hindu philosophical theme was to acknowledge the role of teacher in a student’s life. Teachers and other officials also appreciated how Hindu families are helping shape the teacher and student relationship in fostering excellence in education.
Hindu Education Foundation is a project of Hindu Swaymsevak Sangh, HSS USA, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. It works with school districts, teachers and parents to provide knowledge and resources about Hinduism and Hindu Philosophy.
