For children science is like a magic, getting to know the science behind an experiment or any naturalistic phenomenon backed by science is like knowing the magic trick.
Science is not just a subject, it’s a way of life. These days everywhere, young minds are brimming with ideas which when combined with science become inventions. There is no limit to what one can do with science and thus keeping in mind its importance in our lives, ARCH Foundation has launched a new initiative, Science Theatre.
Science theatre, an initiative taken by ARCH Development Foundation, is an approach to STEM education that integrates high quality, hands on instructions with a deep commitment to serving the community – says Sonkee Shah, CEO of ARCH Foundation. She further adds, during these difficult times, when the schools are closed and students are disconnected with learning, the team of ARCH came up with a fun learning zoom call where they connect with children to teach them the art of science. So far we have conducted 58 workshops covering 1800 students from government schools.
Science Theatre is an extra-curricular program wherein the students are taught fun and simple experiments with readily available household items. These workshops are conducted online and the students enthusiastic is beyond measurable! It’s not every day they get to do interesting scientific experiments at home and it’s a ‘Eureka’ moment for them every time their experiment is successful.
These experiments tickle their scientific curiosities as well as their creative faculties. 58 workshops have been organized till date but the excitement keeps increasing every time as the student participation keeps increasing. Sometimes they are so curious and inquisitive, they keep questioning the instructor about what to do next. While the instructor make sure that all students’ queries are solved, sometimes the teachers who also are witnessing the workshop have to tell the students to ‘Curb Their Enthusiasm’!
Kalpesh Patel – Project incharge for STEM workshop says that the workshops have been a tremendous success. The students look forward to these workshops and rightly so, as these workshops are very hands-on and activity based rather than being just boring classroom lectures. In Science Theatre workshops, children get to see the applications of important scientific concepts in real life which helps them understand effectively. They grasp the concept much more quickly than they would do in a normal class. When asked questions, they are able to answer quickly and correctly which goes to show the effectiveness of this program.
During the workshop the instructors are very motivating and diligent and make sure that every student has completed a step before moving on to the next one. They are patient with the students and monitor their progress throughout the workshop. There is a sense of comfort and camaraderie between the students and the instructor which allows the students to freely ask their doubts in class without hesitating.
All in all, these workshops have been extremely fruitful for both the students as well as the organization. Through programs like these, ARCH has made remote learning easier, accessible and most importantly, interesting for these students and this way, education does not come to a halt. Who said learning was only possible in schools!? Here’s hoping for more such workshops and programs in the future!
