Dear Supporter Ji,

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh!

This is Rucha Kaur, writing from the Sikh Coalition. I hope this message finds you, your family, and your sangat well.

Earlier this year, you heard from me—and many of my colleagues here at the Sikh Coalition—as we pursued what we believe is the largest effort to survey Sikh American students about their experiences in schools. From the beginning of February to the end of March this year, we worked with sevadaars, Khalsa schools, and partners across the nation to reach the youth in our sangats and ask them about their experiences with bullying, classroom inclusivity, instruction, and more. 

The effort was a resounding success: Working with more than 100 volunteers, we received responses from roughly 2,000 students from more than 60 gurdwaras in 21 different states. The second phase of this ambitious project is now well underway, but we must humbly ask for your dasvandh to see it through.

Our academic research partners in California are analyzing the data collected in those 2,000 surveys, and I, along with other team members, have begun working on the report that we intend to release next year detailing our findings. But just publishing the data isn’t going to be enough to help set our students up for success. In the next year, we look forward to:

  • Taking our survey findings to gurdwaras across the nation for new and improved workshops on bullying and parental engagement;
  • Producing new classroom resources that will help teachers and administrators increase inclusion and decrease bullying in classrooms;
  • Meeting with officials at all levels of government armed with data that can drive better and smarter educational policies; and
  • Using our findings to keep adding to the list—18 states plus Washington, DC—that include Sikhi in their state social studies standards.

The sangat was instrumental in getting this Sikh Student Survey off the ground; we could not have done it without your support. Now, as we prepare for all of this work between now and our launch next year, we hope we can count on your investment to make the most of the data we’ve collected—for schools, teachers, policymakers, and most importantly students. 

Together, we will continue to ensure the youth of our community feel safe and seen in their classrooms.

Chardi Kala,

Rucha Kaur
Community Development Director
The Sikh Coalition