JAMMU: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jammu today kick started a two-day workshop on "Effective use of ATLs for STEM" for the teaching staff of Sainik School Nagrota.

The workshop, taking place on 27th-28th May 2023, aims to equip school teachers with the necessary skills to operate the Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) already established at Sainik School Nagrota.

Atal Innovation Mission, with the vision of "Cultivating one Million children in India as Neoteric Innovators," has introduced Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) in schools throughout the country. This initiative seeks to nurture curiosity, creativity, and imagination in young minds, fostering skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning, and physical computing.

Dr Vijay Kumar Pal, Assistant Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at IIT Jammu and coordinator of the workshop, highlighted the significance of experiential and project-based learning in school education and its role in national development.

He emphasized that the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP-2020) by the Government of India places great importance on experiential and project-based learning

. "The training of school teachers is crucial in this transitional period, enabling them to pass on their experiential knowledge to young students and ignite their creative minds for product development," added Dr Pal.

The workshop featured a distinguished panel of experts, including Deepesh Patidar, Shivani, shutosh, and Vishal, who enlightened the participants on the concept of Ardino and demonstrated how to create captivating and innovative experiments for classroom teaching.

Furthermore, the teachers had the opportunity to visit the Institute Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centre (I2EDC) lab at IIT Jammu.

This visit provided insights into the effective utilization of machines for tinkering purposes, playing a crucial role in the advancement of STEM education.

Sainik Schools, by preparing cadets academically, mentally, and physically to join the Armed Forces as Officers, contribute significantly to nation building. Sainik School Nagrota has successfully established an ATL lab within their school.

Overall, the workshop aligns with the vision of NEP-2020, focusing on experiential and project-based learning to stimulate critical thinking and skill development in students