Mysuru: Five more schools in the city will be getting Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL). The intention of setting up these labs is to foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds and inculcate skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning and physical computing.
The schools which will be getting ATLs are Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala, Excel Public School, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Koppal, Andalus English School and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Mysuru. An ATL is already set up at Kautilya Vidyalaya.
S Balaji, Principal of Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala, which is run by Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama and which has been securing 100 percent first class results for the past nearly two and half decades (except for two to three years) said, “ATL is a work space where young minds can give shape to their ideas through hands on do-it-yourself mode and learn innovative skills. Young children will get a chance to work with tools and equipment to understand the concepts of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.”
The objective of the ATL, which is an initiative undertaken by the Centre, is to cultivate a scientific temper among the students. Envisioned as a workspace where young minds can give shape to their ideas, the aim is to create one million neoteric or modern child innovators. The other objectives include fostering curiosity and creativity in the young minds, besides teaching them key skills such as computational thinking, physical computing and adaptive learning.
“Children will have an opportunity to work with scientific equipment and get a hands-on experience. They will also have a chance to understand the practical aspects of technology,” added Balaji. He also mentioned that it would take a minimum of three months to set up the labs as there are certain procedures needed to be followed before they were set up.
ATL would contain educational and learning “do-it-yourself” kits and equipment on Science, Electronics, Robotics, Open Source Microcontroller boards, sensors and 3D printers and computers. Other desirable facilities include meeting rooms and video conferencing facilities. In order to foster inventiveness among students, the ATL can conduct different activities ranging from regional and national level competitions, exhibitions, workshops on problem solving, designing and fabrication of products, lecture series etc., at periodic intervals. The government will provide grant-in-aid that includes a one-time establishment cost of Rs 10 Lakh and operational expenses of Rs 10 Lakh for a maximum period of 5 years to each ATL.
