About Us

We are

APV School

Who We Are

We are a mindful community nestled in the Indian Himalayas, in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. We live, meditate, farm, trek, make music and run a school together. Our goal as a community is to help each other grow and evolve, and to provide the children of this region, from ages 3-15, with a meaningful education. To do this, we use practical methods in the classroom that grounds intellectual content in living experience. We hope that our students graduate from APV School confident, creative, capable and community-minded

Sa Vidya Ya Vimuktaye

Creativity

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Who We Are

We are a mindful community nestled in the Indian Himalayas, in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand.

We live, meditate, farm, trek, make music and run a school together. Our goal as a community is to help each other grow and evolve, and to provide the children of this region, from ages 3-15, with a meaningful education. To do this, we use practical methods in the classroom that grounds intellectual content in living experience. We hope that our students graduate from APV School confident, creative, capable and community-minded.

What Does APV Mean?

Ashram Paryavaran Vidhyalaya translates to Ashram Environmental School.

What is “Sa Vidya Ya Vimuktaye” ?

APV brings us back to a time of ancient indian education - where knowledge was imparted to liberate the student. Sa Vidya Ya Vimuktaye is the essence of our philosophy on life and learning.

Our Documentary Film

“Sa Vidya Ya Vimuktaye” winds us through a day in the life of the school; through the lush valleys and splendid mountain peaks of the Himalayas, through the tranquil villages and fertile fields. We will peer into classrooms and singing assemblies; we will sit in on peaceful meditation gatherings and see boisterous children at play. We will follow the children to their villages to see the rigors of mountain life and visit the ashram to learn more about community living. Through candid interviews with headmaster Anand Dwivedi, APV teachers, and students, we will come to see a more enlightened form of education and way of life.

Our Founder

Anand Dwivedi

” I have always felt like an outsider since my earliest childhood.

And all through my school and college days education seemed to me utterly meaningless.

I was also searching for the meaning for life itself. By the time I was 18 I became more and more sad because there seemed to be nothing bright for me now or later.

Then I fell ill and was under treatment for 18 months and finally I regained faith in some power that was running the universe. After that I recovered very quickly and was in search of a community

– a community where I would feel comfortable with all my idiosyncrasies, where people would accept me as I was.

I had seen Shantiniketan and J. Krishnamurti schools in India and I also started wondering if I could be part of a relevant meaningful education program for children. My dreams began to materialise when APV came into being.

It has been now 20 years and every day is a new day full of promises, full of new rewards in terms of educational and meditation experiences.”

Anandji was given the freedom to implement his progressive ideas about holistic and mindful education founded on the principle from the Shree Vishnu Purana, “sa vidya ya vimukyaye,” or “knowledge is that which liberates.” From this founding philosophy, APV has grown into a community of 65 students and 11 staff members who share a singular mission: to grow and learn through mindfulness.

Anand Sir is the author of several books in Hindi and English. These are available in our school store:

Watch Anand Sir’s popular vlog on Youtube on all matters related to Spirituality, Science and Education:

We have about 65 students and 11 staff

our

staff

DHIRAJ MANI

Principal

I joined APV in March 2004.
I was invited to join APV because I was a musician. I was given the responsibility to act as the principal of APV.
I started meditating as I was inspired by Anand Sir who practiced meditation daily.
Since then I have been practicing different ways of meditation. Beyond meditation, my tenure as principal has been marked by a dedication to fostering a nurturing educational environment. I believe in the transformative power of education coupled with the inner strength cultivated through meditation. This combination has not only shaped my leadership style but also enriched the lives of students and staff alike at APV.

GITA

Nursery and KG teacher

My name is Geeta. I’m from Himachal Pradesh and I have been teaching at APV school since 2022. My coming here was unplanned. I never thought that I will go into the teaching line. After completing my schooling, my aunt who was teacher here told me about this place. So through I came here. For the first time I went far away from my family. I liked the school and students. APV school is different for other schools. I like the mindful community where we meditate every day and cook together. I like the school and school assembly. Out school
assembly is very different from other school’s assemblies. I like the practical method teaching style at the school, and the opportunity to meditate with children in the classes . I enjoy the nature here.

