Every Child a Scientist Program at MSSRF
PRESS RELEASE
Corporation school students benefit from Every Child a Scientist program at MSSRF
Today March 23, 2022, thirty school students completed the 15-day science course at M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, Taramani, Chennai. Each of them was awarded a certificate by the Executive Director – Dr G N Hariharan, and the other scientists from MSSRF. The children (both girls and boys) are from Class VIII, and study in the English and Tamil medium Corporation Higher Secondary school, Taramani.
“Every Child A Scientist” (ECAS) program at the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) was initiated in the year 2002 with an aim to kindle scientific curiosity among students in the age group of 12- 15 years. These students lack access to recent developments in science and to use modern scientific and learning tools, but are eager and have a tremendous capacity to learn. The ECAS programme focuses on triggering the ability to question, in the students of classes VI to VIII studying in Corporation schools, that are overseen by the Education Department, Corporation of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Every year about 300 students from Government schools from specific zones of Chennai Corporation utilize the facility.
“Children’s scientific temperament directly contributes to a country’s progress,” says Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, who donated an initial endowment grant of Rs. 25.00 Lakhs associated with the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Development, and Disarmament. Prof. Swaminathan was the recipient of the prize in 1999.
Learning materials and Facilities at the Centre
• The centre is equipped with modern learning tools specifically to bridge the digital divide. Individual desktop systems will provide for personalised educational platform, sharpen their computer skills to make them “Future Ready” in the era of digitization.
• About fifty specially tailored multimedia learning modules have been prepared, and the 15-day course will be flexibly tailored using these modules.
• The developed course content is based on topics prescribed in their school curriculum with additional relevant information to make learning easier and interesting.
• Conducting basic laboratory experiments to promote “learning by doing” in physics, chemistry and biology
• Field activities to nurture a connect with nature in all its diversity, specifically soil, water, flora and fauna and their inter- connectedness of all life forms
This program continues with generous CSR funding by the Larsen and Toubro group as well as administrative support by the Education Department, Corporation of Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
The inauguration program Hon’ble Minister for School Education, Government of Tamil Nadu, Shri Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, is here https://www.mssrf.org/small-press/need-of-more-science-based-education-to-counter-misinformation-2/
