Sri Sathya Sai International Organization - USA

On November 2, 2024, Young Adults from three Chicago-area Sathya Sai Centers began partnering with Future Ties to support its mission of providing children with a safe, encouraging place to learn and grow.

Founded in 2011 by Chicago Police Officer Jennifer Maddox, Future Ties began as a small after-school program in the basement of the Parkway Gardens apartment complex, serving children from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. Today, it has grown into a year-round community organization that provides academic support, mentoring, workforce development, parent programming, and community outreach, helping young people realize their potential both inside and outside the classroom.

The Young Adults from Chicago’s Metro, North, and West centers named their initiative the Sai Enrichment Program. They began fostering an environment where learning is active, joyful, and rooted in character. Each engagement gives volunteers opportunities to connect meaningfully with students, understand their learning styles, and build relationships that extend beyond academics. “With each seasonal session, observing the bonds we have nurtured with the children, the Future Ties staff, and one another has been transformative,” said Hiranmayee Kundeti, a volunteer.

Activities often begin with energetic games such as Simon Says, helping students and volunteers break the ice and quickly build trust, teamwork, and excitement. These activities set the tone for an environment where children feel welcome, comfortable participating, and eager to learn.

Students rotate through engaging literacy, math, science, engineering, and creative activities tailored to their age and learning level. Whether practicing phonics, solving fraction problems, designing science experiments, or exploring engineering concepts, each child is encouraged to participate in ways that align with their unique strengths and interests.

The literacy lessons center on human values, inspiring students to persevere through challenges and to give their best effort. Younger children practice letters, sight words, and phonics, while older students strengthen their reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, and creative writing. Rather than focusing solely on correct answers, volunteers encourage students to view mistakes as stepping stones to success.

Math comes alive through hands-on manipulatives, drawings, and collaborative problem-solving that make abstract concepts easier to grasp. During science activities, students become young investigators, asking questions, making predictions, testing ideas, and discovering that curiosity often leads to the greatest learning.

Volunteer and middle school teacher Anusha Ramani shared, “Beyond the academic enrichment, it was clear that these kids deeply crave love and human connection, making our interactions feel truly meaningful.”

This partnership recognizes that every child learns differently. Some eagerly raise their hands to answer questions, while others express themselves through building, drawing, or experimenting. By offering multiple ways to engage, the program continues to foster literacy, critical thinking, creativity, resilience, and self-confidence, allowing every student to experience success.

The relationship with Future Ties is also transforming volunteers. Region 5 Young Adult Coordinator Saidutta Kar said, “Volunteering with Future Ties is a beautiful and humbling experience. While we hope to make a difference in their lives, they often end up transforming ours in the most meaningful way.”

The ongoing partnership reflects Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s teaching, “Education is for life, not just for a living,” which emphasizes that true education nurtures character alongside knowledge.

As the Young Adults continue their partnership with Future Ties, volunteers hope to cultivate an environment where children can dream bigger, learn boldly, and develop the confidence to shape their own futures.