Namaste Students
Here at Mata Traders, India is close to our hearts (you might know that “Mata” means Mother in Hindi). So we found an instant connection to our June Charity of the Month, Namaste Charter School. Namaste is a Hindi word used to greet someone; basically it’s like saying hi. But the literal meaning is “bow to you.” It represents the belief that there is greatness inside each of us.
Jennifer Hudson visiting the school
The Namaste Charter School was
founded in 2004 and was inspired by the idea that children’s performance in the classroom would improve if there was a focus on health and activity. Nine years later, Namaste has proved that this works!
Namaste creates a balanced environment and collaborative classroom setting with a large emphasis on movement, health, and wellness. The students even take part in a morning yoga session after breakfast. By incorporating these components in the curriculum, the students are give the tools to live balanced and healthy lives.
The school has achieved recognition for their new methods of learning, recently earning the Gold Award of Distinction in the HealthierUS initiative, sponsored by Michelle Obama and her “Let’s Move!” campaign. Namaste students are consistently among the highest achieving in Chicago. They even earned a special visit from Jennifer Hudson who was interested in the way the school promoted a healthy lifestyle.
Want to know more about Namaste? Their website has more information.
Students at Namaste