About Bala Yana
Why Bala Yana
More than 25% of the world's population identifies as religiously unaffiliated which means a growing number of parents are no longer connected to their heritage. But the need for moral and emotional grounding has not disappeared. Parents care deeply about their children's moral and ethical compasses, especially in this complex, information saturated world. Bala Yana exists to help families teach core values, bolstered by 2500 years of Buddhist study and practice, in modern ways that are inclusive, developmentally sound, and joyful. Our R&D has proven that the dharma supports the needs of families even if they do not identify as Buddhists.
Our Approach
Bala Yana draws inspiration from all Buddhist wisdom traditions, remaining true to the source, we are ecumenical, non-denominational, and accessible.
We rely on:
- An understanding of early childhood development
- Classroom-tested educational frameworks from Middle Way Education, the Dalai Lama's SEE curriculum, and beyond
- A Five Element structure that supports different learning styles
History
Bala Yana Founder Noa Jones was the founding chair of the Middle Way School, an independent elementary school in Upstate New York that served as a lab to create a new model of education. She was Founder and Executive Director of Middle Way Education, which generated the first scoped and sequenced standards for a modern Buddhist education. These frameworks are now offered open source and inform Bala Yana's creative process.
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