Ingersoll Rand launches Mobile science lab to revolutionize rural education in Ghazabad

The initiative will generate over 16,000 children exposures and over 150 teachers exposures through the year towards supplementing government school system with experiential science learning

India CSR News Network

SAHIBABAD: Ingersoll Rand, a world leader in creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments, has partnered with Agastya International Foundation to launch a Mobile Science Lab in Ghaziabad, India.

The Mobile Science Lab will help benefit economically disadvantaged government school children in remote, rural areas and train teachers from the government schools in hands on pedagogy. Children trained and educated by Agastya will get an opportunity to learn and understand the basic science principles through creative science models and interactive demonstrations rather than through rote learning.

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Ingersoll Rand has now deepened its focus on spreading science education across India through one Science Centre at Government Girls Senior Secondary School in Jacobpura, two Mobile Science Labs in Naroda and one Mobile Science Lab at Chennai, Mumbai, Bidadi and Sahibabad each.

The science center was inaugurated  at the Government Inter College, Nandgram, Ghaziabad in presence of the Raj Singh Yadav, District Inspector of Schools (DIOS), Sunil Khanduja, Ingersoll Rand Sahibabad Plant Head, Ratish Pandey, Director North Region, Agastya lnternational Foundation, employee volunteers from Ingersoll Rand, team from Agastya International Foundation, school authorities and the students.

The Mobile Science Lab is a very powerful and innovative instrument to revolutionize rural education and make hands-on education increasingly accessible. It is a catalytic channel that is fun, engaging and interactive, aimed to raise awareness among disadvantaged children and teachers of the value of learning – with a focus on science. Each Mobile Science Lab travels to doorstep of remote schools with 100+ hands-on science models covering a wide range of topics in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Math for Class 5 through 10. The teaching approach is consistent with the National Curriculum Framework and the topics overlap the NCERT syllabus.

The Mobile Science Lab will be of great impetus for students and teachers in the vicinity, and will aim to deliver to 16,000 children exposures in a year of its operation. Additionally, teachers will be trained with an aim to disseminate knowledge and propagate creative-thinking and problem-solving skills among government school teachers.

The Mobile Science Lab will also conduct Science Fairs and Summer Camps in which Young Instructors will be identified and trained to demonstrate science concepts to their peers through peer-to-peer learning.

Ingersoll Rand is supporting the Agastya Foundation team with essential equipment, training of staff, infrastructure cost and expertise for imparting science education through innovative means.

Geetanjali Bhatia, Leader Corporate Relations & CSR, Ingersoll Rand India said, “At Ingersoll Rand, our key focus areas for CSR include Education, Healthcare & Sanitation, providing Livelihood and Sustainability. As an organization, we are committed to good corporate citizenship and believe that advancing the quality of life requires taking an active role in addressing social issues that impact our organization and the communities we operate in.”

“With our long term successful partnership with the Agastya Foundation, we are taking steps to provide quality education to the economically disadvantaged in remote areas and further science literacy in the bright minds of this country. Through our programs, we aim to challenge rote-based classroom learning and spark curiosity, creativity and build leadership among these children”, added Geetanjali.

“The Ingersoll Rand Mobile Science lab in Ghaziabad is the first Agastya project in the region and also the seventh Mobile Science Lab in India with our partnership. We are delighted with the response we have received so far from across the country.  With these projects, our aim is to provide teachers with tools and methodologies to explain concepts creatively and encourage curiosity and promote experiential learning”, shared Ratish Pandey, Director North Region, Agastya International Foundation.

“Agastya in partnership with Ingersoll Rand is committed towards spreading this science revolution to demonstrate to children that learning can be Fun, Useful and Accessible”, added Ratish Pandey, Director North Region, Agastya International Foundation.

Ingersoll Rand is committed to India and is implementing strategies for product innovation and design for Industrial Technologies; Food Safety; Energy Efficiency and Sustainability. The company is based out of 21 locations in the country. Ingersoll Rand believes that Innovation for emerging economies is critical for products to succeed in these markets. The company has two world class manufacturing facilities at Naroda and Sahibabad; and Engineering and Technology Centers at Bangalore and Chennai. Ingersoll–Rand (India) Limited is listed on the National Stock Exchange of India and the Bombay Stock Exchange.

Agastya International Foundation

Founded in April 1999, Agastya is a charitable education trust that runs the world’s largest mobile hands-on science education program for economically disadvantaged children and teachers.  Agastya has reached over 8 million children and 200,000 teachers from 18 states in India.

Watch Science Lab in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5p87Y9N6WA