Inspired By
swami
chinmayananda
Swami Chinmayananda founded CHYK with the vision of helping youth realize their latent and infinite inner potential.
“Youth is a stage in human development when the personality is bursting with energy, enthusiasm and dynamism [and] when receptivity and retentivity are at the optimum. What they require is a clear vision of a goal in life and exercises for the cultivation of the right values of life to enable them to mould their personality … This systematic preparation alone can equip the youth to face the challenges of life with a smile.”
swami
swaroopananda
Swami Swaroopananda is a colorful, interactive encyclopedia of the scriptures. Listening to him expound Vedanta at his youth camps or corporate workshops is breathtaking, but even watching him tend to his plants with his gentle care or eat the most mediocre meal with such deep appreciation is equally fascinating. Swami Swaroopananda’s life is an ongoing lesson in spiritual living, where the students never wait for the bell to ring.
Resident Faculty
Brahmachari
Hari chaitanya
Hariji will be leading YEP 2025 with his signature enthusiasm, creativity, and wisdom. He enjoys coming up with ways to make the timeless content of our scriptures relatable and impactful for today’s youth. Hariji has a welcoming and approachable personality and connects easily with youth due to his background; born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Hariji participated in the very first batch of YEP America in 2013! He will use his meaningful experience to guide the YEP students on their own enriching and transformative journey.
BrahmachariNI
SHUBHANI chaitanya
Shubhaniji’s passion for Vedanta radiates from her, igniting a spark in all who meet her. She empowers youth to think beyond their perceived limitations and embrace boundless growth. Shubhaniji is not new to running YEP – as a graduate of the India YEP program, she was one of two Yuvaveer admins of the inaugural batch of YEP America! In addition to captivating discourses, Shubhaniji will lead dynamic yoga and guided meditation sessions, shaping the YEP students’ bodies and minds to be strong, focused, and peaceful.
BrahmachariNI
AKALKA
Akalkaji’s friendly and enthusiastic personality attracts people wherever she goes, whether it be New Orleans, San Diego, Trinidad, or New Jersey. Akalkaji brings a plethora of Sanskrit teaching experience to YEP 2025, including time in the YEP 2016, YEP 2019, and 2016-2018 Trinidad Vedanta Course. She will guide students through the basics of Sanskrit, starting from letters! Akalkaji’s love for the divine language of Sanskrit will ensure the YEP students come away from the course with both the ability to converse in Sanskrit and appreciation for its spiritual significance.
BrahmachariNI
Sanjana
Sanjanaji will inspire the YEP students with her unique combination of sweetness, unwavering commitment, and relentless drive. Raised in New Jersey, she attended the 2nd ever batch of YEP America in 2014! In YEP 2025, Sanjanaji will lead interactive workshops, demonstrating how to transform what students learn into everyday tools for success. She will also facilitate lively group discussions, asking open-ended questions and challenging assumptions in order to guide students to foster a deeper understanding of the scriptures.
Visiting Faculty
Swami
Sharananda
Swami Sharananda is a lively and approachable teacher who has been serving at Chinmaya Mission Chicago since 1993. Having learned from Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda, Swamiji’s vibrant energy makes him a favorite among the youth. As one of the fittest Swamijis out there, he’s always up for speed walking, yoga, or sharing a good laugh, effortlessly matching the youthful vibes around him. Swamiji also has a soft spot for gardening, where he finds peace nurturing plants and watching them grow. Through all his fun hobbies, Swamiji sneaks in life lessons on alertness and living with values, drawing from the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads.
SWAMI
Ishwarananda
Swami Ishwaranandji is one of the Directors of Chinmaya Mission West, overseeing activities in North America. He is a longtime supporter of CHYK programs, having once been a CHYK himself. Swamiji encourages youth to ask questions; his answers delve deep into Vedanta philosophy and explain very technical concepts with logic and precision. Swamiji has authored many books, on topics ranging from mindful action to dissolving fear.
Swami
PRAKASHANANDA
Swami Prakashanandji will be traveling to YEP 2025 all the way from Trinidad and Tobago! Swamiji is popular among CHYKs due to his sense of humor, dynamism, and amicability. Swamiji’s discourses are filled with incredible depth of wisdom, and accompanied by melodious Trinidad-style bhajans, full of bhakti and devotion.
Swami
Aparajitananda
Swami Aparajitanandji’s clarity and logical explanations appeal to the rational minds of youth. Swamiji simplifies the complex subject of understanding oneself through clear and lucid explanations. The profound depth and of his understanding is clearly visible in the way he distills the spiritual philosophies of the scriptures in his discourses.
Brahmachari
SOHAM chaitanya
Sohamji skillfully connects the guiding principles of our scriptures with CHYKs’ ever-developing modern dilemmas. In fact, ask Sohamji any question, even the most mundane, and he can respond with a reference to a specific statement made in our scriptures! Sohamji’s refined understanding of the scriptures very effectively calls one to become better versions of themselves, especially when observing how he embodies spirituality in his life, through his pure conduct, gentle nature, and bountiful wisdom.
CHYK West | Youth wing of Chinmaya Mission centers of North America 