A language program rooted in community

Marathi Shala began in Calgary in 2003 on a small scale through the efforts of Mrs. Shubhangi Purohit. The goal was to help children learn to read and write Marathi while building a closer connection to Marathi culture and heritage.

Over the years, many students have benefited from the program and completed primary-level Marathi learning with the support of dedicated volunteers, parents, and families.

Mission
To nurture interest for learning the Marathi language primarily in the younger generation extendable with online conversational Marathi classes for older students within the community to have a connect with the Marathi culture and heritage through listening, speaking, reading, writing, performing arts and elocution.

Foundation

• Volunteering efforts and commitments of teachers, coordinators and support from the Marathi community.
• Teach Marathi as a second or third language to the students in a North American environment.
• Support of Bruhan Maharashtra Mandal (BMM) of North America in providing a progressive language learning study program, material and tutorials to our CMA Marathi Shala students.
• CMA’s efforts to work with school boards to acquire foreign language credits for Marathi through accreditation and / or seal of bi-literacy.

Course Pre-requisites and guidelines

• A five-level “Marathi Language Learning” progressive curriculum, study guidelines and supporting materials developed by BMM in collaboration with Bharati Vidyapeeth Pune for Grades 1 to 5.
• Academic year is from September of the current year to June of the following year.
• Admission deadlines are 30th September of the current year and 28th February of the following year.
• CMA family membership (January to December) in any given year is mandatory to admit any student before the deadline of 30th September of the current year to start CMA Marathi Shala and 28th February to complete their academic year in June of the following year.
• Google registration forms are available on the CMA website.
• Based on the information provided in the forms, the teachers will assess the students’ placement in a suitable grade in CMA Marathi Shala.
• Age limit – Minimum 4 years, Maximum 13 years
• A nominal annual fee $50 charged by CMA . BMM charges an annual exam fee (USD 25.00) and workbook charges (USD 5.00) that are due when submitting exam forms.
• Classes are conducted online for a duration of 1 – 1.5 hours each.
• Per BMM guidelines, classroom teaching is to be conducted once every 1 – 2 months.
• A minimum of 70% attendance is compulsory to appear for the exam.
• Parents are responsible for getting the homework done from their pupils.
• Important for parents to converse with their children (attending Marathi Shala) in the Marathi language to imbibe and maintain continuity of learning.
• All the parents and students should commit and adhere to following the CMA Marathi Shala guidelines.

Commitment from students and parents

Marathi language learning works best when students and parents bring genuine interest, regular attendance, strong commitment, and a passion for preserving the language.

CMA appreciates the volunteers and families who continue to support Marathi learning for the next generation.