Social Concerns
Summer Fellowship

Govardhan Ecovillage

Site Address:

Galtare Village, PO Hamrapur

Palghar

,

Maharashtra

421303

India

Website:

https://ecovillage.org.in/

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Location Details

Description

Govardhan Ecovillage (GEV) is a residential sustainability, education, and rural-development campus in Galtare, Maharashtra, approximately 90 km from Mumbai. Spread across approximately 100 acres in the foothills of the Sahyadri range, GEV integrates a working ecovillage, organic agriculture, biodiversity restoration, animal care, classrooms and meeting spaces, guest accommodation, wellness facilities, and an active values based community. For university partners, GEV functions as a residential living laboratory. Students can examine rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge, nature-based wastewater treatment and reuse, composting and circular material systems, solar and biogas energy, compressed stabilized earth block construction, organic and regenerative agriculture, seed conservation, biodiversity, and rural development. Students are expected to investigate operating systems, test claims, identify constraints and tradeoffs, and communicate evidence rather than simply observe demonstrations. GEV’s wider rural-development work includes agriculture, water resilience, livelihoods, youth skilling, women’s empowerment, and education in surrounding rural and Indigenous communities. Its Seeds for Life initiative has engaged more than 2,200 farming families across 71 villages and supported more than 2,000 regenerative cultivation plots covering approximately 447 acres. Any student engagement with partner communities is arranged according to local priorities, staff capacity, informed consent, reciprocity, and responsible representation. GEV operates through a Symbiotic Sustainable Development Model (SSDM) inspired by the principle of circularity, in which the outputs of one system become useful inputs for another. Its sustainability living laboratories include rainwater-harvesting and groundwater-recharge systems with a combined capacity of more than 110 million liters, a 300 kW solar power plant, and green buildings constructed with compressed stabilized earth blocks. A 10-acre biodiversity park supports more than 165 native tree species, 65 bird species, and 55 butterfly species. GEV follows a net-zero-waste policy and converts approximately 500 kilograms of organic waste into manure each day. Its waste-management infrastructure also has the capacity to process approximately 100 kilograms of plastic waste into fuel oil through pyrolysis. A nature-based Soil Biotechnology system treats up to 200 kiloliters of blackwater and greywater daily, with a reported treatment efficiency of up to 98 percent. Approximately 40 million liters of treated water are reused annually for farming and landscaping, supporting the daily cultivation of approximately 10 kilograms of flowers and 25 kilograms of fruit. The campus also includes approximately 13 acres of organic farmland and a community seed bank conserving more than 52 indigenous varieties of rice and millets. Beyond the campus, GEV works with communities across approximately 75 neighboring villages to support regenerative agriculture, agricultural entrepreneurship, water resilience, women’s empowerment, education, and skills development for rural and tribal youth. Together, these interconnected systems allow students to study sustainability as an operating model rather than only as a theoretical concept. Students can observe, document, analyze, and contribute to practical work in water management, renewable energy, circular waste systems, ecological construction, biodiversity, regenerative agriculture, food systems, and community-based rural development. GEV has supported faculty-led study abroad, field research, internships, fellowships, and short residential programs involving institutions including the University of Notre Dame, the City University of New York, Princeton University, Utah State University, and Utah Valley University. Its environmental work includes documented engagement and accreditation with United Nations bodies and international recognition for ecotourism and rural development. GEV is an ecovillage and ashram. Students are expected to respect the campus code of conduct in terms of dressing and local culture. Religious belief, worship, and devotional participation are not required.

Student Role

Placements are co-designed around the student’s academic background, skills, learning goals, the eightweek timeframe, and current GEV or community-partner priorities. During orientation, each student and supervisor agree on a concise project brief defining the question, intended user, methods, permissions, deliverable, schedule, safety considerations, and criteria for a successful handoff.

Work Schedule

The fellowship normally operates Monday through Friday. The final schedule and total fellowship hours will be confirmed with the site supervisor before arrival. Time Illustrative weekday activity 7:00-8:00 a.m. Optional yoga exercise, meditation, or personal well-being practice. Participation is voluntary and is not counted as required project work. 8:00-9:00 a.m. Breakfast and personal preparation. 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Team briefing followed by fieldwork, interviews or meetings, technical observation, data collection, workshop preparation, or project implementation. 12:00-3:00 p.m. Lunch and rest period, adjusted when an off-campus field day requires a different schedule. Time Illustrative weekday activity 3:00-5:00 p.m. Site visits, hands-on participation, observation, measurements, approved interviews or community engagement, data collection, and testing ideas with relevant GEV teams. 5:00-6:00 p.m. Brief end-of-day documentation and reflection, supervisor or team review, planning for the next field session, and secure storage of field notes, photographs, measurements, or other collected data. After 6:00 p.m. Free time and optional campus, cultural, or community activities. Required evening or weekend activities will be identified in advance. Weekly rhythm: Students begin with defined priorities, review progress with the project lead during the week, and meet the primary site supervisor at least once each week. A midpoint review confirms whether the scope remains feasible. The final week prioritizes validation, documentation, presentation, and handoff rather than starting new work.

