{{Short description|Non-profit organisation based in Bangalore, India}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Use Indian English|date=July 2015}} {{Infobox organisation |name = Shanti Bhavan Children's Project |logo = Shanti Bhavan Children's Project Logo.png |type = 501(c)(3) |founded = {{Start date|1997|08}} |founder = Abraham George |key_people = Abraham George - Founder and Chief Executive Officer <br />Ajit George - Chief Operating Officer <br />Urmila Michael - Chief Administrative Officer |location = Bangalore, India |region_served = Baliganapalli, Tamil Nadu |focus = Creating social mobility in lowest caste communities |method =Education of Dalit children |website = [http://www.shantibhavanchildren.org shantibhavanchildren.org] }}
The '''Shanti Bhavan''' Children's Project is a U.S. 501(c)(3) and India 80-G non-profit organisation based in Bangalore Karnataka, India, that operates a tuition-free, pre-K-12 residential school in Baliganapalli, Tamil Nadu for Dalit children. Shanti Bhavan is accredited by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), and administers the ICSE and ISC exams during students' 10th and 12th grades.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=GOPIO News, May 25, 2009 |url=http://www.gopio.net/news_052509.htm |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=www.gopio.net}}</ref> Due to caste-based discrimination, the students come from impoverished backgrounds.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |url=http://business.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?102387 |title=School Of Angels |publisher=business.outlookindia.com |access-date=2010-12-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717160846/http://business.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?102387 |archive-date=2011-07-17 }}</ref> As of 2017, enrollment was about 300 students.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Marotta |first=Jenna |date=2017-07-27 |title=In a New Netflix Series, Educating the “Untouchables” and Breaking the Cycle of Unimaginable Poverty |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/daughters-of-destiny-netflix-vanessa-roth |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=Vogue |language=en-US}}</ref>
==History== The school was founded by Dr Abraham George, an Indian-American businessman and philanthropist. After serving in the Indian Army, Dr. George attended NYU's Stern School of Business and began his own company, Multinational Computer Models Inc. In 1995, he began the non-profit organisation The George Foundation. Shanti Bhavan was established in August 1997 as a project of The George Foundation to help economically and socially disadvantaged children, mostly Dalit, in rural India - specifically in the Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka regions.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090916033949/http://www.needmagazine.com/blog/2009/09/12/the-power-of-education/ The Power of Education | NEED - The Humanitarian Magazine<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
In 2008, due to the 2008 financial crisis, Shanti Bhavan underwent a financial crisis of its own.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Team {{!}} Shanti Bhavan Children's Project |date=14 June 2022 |url=https://www.shantibhavanchildren.org/about/team/ |access-date=2022-07-07 |language=en}}</ref> With the help of current Chief Operating Officer, Ajit George, Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project moved from a privately funded institution to a mixed model of individual donations, corporate and NGO partnerships, and grants. On September 10, 2008, Shanti Bhavan separated from The George Foundation and became a non-profit organization run under the Shanti Bhavan Educational Trust.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tgfworld.org/shanti.html |title=Rural Education - Shanti Bhavan overview |publisher=Tgfworld.org |date=2008-09-10 |access-date=2010-12-28}}</ref>
== Praise and criticism == The May 2009 newsletter of the Global Organization for People of Indian Origin praised Shanti Bhavan for being "a safe and caring home for the children, offering food, clothing, medical care, and all their necessities, free of charge" and "opening up professional career paths that would normally be denied to this segment of the population."<ref name=":0" /> In June 2009, Sriram Srinivasan for Outlook (Indian magazine) praised the school's goal to "give world-class education to its students so that these children of sewer cleaners, bonded labourers and masons can become society leaders as lawyers, environmentalists and astronauts."<ref name=":1" />
Shanti Bhavan faced scrutiny after the release of Daughters of Destiny (TV series), an in-depth Netflix ethnography about the school conducted by social worker Vanessa Roth. In 2017, Mike Hale for The New York Times criticized Shanti Bhavan for burdening young children with the expectation to pull their families out of poverty, which "puts tremendous pressure" on students through "crushing expectations, guilt, resentment (only one child per family can be admitted), and generational and cultural standoffs."<ref name=":3" /> Similarly, in 2017, Jenna Marotta for Vogue pointed out that, "Shanti Bhavan students face a staggering amount of pressure. At age 4, they are separated from their parents, and only one child per family is admitted."<ref name=":2" />
