Introduction:
Innovation is the buzzword of the 21st century. Innovation is all about converting ideas into new or improved products, processes and services. It is about taking inventions to marketplace. It is a process that translates knowledge into products & services for economic growth and social well being. It emphasizes a series of scientific, technological, organizational, financial and commercial activities. The STI policy 2013 of the Govt. of India has also emphasized on the role of innovation and is committed to develop innovation incubators, wherein the youth of the country are nurtured and exposed to ideas and processes to inspire them to take up innovative activities from an early age. Setting up of Innovation hubs in Science Centres is a step in this direction.
What is an Innovation Hub?
National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) is implementing the project of setting up Innovation hubs in the country under the scheme of SPICES (Scheme for Promoting Innovation, Creativity and Engagement in Science) approved by Planning Commission and Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India. The objective of the Innovation Hub is to promote innovation, creativity and engagement in science.The components of Innovation Hubs are: Resource centre to access information on innovations & inventions, Idea lab to work on naive ideas of children, Tod-fod-Jod to dismantle and assemble gadgets, Kabaad-se-jugaad to make useful things from scrap &Idea box to drop ideas for national evaluation & competition etc. These would serve as springboards for new ideas and innovation and thus helping the society and economy to face future challenges and meet rising aspirations of the growing population. The Council has already set up five innovation hubs for young students in its science museums and centres in Kolkata, Bangalore, New Delhi, Guwahati and Mumbai.
Why an Innovation Club in schools?
Innovation Clubs in schools would help to engage students in innovative and creative activities apart from providing opportunities for Hands-on activities. This would be developed as part of the effort of the SPICES scheme to nurture a culture of Creativity and Innovation amongst school children from an early age. The setting up of Innovation Clubs would be made possible through a collaborative initiative between the existing Innovation hubs in science centres/museums and the interested schools in the locality.
The key and immediate objective of the Innovation Club in School is to create awareness, educate, nurture and inculcate a culture of innovation amongst school children and to enable them to generate new ideas and become more innovative.
Through the strategic partnership with Science Centres and the Schools, Innovation Clubs can reach out to our future generation, foster a strong bonding with children and embark on a critical mission to promote critical thinking, problem solving capabilities and adoption of innovative methodology as part of their lifestyle.
Suggested Activities of the Innovation Clubs:
- Group exposure/sessions of 2-3 hours/week for school students of every class.
- Enrolment of students as ‘Innovative Club Members’ and allow them to work on innovative projects or participate in activities after school, weekends or on holidays.
- Periodic activities/innovation fairs and competitions to keep the spark of creativity, innovation and design alive and thriving in students.
- Periodic interaction of the participants with Innovators/Inventors & researchers
- Periodic workshops on problem solving, generation of new ideas and solutions
- Periodic film shows on inventions & innovators
- Encouraging students to make use of locally available resources for hands-on activities to supplement curriculum based teaching in science
- Guidance for development of innovative scientific solutions to solve everyday problems
Development of program consists of a series of design and development activities that would be conducted using materials provided to the school by Science Centres. The aim is to foster creative and problem solving abilities amongst students and induce them to adopt out-of-the-box thinking methodology in finding solutions or improving the way they will view a problem and solve it in their daily activities.
Success Indicators
- The number of participants attending the Innovation Club activities and demand thereof
- Development of copyrighted and patented items or innovative designs /products as an outcome of such investigatory projects undertaken
- More participation, appreciation and recognition in International/National Science Fair/Innovation Fair
Responsibilities of School
- To provide a suitable room of approx. 100 sq.mts area for setting up of Innovation Club at the premises having provisions of mains supply of electricity.
- To equip the room with work tables (minimum two nos.), chairs, stools etc.
- To depute two science teachers formanagement of Innovation Club and its facilities
- To mobilise a group of 20-50 students to work in the innovation club as volunteers under the guidance of the teachers to be deputed.
- To enrol students from each class as members of the Innovation club.
- To constitute amonitoring committee consisting of one Leader teacher, one supporting teacher and a leader student for functioning ofInnovation Clubs.
- To make the facilities of the Innovation Clubs available to the students and teachers of the Schools and local communities on equitable basis.
- To tie up with various organizations, like minded institutions and NGOs in the various activities of the Innovation Clubs.
- To send periodic activity report regarding successful operation of Innovation Hub on regular basis (every 3 months) to respective Science Centres
- To coordinate with respective Science Centres for periodic review of Innovation Club.
- To provide and ensure all safety measures for running of the Innovation Club.
- To ensure that the facilities of the Innovation Club are utilized only for the objects of the scheme. In case of the closure of the facilities, the assets created for the facility shall revert back to respective Science Centres/museums.
- To provide other facilities to the innovation club as and when necessary
- To arrange for recurring grants for innovation club for supporting programs and carrying out routine activities
- To organise intermittent competition in the Innovation clubs such as finding the local problems, new project ideas etc. for which prizes/recognition may be given& encourage students to participate in national innovation fairs & festivals.
- To network with other innovation clubs in the country to share & collaborate on ideas and projects.
Responsibilities of Science Centres
- To provide technical support in the form of basic tools & shackles, equipment, raw materials, project manuals etc.(with total value not exceeding Rs. 50,000/-as per Annexure-I) to schools interested in setting up “Innovation Clubs” on their premises and through them promote a culture of innovation in the schools
- To provide posters, charts, instruction manuals, booklets and other publications for helping in innovation club activities for organising community oriented programmes.
- To provide circulating exhibitions, films, experts for organising regular innovation club programmes
- To provide necessary training to personnel engaged/deployed for running of the Innovation Club.
- To monitor the activities of Innovation Club
- To encourage discussion and interaction among students, mentors, and innovators
How to apply
The host institutions, independent organizations, schools/colleges, science clubs etc. can apply to the nearest Science Centres having Innovation Hubs for setting up of Innovation Clubs. The interested institutions should also mention their commitments for providing capital cost, recurring expenditures and infrastructural facilities.
Annexure I for setting Innovation Club in Schools [Click For Download]
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