ATL Schools across India celebrate Children’s Day with Mega Tinkering Activity and interaction with CEO, NITI Aayog

In a series of 2 day celebrations by Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog for Atal Tinkering Labs in schools across India, Mr. Parameswaran Iyer, CEO NITI Aayog interacted with students from ATL schools across the country in the NITI Aayog premises as well as virtually on November 15. The students showcased their innovation projects to the CEO and shared their modules of operation. An ATL experience zone was also set up for students to showcase their projects in the NITI Aayog premises.

With a vision to ‘Cultivate one Million children in India as Neoteric Innovators’, Atal Innovation Mission is establishing Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) in schools across India. Recently AIM has achieved the objective of establishing more than 10,000 ATLs in schools across India with an objective to foster curiosity, creativity, and imagination in young minds; and inculcate skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing etc.

Mr. Parameswaran Iyer, CEO NITI Aayog after his interaction with students said “I am delighted to see the energy and enthusiasm in the students today with these unique and innovative projects. ATLs have been unleashing the true potential of innovation, creativity and tinkering amongst students across the country. This will certainly help prosper the innovation spirit amongst the youngsters. The great access to guidance and infrastructure that students get in ATLs will enable our young innovators to give wings to their imaginations. Please keep up the great work and help solve problems in the community through innovation”

In this event some schools namely Paljor Namgyal Girls School, Sikkim, Govt Higher Secondary School Kotibagh J&K, Government Multipurpose Higher Secondary school, Bilaspur, Air Force School, Hebbal, Kendriya Vidyalaya Janakpuri and Bal Bharti Public School Pitampura Delhi shared about their innovation projects and their experience about ATL.

Vijaysubramanian S, student from Air Force School, Hebbal shared his experience saying that “Everyone has some aim and goal in life and my aim is to devise real life solutions with a combination of tech, innovation and business. Sessions conducted by ATL mentors have helped me in digital skilling, product designing and gave me an idea on how we can convert our prototype into a valuable product and earn through it. Students and teachers from Govt Higher Secondary School, Bilaspur shared that 5 students from their school’s ATL have received scholarships for engineering courses which will help share their bright future.

Earlier on November 14, in a first of its kind occurrence, around 1.5 lakh students from more than 5000 schools from India in the Atal Tinkering Labs programme of the Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog took part in a unique mega tinkering activity on the occasion of Children’s day. Several schools from the length and breadth of the country along with their students, ATL in-charges, principals, mentors, AIM team, and partners participated in the event virtually from their respective ATLs. In this event, participating students all across India built an innovation project together in one of the largest ever global tinkering events done collectively in a single day.

The mega tinkering activity was aimed at developing the attitude and aptitude to experiment and tinker amongst young students. ATL students across the country have been ambassadors of the tinkering movement and have used their creative energies to make better versions of the innovation projects. They also modified it to incorporate 3D printing in it. Some students also took it to the next level by designing complex robots and drones. ATL has been a front runner in helping with infrastructure and technical know-how of these innovation projects in schools.

Dr. Chintan Vaishnav Mission Director AIM in his message shared his remembrances from the first time he did such a tinkering activity as a child and said that “Children in today’s age have the tools and resources which were not available earlier. This event truly exhibited the ‘spirit of making’ in taking India to greater heights”.

The session was live-streamed on AIM’s YouTube channel for the teachers, students, and principals all across the country to attend.

To know more about ATL program please visit – http://aim.gov.in/atl.php