Chicago Marathi Vidya Mandir is a temple of knowledge teaching Marathi language, culture, history and art to the second generation of Marathi children. Under the auspices of Maharashtra Mandal, Chicago (MMC) it was established in 2014. Bruhan Maharashtra Mandal of North America (BMM) has over 40 schools all across the American continent.
Established in 2014 under the guidance of Maharashtra Mandal, Chicago (MMC), Chicago Marathi Vidya Mandir is a knowledge hub committed to imparting Marathi language, culture, history, and art to the second generation of Marathi children. This valuable initiative is a part of the larger Bruhan Maharashtra Mandal of North America (BMM).
Chicago Marathi Vidya Mandir is a Marathi language school whose mission is to provide a platform for expatriate Maharashtrian families to connect to our language , culture and roots.
With the backing of Maharashtra Mandal Chicago and the endorsement of Bruhan Maharashtra Mandal (BMM) of North America, the "Chicago Marathi Vidya Mandir" project was launched in 2014. This endeavor aims to acquaint the upcoming generation with the cultural wealth of the Marathi language, which is our community's mother tongue.
Kedar Navkal, President of Maharashtra Mandal Chicago, lent support to the endeavor, while Niteen Joshi, a BMM committee member, provided extensive assistance through BMM. Vidya Joshi was granted a 5-year term as the shala coordinator and played a pivotal role as the founder of the Chicago Marathi Vidya Mandir, showcasing her dedication to this commendable initiative under the aegis of Maharashtra Mandal of Chicago.
The main objective of Shala is empowering our kids with the knowledge and understanding of Marathi so they can read and write in Marathi. Learning Marathi will help them to connect with multiple generations. The kids will be able to communicate more effectively with their friends, parents and grand-parents.
The children will also get an exposure to Marathi Culture by learning about and celebrating different festivals and events at the school. This will help them to understand rich Indian Culture, traditions and enjoy literature to enrich their personalities. Without the language barriers their trips to India will be more enjoyable.
The students will get an opportunity to showcase their newly acquired talent by participating in social and cultural gathering programs at school and at the events or programs presented by Maharashtra Mandal Chicago and BMM.
Marathi Shala currently operates at three locations in the Chicagoland area, Naperville ,Schaumburg and Buffalo Grove.
Semesters: Fall (September-December) & Spring (January-May)
Marathi Shala is an initiative of Maharashtra Mandal Chicago - MMC, a non-profit organization in Illinois.
Bruhan Maharastra Mandal of North America - BMM provides curriculum for all North America Marathi Shalas under the BMM umbrella. The program also partners with Bharati Vidyapeeth, Pune for examinations and evaluation of students.
Bharati Vidyapeeth has done extensive research keeping in mind the needs of NRI children while setting up the syllabus
Age: 5 and up (recommended)
Students start with Pre-school Level(a.k.a Balwadi) and advance up to 5 levels of Marathi Language Study.
Students can appear for BMM Level exams whenever he/she is ready to go to the next level (This exam is optional. The exam fee is decided by BMM.)
Overall emphasis: 60% Oral communication & 40% Reading-Writing (each level has certain expectations)
Other activities: Shlok Chanting, Marathi poem / songs recitals, Mastering skills of Maharashtra's traditional band Instrument- Dhol Tasha, participating in various cultural program , competitions and more
Duration: One and half hours - Every Sunday