SILC
School of India Languages and Culture
(All digital objects on this page are held by Minnesota Historical Society at their repository at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul)
(All digital objects on this page are held by Minnesota Historical Society at their repository at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul)
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Ketan Gada grew up in Minnesota. His parents emigrated from India. His mother was one of the founding members of SILC. As a child, he attended SILC for about 10 years.
SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Personal background; involvement with SILC; experiences as a student; memories; significant things learned; socializing; classes; subjects: General Knowledge, language classes, cooking, dance, yoga, music, SILC Achievement Project; motivation; how studies at SILC affected later life; volunteer teachers; milk and cookie break; maintaining connections; Festival of Nations; benefits of SILC; SILC experience and trips to India.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Neena Gada was born in India and immigrated to the U.S. as an adult. She is one of the founding members of SILC. She has served as a teacher, administrator and board member.
SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Personal background; founding of SILC; purpose and goals of SILC; first day; organizational structure; tuition; student and staff recruitment; managing an all volunteer organization; teaching materials; experiences as a teacher; rewards and challenges of teaching; school board; enrollment; secularity; outreach activities; maintaining ties; important visitors; discipline; special events; Festival of Nations; programming for adopted children; parental perspective; SILC experience and trips to India.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Anoop Mathur was born in India and immigrated to the U.S. as an adult. He has served as a teacher, administrator and board member of SILC. He developed the SILC Achievement Project class.
SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Personal background; positions at SILC; SILC Achievement Project; curriculum development; language fluency; school board meetings; Festival of Nations; SILC Day; India Day; volunteer participation; changes over time.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Preeti Mathur was born in India and immigrated to the U.S. as an adult. She is one of the founding members of SILC. She has served as a teacher, administrator and board member.
SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Personal background; establishing SILC; newsletter; teaching experiences; personal benefits; school board; teachers; preparation; Festival of Nations; Femina magazine story; special performances; twentieth anniversary celebration.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Shruti Mathur was born in the U.S. Her parents emigrated from India. Her mother was one of the founding members of SILC. As a child, she attended SILC for about 10 years and later served as a teacher’s aide.
SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Personal background; participation in SILC; parents as teachers; experiences as a teacher’s aide; experiences as a student; language fluency; General Knowledge; cooking; yoga; Indian movies and music; Festival of Nations; Indian dances; social connections; trips to India; milk and cookie break; attendance demographics; Indian culture; SILC Day; future plans.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Manas Menon was born in the U.S. His parents emigrated from India. As a child, he attended SILC for about ten years. More recently, he has served as a teacher.
SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Personal background; participation in SILC; experiences as a student; language fluency; General Knowledge; Indian classical music; social connections; experiences as a teacher; student-teacher relations; Festival of Nations; Indian culture; volunteers; trips to India; future plans.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Rajan Menon was born in India and immigrated to the U.S. as an adult. He has served in various capacities at SILC.
SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Personal background; participation in SILC; experiences as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and board member; curriculum; accommodating growing enrollment; cooking class; secularity; language instruction; volunteers; teaching methods; festival celebrations; Indian culture; personal experiences.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Rita Mustaphi was born in India and immigrated to the U.S. as an adult. She is one of the original founders of SILC, and taught dance at SILC for a number of years.
SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Personal background; establishing SILC; participation in SILC; experiences as a dance teacher, first class; Kathak dance, rehearsals, performances; individual instruction; teaching methods; costumes; curriculum; parental perspective; visits to India; Nrita Jyoti Dance Theater; Festival of Nations; social connections.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Godan Nambudiripad was born in India and emigrated to the U.S. as an adult. He served as a teacher, administrator and board member and participated as an adult student at SILC.
SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Personal background; participation in SILC; experiences as a teacher, president, and board member; volunteer recruitment; personal benefits; teaching methods; curriculum development; challenges and rewards of teaching; social connections; enrollment increases; organizational changes; location changes; experiences as a student; parental perspective; secularity; favorite moments; Festivals of India; Festival of Nations; outreach to adopted children; imparting culture.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Rama Padamnabhan was born in India and immigrated to the U.S. as an adult. She served as a teacher, administrator and board member at SILC.
SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Personal background; participation in SILC; experiences as a teacher, principal, and board member; curriculum development; personal benefits; Festival of Nations; language; arts; teaching materials; challenges and rewards of teaching; future plans; enrollment; social connections; demographics; Indian festivals; school board; twentieth anniversary celebration; outreach to adopted children; Ragamala Music and Dance Theater.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Punjabhai Patel was born in India and immigrated to the U.S. as an adult. He has served as a teacher, administrator and board member at SILC.
SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Personal background; participation in SILC; experiences teaching yoga; tenth anniversary of SILC; teaching methods; challenges and rewards of teaching; enrollment and location changes; goals for organization; personal influences; parental perspective; experiences as an administrator and board member; school board; committee work; volunteers; social connections; Festival of Nations; outreach to adopted children; Indian caste system; long term success of SILC; future plans.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Shanti Shah was born in India and immigrated to the U.S. as an adult. She is one of the original founders of SILC and has served as a teacher, administrator and board member.
SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Personal background; participation in SILC; experiences as a teacher, language instruction; facilitating outdoor activities; establishing SILC; first day; motivation; music instruction; enrollment changes; teaching methods; curriculum development; challenges and rewards of teaching; geography instruction; volunteers; organizational changes; social connections; outreach to adopted children; Festival of Nations; contributions of SILC to Indian community.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Chitra Subrahmanian was born in India and immigrated with her parents to the U.S. She attended SILC as an older student and now serves as the principal of SILC.
SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Personal background; participation in SILC; carpooling; experiences as a student; social connections; SILC Achievement Project; SILC Day; Festival of Nations; visits to India; benefits of attendance; experiences as an administrator; comparing and contrasting professional and volunteer administration; focus groups; facilitating knowledge transfer; school board; committee work; preschool program; outreach to adopted children; vision for future.