The Merasi School

*THE MERASI SCHOOL*
One Hand On The Pen. One Hand On The Drum.

The Educational Arm of Folk Arts Rajasthan

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Hadat & Sarif tap into the joys of learning




Afreen practices the harmonium




The Merasi School is proud to be the educational arm of Folk Arts Rajasthan, (FAR) an American nonprofit that works in concert with Lok Kala Sagar Sansthan, a Non-Governmental Organization in India run by and for the Merasi community, to promote their mutual missions of Merasi empowerment.

Find out more about FAR by clicking here!

Our School

Co-Director Sarwar Khan teaches a classic rhythm on the dholak (drum) to Akram and Sahju

The Merasi School grew from the Merasi community's desire to live a life unbonded by discrimination and preserve their vanishing 37-generation-old musical legacy. Expanding on the successful educational initiatives of our parent nonprofit, Folk Arts Rajasthan, The Merasi School weaves together arts and literacy education into a community-empowerment curriculum that develops students of the pen and the drum.

The community objective is to educate expansively literate students, children who are as fluent in multiplication and sentence formation as they are in four and six-beat rhythms and finger cymbal tones. With a strong educational foundation, Merasi can actively preserve their own artistic legacy and participate in the construction of a more just social landscape.

Sahara leads Middle Class in Hindi-to-English translation

The Merasi School is co-constructed by the Merasi community. The original concept and objectives emerged from communal desires, curricula is shaped around Merasi goals and the school itself is located in an accessible, safe Merasi neighborhood. Each child is given the support, respect and responsibility necessary to be a community teacher and leader. Students take ownership of their education through peer-tutoring, mentorship and workspace maintenance.

Tumana practices writing basics




Rojeela checks Hayad's work in the The Merasi School doorway




Iyeena cleans up her workspace
The Merasi School, The Educational Arm of Folk Arts Rajasthan
314 East 84th St, #11, New York, NY 10028 info@merasischool.org.
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