Credentials

Bhaktivedanta Academy is a not-for-profit private school and is registered with the Florida Department of Education. Our pre-kindergarten program is licensed by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF). As a participant in various state and federal funding programs, we are regularly inspected to ensure compliance with state and federal standards.

Our 10 teachers have a total of 75 years of combined experience. All classroom lead teachers (4) are either credentialed by the American Montessori Society or possess a State of Florida teaching credential for the levels they teach. Additionally, our pre-kindergarten teachers have all completed a minimum of 40 hours of DCF training. Our elementary teachers possess a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree. Additionally, all our teachers participate in on-going professional development to stay current with the latest educational research and to bring proven instructional methods into the classroom.

History and Philosophy

Bhaktivedanta Academy (formerly known as New Raman Reti School) was established in 1998 as a kindergarten through 6th grade elementary school. In 2006 we expanded to offer pre-kindergarten for children 3 - 6 years of age and formally adopted the Montessori method of education. Over this time we have grown from a single school house with 16 students and 1 teacher to over 50 students served by a committed team of class level teachers, support staff, and administration on a beautiful 5 acre campus in Alachua, less than 10 miles from Gainesville in Florida.

Our educational approach is unique. We place an emphasis on inquiry, collaborative learning, independence, and time to delve deeply into subject matters students find interesting. We offer a decentralized approach to education where every student is allowed to deeply pursue his or her interests and to learn in the same way that they will be expected to work in our modern world. 

Highest Academic Standards

Our students perform superbly well on standardized tests (see Chart 1) compared to their peers on a national level (see chart 1). In addition to the outstanding academic performance of our students, they have benefited immensely from the peaceful and respectful social environment found at our school. 

Classroom Atmosphere

Bhaktivedanta Academy is a protected environment that effectively shields our students from the negative influences found in today’s public schools. We believe that a strong academic training can only occur when students feel comfortable in their environment. We place a strong focus on character development and positive social interactions from the very beginning (3 years old). 

Our students have a sense of community and regularly participate in temple activities such as attending lectures on the Srimad Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. They study Bhagavad Gita at the start of every day, recite vedic prayers, and engage in the worship of classroom deities. Only vegetarian prasadam meals and snacks are consumed. We have a no-tolerance policy for any kind of verbal or physical violence or the intake of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco.

Values

The values we promote at Bhaktivedanta Academy come directly from Lord Krishna’s instructions in the Bhagavad Gita. He teaches us that the essence of knowledge is in the content of our character - humility, lack of ego, non-violence, tolerance, simplicity, cleanliness, steadiness, self-control, even mindedness and a constant unalloyed devotion to Him.

Thus, our students are taught that our essential spiritual self transcends all designations of race, ethnicity, gender and economic status, and that ultimately we are all children of God. Thus every living being (human and non-human) deserve to be treated with respect and kindness. 

Benefits to the Community

Bhaktivedanta Academy continues to drive the growth of the New Raman Reti temple community in Alachua, Florida. Families from all over the United States have moved to Alachua specifically to enroll their children here after seeing first-hand the unique educational opportunity we offer. The temple community is further enriched by our students’ participation in performances, dramas, and other activities at various temple events. 

Through their educational experience at Bhaktivedanta Academy our students are developing into moral, honest, hard-working, law-abiding and faithful citizens who believe strongly in protecting the environment - including the animals and trees. Such citizens are desperately needed in today’s world to steer society toward a more principled and compassionate way of life.

Bhaktivedanta Academy is raising an entire generation of children who will be going into the outside world with the best academic preparation, spiritual grounding and good character to make significant contributions to our world.

Our Expansion Plan

Ultimately, our goal is to establish a model for a pre-kindergarten through 10th grade academic education. We are now taking the next step by expanding our educational program beyond the 6th grade.

Bhaktivedanta Academy is a candidate to become an accredited International Baccalaureate World School* for grades 7 through 10 and have developed a program of education that carries forth the academic rigor and spiritual grounding we have provided for younger students but have tailored it to meet the unique needs of adolescents. 

Through a blend of academics, life skills training and spirituality, we aim to provide our upper school students with a clear direction in life and a path to a successful college university education. We are confident that the training we give here in our K-10 school will enable them to be very successful in their future lives. 