Anchal Paliwal

1st and 2nd grade

My name is Anchal Paliwal. I am from Tehri Garhwal Uttarakhand. I came here through Shanti mam. I am doing my B.A from IGNOU. I learned a lot from my time here at A.P.V. All the teachers live together as a mindfull community. Meditating with children and making music in tha assembly is a special feature of A.P.V. When I came to A.P.V for the first time I didn’t know how long I would be living here. In the beginning I missed my family a lot and home a lot but slowly Ganesh bhawan teacher’s community became my own home and the teachers became my family. I have been teaching for two years now and I have learned a lot.

SUDHA BALODI

3rd Grade

I still remember my first day of APV school. I was very nervous and I had a lot going on in my mind wondering if I will I be able to integrate myself into the school and community. My relationship was very old with the teachers and school because I had been an APV student through 8th grade. That’s why there was a slight helitation in my mind. I didn’t know how long I would be able to stay here and well it’s been 7 years now. A lot of meaningful changes have taken place in me in these seven years. I feel very happy that I decided to come as a teacher to APV school. community where we have no blood relations but live like a family.

PREETI THAPA

4th Grade

My name is Preeti from Dehradun. I have been teaching at APV for one and a half years and am doing my BA from IGNOU. My mother, a former APV teacher, inspired me to come here. I enjoy nature-based teaching methods, daily meditation, and the supportive community. I’ve grown stronger, more balanced, and confident through this experience.

Aman Negi

5th grade

My name is Aman Negi from Chamoli, Uttarakhand. I’m doing my B.A. from IGNOU. I came here through my uncle. Since being here, I’ve learned a lot at APV, including meditation. I control my anger through meditation. The calm atmosphere and practical teaching methods make learning enjoyable. Students and teachers live together mindfully.

SHANTI MAMGAIN

6th Grade

I came here in 2004. I didn’t know then that I would live here for many years – I thought maybe it would be for a couple of months. When I first came here the thing which touched me was meditation. Before I did not know about meditation. So I started doing meditation. But I was not very serious about it. Later, maybe after 8 years, I was teaching 4th grade children and there was a boy in my class. His name was Manoj. I used to do meditation with my class children. Manoj was very serious.

MOHAN PANWAR

7th & 8th Grade

Khushi Malhotra

Teacher/Fundraising & Outreach/Retreats

I came to APV in 2012 under the umbrella of the American India Foundation through their Clinton Fellowship for service in India. I knew that I wanted to continue my lifelong dream of residing in the Himalayas where the great yogis and mystics came from that I had read about, as well as live a life dedicated to selfless service. When I found APV (or it found me!) I couldn’t believe that such a place existed where community, service, and meditation all coalesced together in a beautiful tapestry. Having the privilege to be mentored by Anand sir and learn from his infinite creativity and humility has really put me closer to the meaning of life. We all who live here are on the path, and are by no means perfect. We have a lot to learn but we really do try every day to live a mindful life the best we can. The children teach us to stay in the present moment and find joy in small things. The animals teach us to love unconditionally. The nature teaches us that all things are impermanent and interdependent.We are truly blessed we get to do this kind of seva, while keeping focused on the meaning of life and I am very happy I can raise my daughter Himadri Nanda in such a pure environment.

Sushil,

Videographer/Librarian
/Teacher

I am Sushil from Nagaour, Rajasthan.Born and brought up in Mearta City, the birth place of renowned Saint Meera Bai, an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna, who made Vrindavan her Karmabhumi and took Krishna bhakti to unparalleled heights. I was greatly inspired by her since childhood as my school education laid huge emphasis on her teachings and Bhakti literature. I completed my higher education from Beawar, the birth place of Right to Information Act.
After finishing my B.Ed., I wanted to utilise my digree for the holistic education for children and during this pursuit, I came across APV. I came to APV in November 2023 and my baby steps took from hold in the campus within 15 days . I learnt a lot from Anand sir. His teaching methods and love for life give me insights that I would not have gotten elsewhere. The children and teachers at APV taught me compassion, creativity and most importantly calmness. Here,At APV my main responsibilities are videography, youtube channel management, library management and teaching. I wish to be expressive and enlightened in life so that everyone who I meet benefits from me and adds to the overall growth of humanity in the real sense.

Naveen Mishra

Digital and Social Media Manager

Naveen Mishra is from Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh and working as a Program Consultant in McKinsey & Company. He has been listening Anand Dwivedi since March 2024 and decided to spread his message to the world through Instagram.

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Here at APV we want you to experience the magic of what happens on the ground in our school, and the culture and majestic environment of the rural Himalayas. Through our mindful ecotourism initiative, Simply Himalaya, you can experience us in a variety of ways!