To her friends in India, Sandy McDivitt, the executive director of Forest Charter School in Nevada City, is known by the nickname "Priya," which in Hindi means "the beloved."

McDivitt is so cherished by her Indian pals, they've convinced her to relocate to India and become the principal of a new school that starts next spring in Gurgaon, near New Delhi.

McDivitt, 59, is retiring next June from Forest Charter School. After that, she will spend at least a year in India working for the school, she said.

"I love India. I love the idea of bridging the two countries," McDivitt said. "I believe in an international approach, as globalization becomes a reality. I think we have a lot to learn from each other."

The school in Gurgaon will be based on the philosophy of "education for life," which has its roots in the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, McDivitt said.

"The basic principle is in the need for helping children develop four main tools of maturity - the body, the feelings, the will and the intellect," she said. "The philosophy is based on cooperation and is child-centered. We believe in small classes. We start with the child, where she is and then nurture the child from that point. It's similar to the system of personalized learning in Forest Charter School."

McDivitt said she's thrilled with "the idea of making new friends, about what I have to learn from India and bringing this very engaging (educational) philosophy to students."

McDivitt has nurtured a strong bond with India and its culture over several years.

She moved to western Nevada County in 1992, when her son wanted to go to the Ananda Living Wisdom School in Nevada City. Later, in 1998, she visited India for the first time and visited New Delhi, Calcutta, Darjeeling, Puri, Varanasi and Rishikesh.

Last fall, McDivitt spent some time in Rishikesh, in the Himalayan foothills, visiting a school for poor children established by two of her friends.

"I took projects from our students at Forest Charter to those students," McDivitt said. "Then those children made projects for our students ... with the purpose of developing a relationship."

McDivitt has a master's degree in multicultural education from the University of Colorado in Boulder. Her interest in foreign cultures grew from spending her growing years in Peru and Chile.

McDivitt founded Forest Charter School in Nevada City in 2002.

"I'm in love with the school," she said. "But I have so much confidence in my staff, that I think (my retirement) is the right next step for everyone."

To contact Soumitro Sen, e-mail ssen@theunion.com or call 477-4229.