Spreading of Consciousness-Based Education

Annie Falk at Ezemvelo Nature Reserve Annie with Chinese high school students in Beijing outside at lotus garden In the court yard of The Maharishi Institute with students and teacher Rena Boone of Fairfield Annie with Indian children at a Consciousness-Based school in Durban, South Africa (Durban has the second largest Indian population outside of India)

Annie Falk — Spreading Consciousness-Based Education Annie Falk grew up in Fairfield, attended Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment, and received her B.A. in Digital Media from MUM in 2005. That same year, Annie completed the Maharishi Transcendental Meditation Program Teacher Training Course and headed to Berkeley, California, to teach the Transcendental Meditation® technique in schools. In 2007, Annie travelled to China to work with Dr. Yunxiang Zhu, Director of Asian Expansion, at MUM’s partner university in Beijing. Annie met with developers and schools around Beijing looking for partners to expand Consciousness-BasedSM education. Annie also recruited students, served as a teaching assistant, and taught the TM® technique, while also taking classes towards her MBA. Annie doesn’t seem to be overwhelmed by all the responsibilities she takes on. “When you have inner stability and silence, you can do anything and be confident,” she says. “There is so much fulfillment in knowing that you are giving a gift.” After spending one year in China, Annie headed to Johannesburg, South Africa, to work at the Maharishi Institute, a non-profit educational institution for students aged 17 to 29 from disadvantaged backgrounds. The school provides a two-year foundation program as well as vocational training in fields such as accounting, information technology, conservation and sustainability, and entrepreneurship. As project manager for director Taddy Blecher, Annie coordinates projects, speaks at educational conferences, writes proposals and creates marketing material using her degree in Digital Media. She is currently working on a new project reaching out to schools in Durban, the third largest city in South Africa, with the potential for 20,000 students to learn the TM technique. Annie’s future projects include the establishment of sustainable schools that provide employment to students so they can cover their tuition, meals and housing, and at the same time gain work experience. To find out more about projects in South Africa visit www.cbesa.org www.mum.edu