YJA Convention 2012 07 Tampa FL Tenth 027618

Author(s): Young Jains of America (YJA)
Publisher: Young Jains of America YJA USA

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SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
HEATHER BROWNING
Heather Browning is a freelance game designer operating out of Berkeley, CA. She has been on a quest to change the world for as long as history records. In high school her idol was Vandana Shiva and thus her college courses focused on the political economy of the environment in South Asia, with a particular interest in Indian agriculture. While working on a farm in southern India learning Fukuoka's Natural Farming methods she rediscovered her passion for teaching. Additionally it became clear that to effect deep substantive changes a paradigm shift was needed in the way we relate to others and the world, and what better place to do that then education. After a few years of teaching in schools in far corners of the world with various approaches to pedagogy she felt that there was still something deeply missing in the educational experience. Students rarely wanted to be at school or in class. Even if the classroom activities were designed to be fun students would trudge through them with the enthusiasm of people who wanted to just be allowed to go back to bed. Heather wanted to create educational experiences that people chose to engage and were therefore deeply fulfilling and fun. During her masters in Holistic Science at Schumacher College Heather explored how games could be used to create social change, specifically how games could be educational tools for teaching compassion.
HEMA POKHARNA
Hema Pokharna is a Nonviolent Communication Trainer, Coach and Consultant with more than 20 years of experience in communication trainings for leaders and professionals, and their teams. Believing that the diverse religions of the world are all rooted in the same spiritual ground, Hema is committed to the interfaith movement as a vehicle of reconciliation between religions and a way to work towards peace. Her lifelong interest in personal development and relationship dynamics along with her ability to address the unique needs of her clients consistently produces powerful learning experiences.
HEMANG SRIKISHAN
Hemang Srikishan is a spiritual thief. Since high school and college he has gleaned teachings from his friends of various faiths and tried to put them in practice in order to strengthen his Jainism and Hinduism. As the son of a Hindu father and Jain mother, Hemang is deeply interested in religion and how principles from any faith can be used for self-improvement. Professionally, Hemang is a middle school math teacher that teaches in a Chicago charter school. His love for service, religion, and youth action has led him to become a teacher both professionally and within the Jain community.
JAIN STUDY CENTER OF NORTH CAROLINA YOUTH
The youth of the Jain Study Center of North Carolina are proud to be bringing this session and our largest ever representation at YJA to Tampa 2012. We're all youth from the Triangle area of NC, and we're excited to make new friends, have a lot of fun, and explore our beliefs with our fellow attendees!
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YJA CONVENTION 2012 | Tampa, FL