Our design for the Loka school website included these animations created with Mithila artists Mahalaxmi Karn, Pradyumna Kumar and Pushpa Kumari. Animations by Shaaz Ahmed. Concept and art-direction: Ishan Khosla.
In 2015 Loka’s school opened its doors for full-time education in a village along the Punpun river, North-India. Its 2.4 hectare grounds include thoughtfully designed classrooms, a natural farm, flower gardens, trees, a handcrafted play system and sports fields. The space provides an excellent atmosphere and infrastructure to learn, create, innovate, play and reflect. Loka’s natural farm is managed together with local farmers and meant to connect the learning journey of students with the soil, rather than creating a disconnect with the main occupation practiced in the region. Students are involved in the farm through experiments and projects that build on and add to existing farming knowledge and practices in their village.
At the moment of writing 90 students aged 4-14 from nursery class until grade 8 study at Loka. Every year a grade is added. In years to come the school will increase up to 108 students and provide Complete Education until grade 8 and subsequently a 4-year Craftmanship Course. After completing their education at Loka, students are equipped to create their own livelihoods, empowered to uplift their surroundings and enriched with a sense of purpose.
