ISRO Scientists and Engineers to Mentor School Children from 100 Atal Tinkering Labs

ISRO scientists and engineers, in close coordination with Capacity Building Program Office, ISRO Headquarters, will actively mentors kids and interact with teachers 100 Atal Tinkering Labs adopted by the organisation. The Indian Space Resarch Organisation aims at encouraging experiments, brainstorming ideas and spreading awareness in space activities through this initiative. Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog and ISRO announced that the latter will be adopting 100 Atal Tinkering Labs across the country to promote education in the field of STEM, Space education and space technology related Innovations for school students.

Dr K Sivan, ISRO chairman, expressed hope that the step will help promoting innovation and the spirit of experiential learning among the school kids compared to traditional learning, according to a PIB release. He also opined that this project based learning will improve the attitude towards research right from the school days. With the adoption of 100 ATLs, distributed geographically in line with ISRO’s presence across the country, the organization is taking a small step in engaging with the students, towards giving them direction in pursuing their space dreams as a part of ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’, added the release.

To foster entrepreneurship and innovation, Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog has established over 7000 ATLs across the country so far enabling over 3 million students between Grade 6 to 12 acquire a problem solving, tinkering and innovative mindset. Through this collaboration, ISRO will facilitate coaching and mentoring of students in advanced cutting-edge technologies of the 21st century including those related to space. Apart from gaining theoretical knowledge, students will also gain practical and application-based knowledge of STEM and space education related concepts such as electronics, physics, optics, space technology, material sciences and so on.

Atal Innovation Mission had earlier collaborated with ISRO for the Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE-ANIC Initiative along with four other ministries to spur applied research and innovation in Indian MSMEs and startups. “I am glad that to nurture our future space scientists, ISRO in collaboration with their regional research centers are adopting 100 Atal Tinkering Labs, where ISRO scientists and researchers will personally guide and mentor the young innovators in the field of STEM education and Space technology,” said Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog.