IIT Gandhinagar’s Curiosity Lab to host ‘Camp Art & Learning’ to build intersections with science education
Gandhinagar: With an aim to emphasise the importance of integrating art within the curriculum for the overall development of students, encourage art exploration, nurture curiosity, and build intersections with science education, the Curiosity Lab of the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) is going to host ‘Camp Art & Learning’, an online camp for school students of classes 6 to 12, besides teachers, parents, and scholars of education, from February 3 to 5, 2023. Curiosity Lab conducts scientific research to learn how to increase students’ curiosity while learning. Since 2021, it has been organising ‘Curiosity Camps’ as an outreach initiative to stimulate the interest of schoolchildren as well as teachers and make learning fun and engaging.
This year’s Curiosity Camp is called ‘Camp Art & Learning’. The sessions are intended to introduce students and teachers to the idea of having art education in the school curriculum for a well-rounded education and overall student development. Art paired with education fosters creativity, self-expression and collaboration. It allows students to develop critical thinking skills and could also aid in building scientific inquiry. It promotes cultural awareness and interdisciplinarity and enhances overall academic achievement. Studies have also shown that students who participate in art education perform better academically. Art, integrated into other disciplines, enriches the overall learning experience.
The event aims to engage students, teachers, and parents through a range of activities and sessions spanning three days, focusing primarily on how art serves as a bridge between different disciplines, encouraging students to think creatively and critically about the world around them. Interested candidates can attend the event for free by registering at the following link: https://www.curiositylab.iitgn.ac.in/camp
Through ‘Camp Art & Learning’, IITGN brings together some incredible individuals who have been working in and researching different forms of art. Through their stories, experiences and insights, students and teachers will be extensively exposed to various means of nurturing creativity and self-expression in learning and stimulating scientific inquiry through art. This will provide them a gateway to holistic learning. Highly regarded professionals from India and abroad who will be addressing the workshop include:
●Brian Brophy, Hollywood actor, theatre artist, Director of Caltech Theater, and Scholar-in-Residence at IITGN, will speak on “How to Strengthen Scientific Communication through Storytelling”
●Jaya Iyer, theatre activist, film director and facilitator, will speak on “Theater for Exploring Oneself and to Experience the World”
● Avani Varia, heritage professional, artist, and Art Curator at IITGN, will speak on “Art and Sustainability: Role of Youth in India”
● Arghya Manna, comics artist, visiting artist at the MIT, and Artist-in-Residence at IITGN, will speak on “Exploring Science through Drawing”
●Cynthia Campoy Brophy, founder of ArtworxLA and Artist-in-Residence at IITGN, will speak on “Creativity in the Classroom”
● Sameer Sahasrabudhe, Professor of Practice of Design at IITGN, will speak on “Animate to Educate”
●Kanmani M, environmental researcher, artist, and Senior Research Fellow from the Chemical Engineering discipline at IITGN, will speak on “Art and Contemplation”
● Anisha Mohanty, musician, songwriter, artist, and an alumna of IITGN, will speak on “A Young Student’s guide to Documenting Art”
Sharing the idea behind ‘Camp Art & Learning’, Prof Jaison Manjaly, Principal Investigator, Curiosity Lab, said, “Art education is undervalued in the education curriculum. Its inclusion can significantly alter students’ interests, help them improve their critical thinking skills, and teach them how to think creatively. These skills are essential for the next generation of learners.”
The Important outcomes envisaged from this Camp include:
⮚ Encourage students to think creatively and express themselves in unique ways, which can help to build confidence and self-esteem.
⮚ Develop critical thinking skills in students through art, which will help them in all aspects of life
⮚ Promote cultural awareness among students through art education.
⮚ Encourage students to incorporate artistic elements into science, history, and literature. Students, for example, create a series of drawings inspired by a scientific concept.
⮚ Encourage students to make art-based scientific inquiry. Students can use art as a tool for scientific inquiry, such as by creating observational drawings of plants or animals or using photography to document the stages of an experiment or to illustrate a scientific concept.
⮚ Enabling a holistic learning environment through the sessions.
‘Visualising Through Drawing’ Competition
The Camp will conclude with ‘Visualising Through Drawing’ competition. One of the skills students will develop during the ‘Camp Art & Learning’ sessions is to improve their visual imagination and draw things that aren’t always in front of their eyes. Students are encouraged to participate in this competition by illustrating concepts and exploring their artistic talents. Participants will submit their drawings on the Camp Art and Learning website for a chance to win exciting prizes. Four school students from classes 6 – 12 are eligible to receive cash awards worth Rs 10,000/-.
IITGN offers a unique undergraduate and graduate education experience in India with unmatched innovations in curriculum. The Institute takes pride in its student-centric philosophy, which provides a safe, nurturing, and empowering environment for students.