Two buses to become mobile labs for 800 students in Mumbai

Over the next two months, two buses will turn into mobile laboratories that encourage creative thinking for students studying in 12 city schools that are run by the civic body or the government.

The buses have been termed makerspaces — a collaborative workspace with learning aids — and will be operated by two trainers from the Bengaluru-based NGO Agastya International Foundation (AIF) who will provide hands-on tutorials for schoolchildren to design, experiment, build and invent.

The bus has tablets, computers, a 3D printer, construction tool kits and other devices which will be used by teachers to conduct training sessions.

Sessions will be conducted at schools such as Dr BR Ambedkar School at Worli, Abhudhyaya Nagar School at Lalbaug, New Sion Municipal School and Collectors Colony Municipal School at Chembur and others.

These “Banao Buses” will reach out to around 800 students in the city, before heading to Navi Mumbai.

“Today, everyone is talking about the application and integration of sciences, which eventually help create start-ups. If these children can be trained to innovate early in their lives, it will change their perspective of looking at things,” said Harshali Khandekar, senior programme leader with AIF.

Shreekanth Singare, a teacher from BPE Society High School, Bandra, said, “Students have started applying practical knowledge to theory, which helps increase their interest in studies.”