The goals of the SSE program are to help children become aware of their divine nature, to draw out the Human Values (which are inherent in them) and put them into practice, to teach the children about the unity of all faiths, and to prepare them to live a spiritual life in this world.

The life and teachings of Sathya Sai Baba, the five human values, and the essential unity of all faiths comprise the substance of the SSE program.

Curriculum Overview

The curriculum contains the following topics:

• Five Human Values
• Brotherhood of man, Fatherhood of God
• Ceiling on desires program
• National and religious holidays
• Stories and accompanying lesson plans from the childhood of Sathya Sai Baba
• Annotated bibliography of children’s literature
• Stories of saints and role models of heroes and unsung heroes
• Service activity suggestions and guidelines
• Biographies

Program Details

• Pre-SSE (4-5 years)
• Group I (6-8 years)
• Group II (9-11 years)
• Group III(12-14 years)
• Group IV (15-17 years)

Spiritual objectives by age group

Spiritual objectives for the different age groups carry through from level to level and cannot be called separate. Each spiritual objective is a building block for lifelong practice of spiritual principles. At the younger ages, the ideas are presented in a simple form in ways appropriate to the age group. As a child matures, the concepts are applied and practiced in increasing depth.

Group I (Ages 6, 7, 8)

Spiritual Objectives

• Develop faith in and relationship with God
• Encourage respect for parents, teachers, elders, and the environment
• Foster self-esteem and self-discipline
• Nurture truthfulness
• Promote the practice of placing a ceiling on desires
• Cultivate a spirit of loving service to self, family, school, and others

Group II (Ages 9, 10, 11)

Spiritual Objectives

Demonstrate increasing integration of objectives from Group I

• Foster the understanding of Divinity in all
• Develop the faculty of discrimination
• Promote the practice of placing a ceiling on desires
• Impart noble ideals
• Foster understanding of the unity of faiths
• Encourage the practice of selfless service

Group III (Ages 12, 13, 14)

Spiritual Objectives

Demonstrate increasing integration of objectives from Group II

• Develop awareness for the Atmic reality
• Strengthen moral living
• Emphasize selfless service
• Promote the practice of having a ceiling on desires
• Foster a sense of one’s role in society
• Facilitate learning to control negative emotions
• Provide practice in applying spiritual principles to concerns and challenges faced in the wider community
• Develop communication skills, in oral and written form, that reflect spiritual principles
• Develop a spirit of mutual trust and love, especially with parents and peers

Group IV (Ages 15, 16, 17)

Spiritual Objectives

Demonstrate increasing integration of objectives from Group III

• Encourage self-motivation and regular routines in spiritual practice
• Establish a sense of the interdependence of self and society; deepen the understanding of one’s role in and responsibility to society
• Establish habits of non-waste of resources and continue all disciplines of the “ceiling on desires” program, including:
  • Developing keen awareness of the effects one’s choices of media, companions, and activities
  • Deepening the practice of controlling negative emotions
• Increase ability to make dharmic choices when facing moral dilemmas
• Demonstrate human values by meeting life challenges with love, confidence, and understanding of others
• Foster excellence in all endeavours without straying into egoistic competition
• Apply all aspects of the curriculum and develop awareness of self as exemplar, through leadership roles. For example assisting/mentoring roles with younger children
• Provide increasing emphasis on selfless, loving service through:
  • Participating in local and regional service projects and activities
  • Initiating service project with age-group peers

SSE classes are held every Sunday between 10:00am - 11:45am followed by bhajans from 11:45am to 1:00pm where children can sing and lead bhajans. SSE students are participating in the children Bhajan every 4th Sunday of the month.

EHV is an integral part of the EDUCARE programs blessed and charioteered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Baba, the founder of Education in Human Values, has said:

Education has two aspects:

• The first is related to external and worldly education, which is nothing but acquiring bookish knowledge. In the modern world, we find many well versed and highly qualified in this aspect.
• The second aspect known as Educare is related to human values.

In Ottawa, classes are conducted on Sunday afternoons in Kanata (suburbs of Ottawa). If you want to register your children less than 17 years, please send an email to Sister Rani Ravikanthi, rani.saiservice@gmail.com indicating the name of the child, home address, contact telephone numbers.

EHV classes offer simple but powerful framework that enables students to:

• explore moral issues
• address, in a proper way, the social and moral dilemmas that they come across in everyday life
• learn to value themselves as well as others
• accept and enjoy the differences
• prepare them to make informed choices when coping with the often complex decision-making processes in modern life
• distinguish between right and wrong. In whichever society they live, they will learn the tools to understand and identify the right from wrong,
• feel compassionate and give a thought to the consequences of their actions
• feel confident of the options they choose, because they have made an informed decision and have chosen it the right way, after due consideration.

Classes are conducted in the following format:

• A short meaningful prayer (in English)
• A few Slokas (concentrating on one sloka at a time)
• Guided Light meditation for positive thinking and silent sitting session for active listening
• Two-three short bhajans that kids join in
• A short theme song in English
• Stories, on human values, from different religions, cultures, festivals
• Crafts or enacting the story of the day
• Closing prayers

The aims of the Parent Training In EHV

• Secular: To create happiness and fulfillment in the lives of the members of a family so everyone functions optimally in physical, mental, emotional and social spheres. This will promote stable families and social systems.
• Spiritual: It is not enough to equip ourselves and our children with techniques and strategies of secular life. These are not ends in themselves. "A happy home provides opportunities for meeting with our spiritual needs and advancing ourselves towards our human destiny."

Dynamic Parenting is a highly interactive program designed to enhance parenting skills and thereby strengthen family relationships. The program is based upon the integration of five universal Human Values of Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Love and Nonviolence into daily family life. The Dynamic Parenting workshops give parents the opportunity to turn theory into practice by asking them to become aware of their own and their child's developmental needs. The program provides parents with practical tools to develop self-confidence, self-direction, love, and selfless motives and creates an awareness of what actions make the family strong and peaceful. The results are increased awareness of parenting styles, stronger spousal bond and family, and a more loving atmosphere in the home.

The program was initiated by Sathya Sai Baba with the noble aim of helping parents to better understand their inherent values and guide them to inculcate the same in their children. Based on this, a structured classroom training program was developed in 1998 by Dr. Pal Dhall and his wife Dr. Tehseen Dhall of Australia and named Human Values the Heart of Dynamic Parenting. The program, consisting of 15 modules, is conducted by trained facilitators. It has proven to be an excellent transforming tool for parents, soon-to-be parents, or any adults who deal with children on a daily basis.

Dynamic Parenting is gaining popularity in Canada. It helps parents become more confident and self-reliant individuals with balanced body, mind and spirit. Through open discussions, brainstorming, and role-plays, parents explore their important role as parents in their child’s development. The participants have found the sessions most interactive and practical. At the end of each workshop, the parents apply the shared knowledge and experiences to their own family circumstances by setting personal goals for improvement, change or transformation. This takes the form of an Action Plan, which parents then try to put into daily practice.