Started in 2007 as an informal exchange program, Erasing Borders is now one of the corner stone’s for the D.A.V. Centre, New York. The core focus of this program is to establish a symbiotic relationship between middle schools, high schools and university students in America with similar aged group schools, colleges and universities in India. Through this program teachers and educators from schools in both communities (American and Indian) now have a formal platform for the discussion and exchange of ideas relating to innovative teaching and learning methods that can be implemented not just in their own classroom but also in the collaborative school classroom.

The program structure is as follows:

• A school in America is identified for its academic excellence and commitment to international values of education, diversity and equality
• The school is then paired with a collaborative school in India that shares similar values
• Both schools identify a pool of students who are representative of the student body and the values of their respective schools and communities. These students under the guidance of a school appointed mentor (teacher/professor) begins communication with the partner school
• Every exchange program has a commonly agreed upon goal and culminates by way of a public forum for students of both schools to present their collaborative work.  
  E.g. The SAVE-DAV team (St. Louis, USA and Gurgaon, India – middle school age group) presented their work and learning experiences at the International Science Exhibition hosted by D.A.V. India.
• Both schools serve as hosts during the year for the exchange program that allows the students to introduce their work, learning methods and experience the partner schools educational methods. American students are hosted in India for a short period (2 weeks) and vice versa.

Erasing Borders in 2010 is hoping to bring together a team for the World Scholar’s Cup (high school age group) by creating international teams that will compete on the subject of their choice.

Additionally, Erasing Borders is working on partnering Stuart Hall School, Virginia, USA with DAV Panvel, Mumbai, India in 2010.

In 2010 we also hope to establish an exchange program for university students and are discussing this opportunity with the School of International & Public Affairs, Columbia University and D.A.V. Colleges in India.

Under Erasing Borders with the help of Mental Health Research Initiative linkages will be established for practicum placement of University students with Not for Profit organizations working in the field of mental health, health, mental health, education, environment, employment , disability, development, governance, housing and other areas of empowering the disadvantaged sections of the society on mutual benefit basis, where students get hands on experience and organization gets help from students in rendering the services, documentation and dissemination.