Category: Blogs

Celebrating “contribution”. The week began with a simple act of contributing to the Rangoli on the floor to welcome – Just a few dots on the floor. Each one contributed in their own way. The creation was different from one person making with one point of view. A contribution is not only about contributing to…

Often earning is limited to gaining degrees. But we fail to recognize our own strengths and interests. How about learning to hone our skills and sell them to earn rather earning by doing what we don’t want to do. Celebrating “Business” this term at Aarohi. Just think for a moment to make the business out…

We got a new telescope last year.He got interested in assembling the telescope.In the process of assembling he got introduced to using the telescope.He got interested in setting up the telescope.He would set up the telescope for anyone interested to watch the moon with its creatorsHe would get up 5 in the morning to trace…

She got interested in wildflowers.She would go around the campus in search of flowers. She would spend hours observing those flowers, spot tiniest of the flower while walking around.This year she started reading about flowers in details. Then she got interested in taxonomy and she started reading more about them.Now she is reading botany books…

One week at Aarohi is a lot to do and lot to experience. Someone visiting Aarohi said, “my days have doubled here, I realized I have much more time than I think”. We learn from each guest as they bring a different learning experience and inspire with their story and passion. The idea is simple.…

A small spark “make a climbing wall. A complicated design to begin with which was rejected by the team of kids. The idea of a simpler design to make it on the existing old bus wall was passed. Kowshik, a climber by passion joined, another visitor at the camps joined and loads of excitement was…

Aarohi, is a kitchen, not a restaurant. A kitchen where you get the raw material and cook your learning for yourself. It’s not a restaurant where you are served to learn. No pre-decided activities, no forecast of results, no teachers, no teaching. It all about dreams and desires one have for self. It’s all about…

Frogs are slimy, yucky and wired. Lizards bring screeches. Snakes mean poisonous bites. Are these some of the common images, impressions, and reactions about the insects and wildlife around us? At the campus with rain and heat frogs population has increased. Lizards, Spiders, and snakes were always around us. And all of them together brings…

Responsibility is the word often comes when we talk about open learning. Often a doubt is raised “If its free, will the child be responsible or how do I make a child responsible?” At Aarohi we do not make children responsible, they are responsible (this is the belief we began with). Once we change this…

Often asked…who are the teachers in open learning? How do they learn?We learn, not by teachers but by the people in the industry. We always don’t learn only when we have needs. We learn whatever comes on our way as we are not chasing any curriculum or defined time or outcome. We learn without any…

What is Mysticism? A session on mysticism with Aparna started with this question. What is “Mystic”?Few words describing Mysticism – Power, believing, honey, grass, fire, tree, birds, rain, ants, leaf, moon, water, wind, sun, star, house fly, air, mountain, plants, sky…For a moment keep aside your information, your identity, your ideas, your name, your nationality,…

A small spark “make a pull-up bar for fitness”, few resources – a ladder, few oldtyres, few ropes, determination and lots of energy enthusiasm. That’s all was needed to make this jungle gym for kids of various ages. Make one pull up bars to have more fun in our fitness routine Make pull up bars…

A humbling experience of living music and Kabir with various musicians, singers and Kabir lovers in Malwa Kabir Yatra. We traveled to various places – village or city it was no different as it was Kabir and music. We heard music in various places – open grounds, fields or auditorium, it was no different as…

A look at jobs at Aarohi – A belief “who says jobs are only for adults or only for who knows the work. Can one learn while doing? Can one learn because one wants to learn?”. We have hilarious stories about all our jobs – some jobs bring excitement and die down, while some bring…

Understanding what is a balanced diet, why carbohydrates in our meal or the role of protein? The finding balance of various grain is confusing. And catering to the needs of different needs of all taste/cultures is frustrating. And with all this also to understand the difference between rice and millets is a mind-boggling task. But…

He has a fear of water. He prefers snorkeling over deep-sea diving (later he finished deep-diving course too 🙂 He loves surfing but has a fear of unknown water. A few years back he made a raft and paddled across a pond – he just wanted to make, didn’t want to indulge in understanding the…

Self-driven sketching lessons – no teachers, no curriculum, no exams, no certificatesLearning from various resources, peers, and self.With determination, discussion and doing. Each one has a driven reason to sketchOne wants to beat his sister in sketching perfection.Other one liked it since childhood.One wants to just practice. Imagine, Aarohi – An Open Learning Community where…

We needed a slab to keep extra luggage in the one of the room. One of the children who like construction work took the initiative. This is not just a slab, this is the story of self-motivation, struggle, and achievements. He was excited to use old glass bottles to make a slab. He measured, cleaned…

Our Tippy Tap broke. He was given the task to repair. He was given the ideas. He just needed to work (hands-on). He postponed for few days. Finally, he started. He was surprised with self when he cut the first box. He did not stop after that. He made it. We used it and tested…

Jingle-Mingle to understand self in a social environment. We live together but not necessarily we mingle with each other. We live together but not necessarily we connect with each other. To explore what human relationships can be beyond just a statement ” my friend or not my friend”. The first step was to explore what…

Jingle-Mingle, was an event to connect with children who were earlier part of Aarohi campus, but had now moved on to other learning endeavours. Jingle Mingle began with planning, sending out invites by mail, calling, scheduling and the preparation. The community came together to prepare, decorate and make gifts for all the old kids coming…

Do we really need this concept called motivation? Can we not examine, a little bit more carefully, as to how we all operate, including children. One child was working on repairing bulbs, other three got interested and inspired they joined him. One child was playing keyboard, another adult at the campus got inspired and started…

Showing strength in painting, making things, understanding electronics, knowing technology, filmmaking, photography, and sketching. Innovative, likes to try new things and courageous and adventurous especially with body intelligence activities (like climbing, jumping etc). Strong with verbal and theater kind of skills, as well as comfortable with talking to others, making friends with all ages and…

He is a fast learner, imaginative, connect various experiences, persistence (in the area of interest), understand the process, learn from people who have skills. He is showing interest in writing, making things traveling, adventure and various other things like presentation, reading,, sketching, designing, cooking…Imagine, Aarohi an open learning community where there is no curriculum, the…

He got interested in Telescope.He started liking astronomy.He became our telescope man.He took the challenge to take an hour of a session (Jatre) on space. He worked many hours to prepare for this session. He shared What are planets?What is the moon?What are comets and asteroids?What are stars?What is a galaxy?What is a black hole?A…

He imagines what he wants to make He describes what he wants to make he is clear what he wants to make He makes what he wants to make He has a scientific mind He learns by observing He observes what is around him He observes people working He observes how things work. Watch video…

Magic of 1 Magic of 1 is a concept created in Aarohi to do things slowly and get better. The concept is that I take one thing and do it for many days I become better the magic is that by doing little little every day and slowly getting to know that thing. My experience…

Inspiration fromFew words – democracy, peace, world, education, diversity, Few designs by kids – Earth and people around, earth and tree aroundWarli painting – lifestyle, representing democracyColour Palette – colors of India, culture, visual identity of mud walls, colorful costumes, Peacock feathers and Golden Ratio – Inner and outer circle (5:8) All mixed together became…

Celebrating interdependence this week at Aarohi.But what is Interdependence? How is this different from depending?We often talk about being independent, but do we really exist in isolation or independently? You musthave heard about the independence day but not interdependence day? One child said, “I am good with drawing and with my efforts, I can excel…

Have you ever seen electronics? When one talks about pottery, one can see the clay and pot. When one talks about carpentry one can see the tools and joints. But when talking about electronics, one can really not see the current passing. We often connect with the world around us using five senses…but with electronics,…