Introduction:
The Vikram A Sarabhai Community Science Centre (VASCSC) was established in 1966 by Indian scientist Dr. Vikram A Sarabhai. Located in Ahmedabad, the centre sees hundreds of students each year from different grade levels ambitious to learn about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) related subjects. The vision for this centre: to create a deeper understanding of fundamental scientific concepts among students, educators, and the general public through engaging methods. Some subjects one can find at the centre that have interactive learning modules are biology, astronomy, physics, mathematics and chemistry among others.
This community science centre is a testament towards making STEM learning engaging and fun for students. Making complex concepts easier to understand and accessible to a greater population. The centre has also been successful in opening up STEM labs throughout the state of Gujarat in India. This has resulted in many more classrooms having the utilities and tools to conduct scientific experiments and learn from them as a result.
Reason for my Visit:
I chose to visit the VASCSC in order to better understand how STEM related subjects could be implemented in schools. Executive Director of VASCSC and my Senior Fellow of the American India Foundation (AIF) Banyan Impact Fellowship, Dilip Surkar, approached me with the idea to visit the centre as my project would greatly benefit from implementing more STEM curriculum in the schools I was looking into. As I currently work in the rural district of Dang, Gujarat, my work aims to innovate Learning Resource Centres (LRCs) in schools. These schools work with the Learning and Migration Program (LAMP) of AIF. The main goal of LAMP is to bring quality education to students of migrant families; students that have their education disrupted or stopped completely due to distressed migration patterns. This can be due to seasonal patterns as many families that rely on agricultural work/crop yields as their main source of income. Students face the challenge of then going back into school, grasping new concepts, and sometimes trying to catch up on material they missed. Science and Mathematics are subjects students in Dang struggle the most with, however, it is also an area where more learning can be implemented.
Students in Dang have been introduced to concepts of biology, geography, astronomy, and chemistry so far. However, such concepts are limited in their scope and other topics are completely absent altogether. My goal was then to visit my Senior Fellow at the community science centre in Ahmedabad; learning about how they provide new STEM learning concepts to students. In this visit, I aimed to take note of their materials used, the timeline in which such concepts can be introduced, and the feasibility of applying this to the context of Dang.
Reactions:
Once I arrived at VASCSC I would go on a tour throughout the building guided by the VASCSC staff. In each department, facilitators explained to me what they usually did on a regular day to engage and teach students. Concepts such as rocket science, biology, chemical reactions, optics, astronomy and planetary systems, 3D printing, virtual reality, and mathematics were being taught through interactive and engaging lessons. Students were allowed to make rockets out of plastic bottles, take part in chemical experiments, look through a solar telescope, and figure out complex mathematical concepts as well as physically manufacture 3D models.
After the guided tour, taking a picture after being able to see solar spots through the telescope, receiving a presentation about the numerous science labs created in schools throughout Gujarat, and getting a variety of souvenir posters from the VASCSC… I would say that I was beyond ecstatic and euphoric! I have always been a lover of science, and all throughout school my favourite subjects were art, history, and science. Being at the VASCSC made me want to spend an entire day there, especially with how amazing the team treated me. I even wanted to ask if they had open positions.
My overall reaction was positive. Not just because I enjoy science, but from seeing how many of these concepts were being taught. From a detailed explanation on how lessons were carried out, every learning module incorporated hands-on activities and really let students learn from their mistakes, assess their own progress, and create what they desired. Whether it was in the rocket lab or chemistry room, students had the freedom to explore, ask questions, and try out new ideas that fueled their curiosity. No concept was off limits, and students from all grade levels could come to learn something new or refine their skills on a particular topic. Furthermore, students were using technology and materials that would enhance their problem solving skills and make them better adaptable to 21st century problems. Data analysis, robotics, computer programming, chemical/biological engineering, and astrophysics were only a few of the numerous skills I noted being continuously developed by the VASCSC. I was further amazed that so many schools had acquired science lab resources from VASCSC with modern equipment to aid in students’ learning and growth. A key moment in my visit, as I imagined how crucial this was to the development of future scientists in India.
What We Can Learn:
What did I learn? As I reflect on my visit and the wise words of my Senior Fellow, I realize one important takeaway from this experience. India’s National Education Policy of 2020 (NEP 2020) is well on its way to meeting its goals. Within the policy, amongst bringing quality education to rural areas within the country, increasing literacy rates, and addressing digital illiteracy, the policy’s vision is for Indian citizens to be well adaptable and ready for the globalized 21st century market; becoming “global citizens”. Of course, the results from the measures of this policy will be seen in the future, and many organizations have been around far before the policy took effect. However, having these goals physically articulated on paper allows for a goal that demonstrates to the world where India prioritizes its energy in: its youth.
This visit put into perspective everything I had done in my project up until this point. Being a part of numerous Foundational Literacy and Numeracy events, LRC visits, and proposing numerous innovations for these visits made me realize how different the educational experiences of these students were from mine. My main objective was not only to produce sustainable and interactive learning modules, but also make them fun. And this is what I saw in my proposals and in the VASCSC reflecting on my seven month journey so far. Students in elementary school were not learning strictly from a textbook, not just theory, but were actually testing and doing the experiments they were reading on paper in real life. It inspired them, it brought them excitement, and made the learning process that much more enjoyable. Throughout my project, the AIF Dang team saw how attendance throughout the schools we attended the most were increasing or steady, seeing a reduction in drop-out rates from students.
“If only,” I thought to myself, “my friends and I had these activities and materials in our elementary schools growing up. It would have been easier to go instead of making up an excuse not to go.” – I admitted this to my Senior Fellow, Dilip Surkar.
Concluding Remarks:
I believe that the world can learn from the way education is progressing in India. Even a district like Dang, Gujarat, known to be a poor district, has had intense mobilization for development in its education sector. Having done my education in the United States, I can say that some schools have more interactive activities and hands-on learning than others; those that are properly funded. Not every school is the same, this is true, but the idea of learning primarily through interactive and engaging activities instead of through a textbook in the U.S. is sparse. I would have more interactive learning once I was in secondary school, and even then, many science classes focused on textbook learning; sacrificing time doing lab experiments if necessary. I believe that having interactive activities, in all subjects, in schools regardless of funding availability, can greatly benefit all students. It would change the decades-long perception in regions where the idea of going to school feels like a chore. School, in my opinion, should be a place children are excited to go to and not just a place they feel forced to go to because they have to pass that exam in order to get into a good secondary school so they can get into a good university. It should not be as methodical.
Students would drop out at a lesser rate and feel encouraged to pursue higher education. Exam days would not be as stressful, and a student’s confidence in grasping a concept would be stronger. In this case, the world can learn a lesson from India’s current educational landscape and its plans for the future of its citizens. Creating “global citizens” that are capable of competing in a globalized world and solving problems that may not exist today. All attributed to the idea that a system supported their learning and increased their interest in learning by not extinguishing their curiosity or imagination. Allowing its citizens to test, fail, explore, create and engage with academia. The recipe for success in a country steadfast towards its vision for a better future.
