chennai, india
When Government school students STEAM-up the labs
Its additional vibrating feature triggers the holder from harm and gives them a higher sense of control over their movements. Lokeshwari is in Grade 10 at Govt GHS Kandigai School, and 7 years ago, she joined primary education, unaware of the doors the world of STEM technology would open to her. For her parents, this uncharted territory gives their daughter access to knowledge beyond their dreams.
“These youngsters have dreams, but they never had the right strategies or plans to achieve those dreams. Digital Academy through InnoSTEAM and other activations are helping them do that.”
In 2016, Capgemini India was looking to further a cause close to its heart – bringing digital literacy into Government and Government-aided schools. The Capgemini CSR team believed that young minds need to be trained to become critical thinkers, problem-solvers, and innovators to lead the country into the future.
India has an astounding 10,83,678 Government schools. To enable these children to become neoteric innovators, the Government started the Atal Tinkering Labs (STEM labs) under the Atal Innovation Mission.
These labs are placed in schools and include kits and equipment to understand and experiment with science, electronics, robotics, sensors and 3D printers and computers. However, only 9606 Atal Tinkering Labs are present in India, covering only a fraction of the Government schools.
This gap fuelled the idea to develop STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) learning among students in Government and Government-aided schools for Capgemini. SRF Foundation, a leading NGO in the education sector, came on board as its implementation partner across India to kickstart InnoSTEAM.
Before the STEM labs could be set up in schools, the administration and educators had to be convinced to welcome and support this initiative. Government schools in Chennai and Bengaluru were chosen as the starting point. But at the onset, the project was met with some resistance. It was deemed a distraction from the curriculum rather than an enabler to better learning. The InnoSTEAM teams wanted to showcase the programme’s merits and break this mindset.
“Children acquire an interest in STEM fields early. So it is important to teach and engage them positively with Science and Technology at a young age. But, the leap from being a beginner to a tinkerer to an innovator can’t be left to the child alone. It can happen only with collective support from all quarters of the education community.“
The team announced a STEM competition for students to demonstrate its feasibility in schools. And the students participated enthusiastically with displays, real-world solutions, prototypes and models. This inter-school competition witnessed participation from about 2000 students in Chennai and 600 students in Bengaluru. The big reception to the competition encouraged the schools to get on board quickly.
“During the competition, the Indian Institute of Information Technology Design & Manufacturing (IITDM) attended the function, saw the exhibits and realised the sheer potentiality of these schools. They wanted to collaborate with us and come on board as academic partners. Capgemini and SRF teams met with IITDM, and we signed an MOU soon after. This gave us an immense advantage of offering a best-in-class curriculum with our facilities. We had IoT, Robotics, Raspberry Pi, Woodworking, AI, 3D printer, Mobile Robotics etc. It was like we could provide IIT-level experience, customised for schools.”
The first STEAM labs by Capgemini were introduced in 8 schools in Chennai and 5 in Bengaluru under the InnoSTEAM project.
The teams set up labs customised to schools and are open to students from Grade 9 to Grade 11. The educators then guide and chart the students’ learning curve from beginner and tinkerer to innovator.
Adding Arts to STEM pedagogy was incorporated to cultivate creativity, making it far more immersive for children to absorb and develop their learning, problem-solving and innovative skill sets. Over the years, it has driven tremendous positive cultural and behavioural changes in children and teachers, especially those from underprivileged communities.
Post the inception of STEAM labs in GHS Kandigai School, visiting interns from Japan’s Nagasaki University to IITDM volunteered to teach the children. The consequent engagement resulted in Nagasaki University sending an invite for an all-expense-paid educational trip to the university.
Five students and two teachers from GHS Kandigai School travelled to Japan. In those ten days, a new horizon of learning, life and world views opened for these students and teachers who had never stepped out of Chennai.
“Going to Japan, observing their culture, and seeing the amazing Nagasaki University opened our eyes to the possibilities. It made us dream about a bright future and build our confidence in the power of education. We felt there was no stopping us.”
Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Noida
It has been woven into the Capgemini School Adoption Projects and its partner programmes, with thirty-four labs running across Noida, Chennai and Bengaluru schools. As a natural progression, Tinker Coding Labs were also formulated. With about 50 schools currently under its aegis and a purpose to reach 30,000 students, Tinker Coding will help kids from marginalised communities enhance their future skills. Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Noida have been identified as their main hubs. The InnoSTEAM and Tinker Coding has built credibility within the Government schooling system with their interventions. Niti-Aayog, the apex public policy think tank of the Government of India, recognises Capgemini for its interventions and impact. Today, InnoSTEAM also works closely with 120 Atal Tinkering Labs in 6 states, advancing digital literacy across India.
