The first Annual Human Values Fest took place on Saturday November 4th, 2017, at the Don Tew Performing Arts Center, in Leander. Hosted by the  Institute of Sathya Sai Education (ISSE) - USA, with support from local partner schools - Cedar Park Montessori and Sapientia Montessori - and other community supporters, the event drew hundreds of families from around Greater Austin to an afternoon full of joy and positivity.

 

The event featured: A human values art, music and creative writing exhibition of over 150 works by Primary and Elementary children (and their families); various value-based activities and crafts for children; an Elementary art and music contest; a display of community work by local service organizations. The day merged into an exhilarating evening concert with and world-class percussionists Gourishankar (Indian Tabla), Jerry Fields (Drum Set), Abou Sylla (African Drums), Mike Longoria (Latin American Percussion) and Nicolle Figueroa (Irish Bodhran), with a 20-minute fusion piece titled: Love - The Beat of Life. 

 

The highly inspirational evening was capped by a soul-stirring performance by international hip hop, MTV, humanitarian and value-focused artist: , who moved attendees with stories and songs such as: Grateful, Be Kind, Keep Loving and Planting Seeds, among many others. The evening ended with an awards ceremony dedicated to all participating children and artists.

 

Attendees rated the event as “unique”, “moved to tears” and “very impactful”, among others. The festival’s first instance was so well-received by the community that many individuals, schools and service organizations have already expressed interest in participating in Human Values Fest 2018.