By Lalit K JhaWashington, Dec 8 (PTI) An Indian-American firm isplanning to introduce a new method of teaching science,technology, engineering and maths (STEM) to middle andsecondary school students in India through experientiallearning .
The Atlanta-based STEM Academy has said that it will opena "Center of Excellence" in Delhi next month that will trainand certify teachers.
It will be launched in selected schools across India fromJanuary 1 for students enrolled in grades four through 10.
The Academy's mission is to ignite the innovative traitin young Indian students and "create a new generation ofyoungsters who will think out of the box," said AmitabhSharma, a co-founder of the Academy.
Noting that this is quite in line with former USpresident Barack Obama's drive 'Educate to Innovate', Sharmasaid "if US can get benefitted with STEM, so can India withits current focus on aggressive programmes like 'Make inIndia', 'Digital India', 'New India' etc."The programme targets students enrolled in schoolsaffiliated with four major boards that regulate primary andsecondary school education in India: the Central Board ofSecondary Education, the Council for the Indian SchoolCertificate Examination, State School Boards and InternationalBaccalaureate.
"It is an interdisciplinary way of teaching maths andscience, integrated with day-to-day engineering andtechnology," said Sharma, who has an MBA, a law degree and adoctorate in marketing.
A serial entrepreneur with experience in oil and gas,information technology and education, Sharma is the foundingchair of the American India Foundation's Atlanta LeadershipCouncil.
Sharma said the Indian school outreach and implementationis being done by Gurgaon-based India channel partner MPowerGlobal STEM Education.
Observing that STEM has come to assume great significancein view of re-igniting innovation and creativity amongstschool going children, he said this methodology isincreasingly finding more followers every day as far as inIndia.
"Yet the efficacy of STEM based learning has by far beenlimited due to apparent lack of structure," he said, addingthat STEM Academy of USA has developed a unique implementationstrategy for India.
"The world has acknowledged the strength and significanceof practical project based learning. Perhaps it is time tomove away from traditional rote learning to out-of-the-boxcreativity oriented learning that nurtures well roundedleaders.""Indian youngsters then will well be on the path tobecoming capable world citizens and catapulting India to itsinventive best," Sharma said. PTI LKJ AMS AKJAMS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.