E-Paper
Phungewadi municipal school in Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporation chosen for setting up Atal Tinkering lab
According to civic officials, the chairman of PCMC education committee will hold a meeting next week with officers of civic education department to discuss the plan, including project funding, in detail.
The school in Phugewadi run by Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporation (PCMC) has been identified for the Atal Tinkering lab (ATL) under the flagship initiative of Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and NITI Aayog, government of India. The central government supported laboratory is developed to cultivate innovators and foster inventiveness and entrepreneurship skills among students.
Speaking to Hindustan Times, Sonali Gavhane, chairman of PCMC education committee, said, “Initially, we have identified one school and other schools would be covered in a phased manner.”
Giving details about the laboratory, Jyotsna Shinde, PCMC education officer, said, “These are not actual labs, but are dedicated workspaces in schools to nurture the innovation skills and creative ideas in children. Apart from providing hands-on learning, ATL will foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds. It will also help in inculcating skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning and physical computing.”
Shinde said that the lab would introduce the students to electronic devices like robotics, sensors, and the Internet of Things (IOT).
The PCMC will appoint one counsellor at the school level to guide, teach the students and train the faculty to handling new equipment and projects.
According to civic officials, the chairman of PCMC education committee will hold a meeting next week with officers of civic education department to discuss the plan, including project funding, in detail.
The lab is an attempt to introduce the students to the 21st generation learning systems, with the enhanced focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through do-it-yourself (DIY) kits on latest technologies, including 3D printers robotics, IOT miniaturised electronics, microcontroller boards and sensors. Recently, a delegation from PCMC visited New Delhi to study the education pattern in the Capital’s civic-run school. After that, PCMC has decided to develop ten municipal schools under the Smart city project.
.
