In a surprise announcement at the Danforth Campus dedication ceremony Sept. 17 in Graham Chapel, Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton said that longtime family friend Gurpreet “Pete” Singh chose to honor the Danforth name in his native India with The Danforth Centre for Youth Entrepreneurship.
Answering his grandfather’s enduring call to educate the people of India, Singh (M.B.A. 1954) has developed a facility in Chandigarh to educate hundreds of the area’s poorest children.
Sikhya, meaning “the school of learning,” is the culmination of Singh’s intentions. Based on a holistic model of learning and a curriculum devised by principal Sonia Channi, the school provides for the mental, physical and spiritual needs of its students.
“Education is valued very highly in India,” said Singh, a member of WUSTL’s International Advisory Council for Asia. “Most parents believe that if they can provide their children with a good education, then that’s all the wealth they need to leave them.”
Singh had planned on attending the dedication ceremony, but was unable. However, he still wanted to have some connection with the festivities.
“To celebrate and share in the joy, and to honor the Danforths, we will be paying our tribute by naming and dedicating a centre at Sikhya School as The Danforth Centre for Youth Entrepreneurship,” Singh wrote in an e-mail.
“It’s a small and humble tribute that we would like to offer to a wonderful friend and a great family.”
Sikhya’s world-class offerings include multimedia teaching facilities with Wi-Fi connections in every classroom; an amphitheater; a swimming pool and grass playing fields and courts for sports; modern toilet facilities, including 70 showers; and stone exterior, picture windows and marble or granite floors throughout.
When the school opened in February, 300 children ages 5 to 14 started their tenures. In July the number rose to 500, and in October the number is expected to climb to 800. The school’s capacity is 1,000, and when that number is reached, administrators will consider adding a second shift.
“The school’s curriculum is needs-based, practical and works toward empowering each student,” Singh said. “The focus is not solely on academics but on the needs of the students.”
Singh said he hopes that many students with the interest and aptitude will one day continue their studies at the university level, while others will be trained toward working in a trade, opening a business, or working from home.