==Method== The school takes in children as young as four years old whose families are below poverty level.<ref>Friedman, p.632</ref> Shanti Bhavan financially supports them throughout their years at the school as well as through college, providing 17 years of support education.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://infochangeindia.org/200405273542/Education/Stories-of-change/Poorest-of-poor-dalit-children-get-a-world-class-education.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820033341/http://infochangeindia.org/200405273542/Education/Stories-of-change/Poorest-of-poor-dalit-children-get-a-world-class-education.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=August 20, 2008 |title=InfoChange India News & Features development news India - Poorest of poor dalit children get a world-class education |publisher=Infochangeindia.org |date= |access-date=2010-12-28}}</ref>
==Media== Shanti Bhavan featured in the documentary ''The Backward Class'' (2014), and the Netflix documentary series ''Daughters of Destiny: The Journey of Shanti Bhavan'' (2017),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.netflix.com/title/80092926|title = Daughters of Destiny | Netflix Official Site|website = Netflix}}</ref> written, directed, and co-produced by Vanessa Roth.<ref name=":3">[https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/28/arts/television/daughters-of-destiny-netflix-tv-review.html "Review: ‘Daughters of Destiny’ on Netflix Explores Caste Struggles in India"], by Mike Hale, ''The New York Times'', July 28, 2017. [Consulted 2 August 2018].</ref><ref>[https://www.vogue.com/article/daughters-of-destiny-netflix-vanessa-roth "In Daughters of Destiny, Educating the 'Untouchables'"], by Jenna Marotta, Vogue, July 27, 2017. [Consulted 2 August 2018].</ref>
In 2014, Shanti Bhavan student Visali was honoured as one of ''Glamour’s'' Women of the Year.<ref>{{cite AV media| url-status = live| archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211209/HCAOL2ao3qQ| archive-date = 2021-12-09| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCAOL2ao3qQ| title = SHANTI BHAVAN VISALI WON GLAMOUR AWARD US 2014 | website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In 2016, Shanti Bhavan student Keerthi was profiled in Glamour’s The Girl Project.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.glamour.com/story/how-a-special-school-changed-this-girls-life|title = How a Special School Changed This Girl's Life|date = 16 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://video.glamour.com/watch/get-schooled-the-story-of-keerthi-from-india?c=series|title=Get Schooled—The Story of Keerthi from India}}</ref>
==Partners and programs== The organization has a volunteer program which employs volunteer educators from some educational and non-profit organizations such as ASTEP (Artists Striving to End Poverty),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.asteponline.org/shantibhavan.html |title=Shanti Bhavan, India : ASTEP - Artists Striving To End Poverty |publisher=Asteponline.org |access-date=2010-12-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725022014/http://www.asteponline.org/shantibhavan.html |archive-date=2011-07-25 }}</ref> and She's the First<ref>{{cite web |url=http://shesthefirst.org/blog/tag/shanti-bhavan/ |title=Aspire: the She's the First blog » Shanti Bhavan |publisher=Shesthefirst.org |access-date=2010-12-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101216090454/http://shesthefirst.org/blog/tag/shanti-bhavan/ |archive-date=2010-12-16 }}</ref> to teach academic and non-academic subjects.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.shantibhavanonline.org/volunteers/volunteers.html |title=Shanti Bhavan Children's Project - Volunteers |publisher=Shantibhavanonline.org |access-date=2010-12-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090509144336/http://www.shantibhavanonline.org/volunteers/volunteers.html |archive-date=2009-05-09 }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==Other references== *{{cite book |author = Thomas Friedman |year = 2007 |title = The World Is Flat 3.0: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century |chapter = The Unflat World |page = [https://archive.org/details/worldisflat00thom/page/641 641] |publisher = Picador <!--|accessdate = 2010-12-15--> |isbn = 978-0-312-42507-4 |chapter-url-access = registration |chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/worldisflat00thom/page/641 }}
==External links== * {{Official website|http://www.shantibhavanchildren.org}}
Category:Non-profit organisations based in India Category:1997 establishments in Karnataka Category:Organizations established in 1997