Nehru Centre to hold programme aimed at giving underprivileged students hands-on training in robotics, media, innovation
Students conduct an experiment during a training class by Agastya Foundation
Over the next 72 hours, Nehru Science Centre in Worli will be transformed into a centre for science and innovation, hosting 6,000 students - mostly from rural and government schools - and 300 teachers, as part of Agastya International Foundation's first edition of Anubhav. Agastya, a charitable trust, runs the world's largest mobile hands-on science education programme for economically disadvantaged children and teachers across 19 states in India.
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"It is a intense and exponential science and innovation fair," said Ramji Raghavan, founder, Agastya Foundation. "The children will be exposed to over 100 experiments in media, science, robotics, and innovation. We have about 200 children who will conduct demos for the visiting kids; so, it's children teaching children, in a way. There will be on display our mobile science models.
Raghavan added that there were over 33 mobile science vans and 25 science centres across Maharashtra, besides 17 labs on motorbikes. "They go around government schools. Each van carries 150 hands-on experiments, with a driver and two teachers, and visits 100-odd schools a year. We work out a schedule with the schools - the van pulls up to the premises and runs hands-on classes for the students," he explained.
"Children don't get hands-on training in schools; most of their knowledge is theoretical. So, what we do is let them see and do things on their own, allow them to relate to the experiments in their own way." CEOs, scientists, entrepreneurs and innovators are expected to attend. "We want people to see our work; we hope that once they do, they will want to get involved," he said.
6k
No. of students in attendance
100
Experiments to be conducted
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