Upon completion of the 10th grade, graduates of Bhaktivedanta Academy's International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program will have the option to matriculate to either the local International Baccalaureate Diploma Program offered at Eastside High School or directly enter college via Florida's robust dual-enrollment program, where high school students can attend college in the 11th and 12th grade, and in many instances earn an associates’ degree and high school diploma simultaneously.

We will build a new classroom for the 7th - 8th grade, followed by 2 new classrooms for the 9th - 10th grade. This will expand our capacity from the current 60 students to 110, with an increase in total square footage from 3,252 to 7,968 (as shown in the picture). 

Advanced Science and Engineering Laboratory

Our expansion plan also includes the establishment of a cutting-edge science and engineering laboratory complete with self-contained experimental lab modules  from Pasco Science and Engineering Education covering the concepts of Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Engineering, Biology and Fundamental Constants. This will provide our students an opportunity for a hands-on scientific education that will spark their interest in the field of science and give them a clear edge over the competition. 

Mechanics: Students will measure acceleration down an incline, verify Newton’s second law by varying applied force and mass and experiment with the concept of conversation of momentum and energy.

Thermodynamics: We will acquire heat engine/gas law apparatus for quantitative experiments involving the ideal gas law and a working heat engine.

Engineering: To teach students electrical concepts, we will acquire the basic current balance where students can perform quantitative investigations into the force between a current-carrying wire and magnetic field. 

We also plan to acquire the hydrogen fuel cell to show them a real-world example of cutting-edge energy technology. In the demonstration, hydrogen is used as fuel in the fuel cell that combines with oxygen to make water and produce electricity that runs a fan. 

Human Eye Model: Physical concepts in biology will be taught using a human eye model which will let students use two lenses to form images on the retina in a sealed tank that holds water and normal vision and vision correction will be taught by adding lenses in front of the ‘eye.’

Fundamental Constants: We will purchase the speed of light apparatus which uses the Foucault method to measure the speed of light based on using a rotating mirror. 

The Millikan oil drop apparatus will also be acquired to perform Nobel Prize-quality physics in the student lab. Students will measure the charge on an electron to within +/-3 % using the oil drop experiment of Robert Millikan, Nobel prize winner. 

Testimonials From Our Parents

We are so thankful and fortunate to be here, in an environment where kids are truly nurtured in every way, building good moral characters along with getting a well-rounded education. — P. Sharma

My daughter is getting very important spiritual impressions through her time and association with Bhaktivedanta Academy. Beyond that, the learning principles and environment are top-class. My daughter is nourished, happy, and growing. — A. Khurana

The teachers are not only qualified and wonderful teachers, but they are also people of excellent character who truly care for each and every child. I feel privileged that my child is growing up in such a spiritually, emotionally, and academically nurturing environment. — N. Puhar

Bhaktivedanta Academy's teachers and staff are very caring to the students, so I always feel that my children are in good hands. Besides the caring atmosphere the school curriculum integrates academic and spiritual education in a way that is not found in public schools. — I. Esser

What has impressed me the most is the quality of community created and maintained by the staff. Every teacher and staff member in the school makes a distinct effort to get to know each child.  — S. Zappini

They foster an environment of respect and love — integrating spiritual and moral values within the curriculum, while being very attentive to the growth and well-being of every student. — M. Cecil

This school is a model for anyone who aspires to train students on living principled lives in modern society. — T. Lele

How To Get Involved

The fund-raising committee of Bhaktivedanta academy seeks your partnership in helping to develop an International Baccalaureate (IB) accredited upper school, so we may continue to give children the opportunity for a rigorous academic foundation combined with our Vedic culture as they transition to adulthood. 

Our phase 1 need is $297,967. To date $196,000 has been raised, so are seeking your help to raise the additional $100,000 needed by August 2013. Our phase 2 will require an additional $186,525 by August 2014.

Please consider making a donation at one of the sponsorship levels listed below:

Please click here to contact us for contributions greater than  $5,000.

Best wishes from the Bhaktivedanta Academy fund-raising committee.

Prabir Banik, M.D.

Rakesh Sharma, M.D.

Sukesh Sukumaran, M.D.

Tanmay Lele, Professor, University of Florida

Vini Vijayan, M.D.

*Bhaktivedanta Academy is a candidate school for the Middle Years Programme. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Bhaktivedanta Academy believes is important for our students. 

Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its three academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), or the Diploma Programme (and in addition the IB Career-related Certificate). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. 

For further information about IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org