Orientation

Orientation prepares students to work responsibly within an operating ecovillage, a residential community, and, where applicable, neighboring rural communities. It is organized around the following modules. 1. Organization and context. GEV and the regional context. Campus history, organizational structure, sustainability systems, rural-development initiatives, local cultural context, and the difference between a short visit and responsible field engagement. 2. Project scope and expectations. Confirmation of the project question, intended user, methods, work plan, deliverables, meeting cadence, and boundaries of what can be completed within eight weeks. 3. Methods and research ethics. Observation, interviewing, data quality, source transparency, consent, confidentiality, photography, responsible representation, and any university ethics or human-subjects requirements. 4. Community engagement and safeguarding. Respectful communication, positionality, power, gender and social difference, language and interpretation, community time, reciprocity, and restrictions on working with children or vulnerable persons. 5. Residential life health and safety. Campus conduct, room and dining procedures, emergency contacts, medical support, fire and evacuation, weather and monsoon conditions, safe movement, approved transport, incident reporting, and mental well-being resources.

Housing Information

The standard planning assumption is two students per air-conditioned guestroom, with separate beds, a private attached bathroom and toilet, hot water, linens and towels, basic furnishings, and Wi-Fi. Exact buildings and room assignments are confirmed before arrival. Housekeeping support is available, and staff-operated laundry service is available for a separate charge. Three lacto-vegetarian meals can be provided daily through GEV’s on-campus dining facilities. Meat, fish, eggs, alcohol, tobacco, vaping products, and illegal drugs are not permitted on campus. Dietary allergies, medical dietary needs, accessibility needs, and room-placement requests should be communicated through the university as early as possible. GEV is a managed residential campus with guest registration, reception support, security personnel, and campus monitoring. Students should expect routine 5 to 10 minutes walking between residences, dining facilities, classrooms, and project sites across a large campus that includes uneven outdoor terrain. Individual mobility and access needs should be discussed in advance. GEV has an on-campus medical center with an MD physician trained in intensive care and a cardiac ambulance, with referral pathways to nearby hospitals when higher-level care is required. Students will receive current medical, emergency, security, and incident-reporting instructions during orientation. Guest and student accommodation is distinct from temple and monastic residential areas. Students may encounter and academically study religious life, but worship and devotional participation are not required. All students remain responsible for the residential code of conduct and for respectful behavior toward residents, staff, visitors, and sacred spaces.

Drivers License

No, students placed outside of the United States are not allowed to drive.

Student Preferences

Preferred Qualities: Reliable and self-directed, while willing to ask for guidance and work within agreed boundaries. Curious, observant, and able to learn before proposing solutions. Flexible when weather, field access, data availability, or community priorities require a change in plan. Culturally humble and respectful toward different religious, social, economic, and professional perspectives. Comfortable working collaboratively in a residential, rural, and interdisciplinary environment. Able to receive feedback, revise work, document limitations, and complete a responsible handoff. Motivated by service and learning rather than by a desire to rescue, direct, or speak for a community. Relevant Academic Interests: Environmental science, sustainability, hydrology, earth science, climate resilience, or ecology. Agriculture, soil science, food systems, forestry, biodiversity, or conservation. Engineering, architecture, building science, renewable energy, or industrial ecology. Computer science, data analysis, information design, environmental monitoring, or digital learning. Sociology, anthropology, public policy, development studies, social entrepreneurship, or business. Education, social work, communication, peacebuilding, public health, or community development. Philosophy, theology, religious studies, ethics, humanities, or religion and ecology. Useful Skills: Research design, literature review, field observation, interviewing, survey design, or qualitative analysis. Data collection, spreadsheet analysis, visualization, mapping, technical measurement, or report writing. Clear writing, presentation, facilitation, curriculum design, photography, video, or responsible public communication. Project planning, time management, teamwork, meeting documentation, version control, and file handoff. Active listening, empathy, conflict sensitivity, and the ability to build trust without overpromising. No applicant is expected to possess every interest or skill listed above. Selection should prioritize a clear match between the student’s preparation and one feasible project. A statement of interest, resume, and short matching interview are recommended.

Start And End Dates

Students can choose any 8 consecutive weeks. Earlier dates are preferred due to the intense heat later in the summer.