The one-year anniversary celebration and science exhibition of the “Isha Science Spark” project launched by Isha Outreach for rural students was held last Saturday at the Isha Natural Farming Complex in Semmedu, Coimbatore. Hundreds of students from the rural areas surrounding Isha participated enthusiastically.
This training is conducted to instill a passion for science in rural children and guide them towards higher studies in scientific research and exploration fields. Rural and tribal students from around Isha participated and benefited.
The “Isha Science Spark” training, which has been held for the past one year, has provided students with interesting and modern learning methods on various scientific disciplines. In particular, classes were conducted through multifaceted activities such as video demonstrations, practical experiments, live field trips, science educational films, game-based learning, quiz competitions, and making science diagrams.
In this training, classes on various scientific fields including physics, microbiology, astronomy, soil science, and marine science were held with practical explanations. In particular, students were given the opportunity to visit Isha’s soil laboratory directly to observe and learn about soil testing methods firsthand and to visit the state-of-the-art laboratory of Rathinam College to learn about microorganisms in detail using modern equipment. Furthermore, students were given clear guidelines on which scientific fields and what kind of jobs are available after completing their schooling.
Speaking at the one-year anniversary celebration, retired Group Head of ISRO’s Fluid Dynamics Program Centre and space scientist Mahesh Narayanan said, “Students should focus more on mathematics and science subjects right from their school days and get used to developing innovative solutions. Especially after class 12 and after undergraduate engineering, there are opportunities to work in ISRO and pursue higher education by passing certain entrance exams.”
Dr. Manickam Ramasamy of Rathinam Educational Group, who participated in the event, said, “The Isha Science Spark program is a wonderful opportunity for rural children. We are wholeheartedly ready to provide admission in science courses completely free of cost to students who have successfully completed this one-year Science Spark training when they come to our Rathinam College for higher education.”
In her congratulatory speech, Principal of Isha Vidya Matriculation School, Thirumarai Savitri Anand said, “Usually, it is a big deal for urban children to learn science through practical knowledge rather than just theory. But it is no ordinary thing that Isha Outreach has brought such world-class practical science education to poor children in rural areas, free of cost. This is a great blessing for these children. Sadhguru’s guidance and the dedication of the Isha Outreach team are the main reasons for this. In the next academic year, we will make full cooperation and efforts on behalf of our school administration to include more rural students in this program and reach out to many more people.”
Earlier, Swami Sidhakasa, Coordinator of Isha Rural and Tribal Welfare Department, welcomed the gathering. Saravana Kumar, a microbiologist and teacher of Isha Science Spark, spoke about the activities of the program. Certificates were presented to the students who completed the one-year training by special guests. At the end of the program, Kanchana Munirathnam, a software engineer and researcher in cosmology at Wipro, delivered the vote of thanks.
