Did you know it was World Science Day for Peace and Development on November 10th? According to the United Nations, the day is celebrated to
a. Strengthen public awareness of the role of science in peaceful and sustainable societies.
b. Promote national and international solidarity for shared science between countries;
c. Renew national and international commitment to the use of science for the benefit of societies;
d. Draw attention to the challenges faced by science in raising support for the scientific endeavour.
We at Agastya believe in the power of useful STEM education, and this is one of the reasons why. Science can change the way we live for the better, and access to such education can help children in far-flung places participate in the process. After all, these places are most adversely affected by the climate crisis, conflict and such. Agastya’s work helps them bring their voice to the table and improve the situation hands-on by ensuring they have the tools to engage in scientific debate.
Sure, this is not done on an international level at a large scale, but ensuring STEM education is accessible in every corner of India helps reach the domestic pockets that have been underserved for decades. It helps every child gain the confidence and resources necessary to access better opportunities and raise the standard of living. And if the conditions improve little by little individually, the whole society is benefitted at large.
Thus, we ensure that, along with science education, we do our bit to spread the spirit of community and innovation that can help ease living conditions. Our syllabus includes space for children to experiment, innovate, and come up with solutions for everyday problems. The result? Over the years, children have come up with multiple innovative models and projects that, to name a few: increase road safety, help with farming organically, reduce the usage of coal while providing alternative energy sources, make access to medical resources easier in rural and hard-to-reach areas, guide mental and physical well-being, and make learning easier with cheap to produce tools. These are just a few examples of the many ideas and prototypes witnessed at the Agastya Innovation Hub and the science and innovation fairs we’ve held across the country over the years.
We are proud that our work has been helping cultivate the scientific spirit of future generations, helping them solve problems one sustainable solution at a time. Isn’t that what development is about?
