After much prayerful consideration, the leadership of India Connection and the Girls Home of Pune have decided to open an International School in Pune.The eventual goal will be to provide a world-class education for the girls while generating an income that will make all of our ministries in India self-sustaining by 2021.
As our first step we are opening the Hearts & Hands preschool on the newly-finished fourth floor of the Pune Center building. We have gotten permission to start the school from the government authorities and are hard at work installing security gates, fire extinguishers and cameras and buying furniture and decorations.
We will open the school and welcome our first class of students on June 15 of this year. Please pray for these preparations and that all will be done for the glory of the Lord!
Meet Esther Blakeney
We have hired Esther Blakeney, the youngest daughter of Pastor Joseph and Vishranti Hiwale, as Administrator of the school. She is a mom with two daughters in college, who has lived and worked in the U.S. and Canada over the course of her adult life. Her experience includes overseeing the operations of nursing homes and hotels.
Esther is excited for the opportunity to do the Lord’s work while living and helping her parents at their home. It’s a new season for both her and the India Connection organization. May we all have obedient hearts to do the work before us and may God guide and bless this new venture!
Making a Better World – One Student at a Time
Heart & Hands is our first step toward creating the International School of Pune – a fully-accredited International Baccalaureate® primary and secondary school
Our curriculum will be based on the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) framework. We will focus on the development of the whole child, both at school and beyond, informed by research into how students learn and the principles and practice of effective assessment. Our primary goal is to prepare students to successfully transition to the next phase of their education.
Our Vision is to be a light in the world by being a place that fosters excellence and personal growth, where people from every corner of the earth feel welcome and at home.
Our Mission is to make this world a better place by developing students whose exceptional skills and wholesome values enable them to make a difference in the world.
The school will also emphasize Christian core values, which will be reflected in everything we do – from how we hire teachers and staff, to how we treat one another and our students. Our prayer is that the love we show will demonstrate the love of Christ for all people.
Serving an Awesome God
Do you have experience teaching or have a heart for children? Plans are being made for a short-term missions trip to the Girls Home and Hearts & Hands preschool later this year. So grab your backpack and let’s begin this adventure together!
