In an era governed by innovation in everything and how it is being done, it is 'curiosity' and 'creativity' that take the centre stage. They are at the heart of solving the most complex global problems. Atal Tinkering Labs, a part of the Atal Innovation Mission, is a unique initiative where workspaces are established in government schools with support from NITI Aayog to introduce a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship amongst school students. In this article, we will describe what this program is, its objective and how it has immense potential to identify talent, awaken curiosity and produce creative thinkers who will provide solutions to real-world challenges.
About Atal Innovation Mission
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is an initiative of the Government of India housed at the NITI Aayog, to promote innovation and entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of the country.
Under NITI Aayog AIM is an innovative organization that plays the role in the alignment of innovation policies between central, state and sectoral ministries, by promoting an ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship at various levels. Such as higher secondary schools, higher educational and research institutions, by a public-private partnership.
About Atal Tinkering Lab
With AIM under NITI Aayog, innovation and entrepreneurship have become an integral part of this nationwide program. It nurtures an innovative mindset amongst high school students across the length and breadth of India. With Atal Tinkering Lab children as young as 12 years of age are being introduced to the world of technology innovation within schools.
ATL fosters curiosity and lets innovators start young. Students are free to think and explore, try and fail, even come up with something out of the box. The program is designed to equip students with the 21st-century skills such as design thinking, critical thinking, computational thinking, digital fabrication, collaboration taking inspiration from:
The Stanford India Biodesign program, which was an initiative of the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India
All India Institute of Medical Sciences Delhi
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
Stanford University
ATL is encouraging students and teachers to experiment, explore and follow a self-learning path, thereby empowering them to think differently about problems and develop innovative solutions by leveraging the latest technology tools including 3D printing, Internet of Things, robotics, miniaturized electronics, space technology, drone technology, technology-inspired textiles and so on.
ATL is also providing other sections of the community including parents, mentors and other individuals interested in innovation to give life to their ideas. Through frequent community sessions, ATL is shaping an ecosystem wherein every individual can contribute towards finding solutions to day-to-day problems of the society and the country, henceforth creating a strong essence of national service.
Objectives of Atal Tinkering Lab
The major objectives of establishing ATL include the following:
To create workspaces where young minds can learn innovation skills, sculpt ideas through hands-on activities, work and learn in a flexible environment.
To empower our youth with the 21-century skills of creativity, innovation, critical thinking, design thinking, social and cross-cultural collaboration, ethical leadership and so on.
To help build innovative solutions for India's unique problems and thereby support India's efforts to grow as a knowledge economy.
Program Design of Atal Tinkering Lab
The ATL program design systematically helps the ATL In-charge to nurture the innovation mindedness amongst the young innovators. Beyond innovation, while engaging in ATL activities, students are benefitting on their overall personality development, soft skills, technology skills and the 21st century skills.
The ATL introduces Indian students to a very different microenvironment, that allows freedom to explore new 7 ideas, test them, and follow a 'learning by doing' approach. As students’ progress further in the journey, they are introduced to new technologies, and concepts of computational thinking, and physical computing and other sectoral areas. And finally, they begin working in teams, towards solving real world problems, leveraging their learning from the previous phases. Such a gradual approach, allows the students to acclimatize themselves to this new and innovative experience, learn new technologies, and appreciate the transformation within.
Significance of Atal Tinkering Lab for India
Combining the traditional teaching methodologies with today's experiential learning will be the key towards creating a unique blended education system in India. Keeping in mind the demands of the growing economy and global growth in innovation development, the Government of India, embarked on a noble mission to create an ecosystem that nurtures futuristic skills like complex problem solving, critical thinking, adaptive learning, computational skills in children, with a vision to create 1 million neoteric innovators, with the ATL initiative.
The ATL initiative, across India today, is tapping on the intrinsic imaginative and problem-solving knack of children and equipping them with the required skills of the future. Access to multiple ATL resources is helping them to ideate and create feasible solutions to substantial problems plaguing the community.
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