New Delhi, January 10. Honda Cars India has partnered with Juana Technologies to launch India Innovate — Wheels to Fly, the India chapter of an international STEM (science, technology, engineering & mathematics) and a ‘Race to the line’ competition. This fun-win-learn initiative is the country’s first STEM-based Model Rocket Car Making and Racing competition which proposes to attract 5,000 students from over 100 schools in 25 cities. The competition consists of two programmes — Fly to the Line (air glider design) for children in classes IV-V and Race to the Line (car design) competition for children in classes VI-X.
Introduced in the UK in 2015, the broad objective of the competition is to promote innovative thinking and inspire students to pursue careers in STEM-related vocations.
Comments Swati Ganguly, CEO & co-founder of the Delhi-based Juana Technologies: “We are thrilled to partner with Honda Cars in bringing this global competition to India. We hope with this integration of industry and academia, students will be inspired to pursue careers in STEM and learn to devise innovative solutions to manage complex life challenges.”
Adani-KISS School
Baripada (Odisha), January 8. Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the Adani-KISS Residential School for tribal children at Bankishole, Baripada, Mayurbhanj, Odisha. The Adani-KISS Residential School is established on 50 acres of land with financial support of the Adani Foundation. In the first phase, 1,500 students from Mayurbhanj district will be enrolled in classes I-XII.
Speaking on the occasion, Patnaik thanked the Adani Foundation and the KISS management for promoting this modern school for socially disadvantaged children. “Empowerment and change is only possible through education,” he said.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Priti Adani, chairperson, Adani Foundation added: “Education is the most powerful tool for social transformation. The Adani Foundation is happy to strengthen the educational scenario in the remote tribal areas of Odisha by partnering with the prestigious Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences.”
GISB’s UMass Week lectures
Mumbai, January 20. Under a partnership announced last August between the Mumbai-based Global Institute of Sports Business (GISB) and the Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, the first UMass Week lectures on sports marketing, market research, consumer behaviour and sponsorship were delivered in Mumbai by Dr. Elizabeth Delia.
Commenting on the experience, GISB program director, Neel Shah, said: “Dr. Delia’s sessions educated our students by applying the right mix of theory and practical learning for a number of core sports management subjects. In addition, this project enables our faculty to apply this global best practices curriculum in the Indian context.” GISB claims to offer India’s “first and only industry designed and internationally certified sports full-time study programme” of 15 months duration.
Infinity 2020 winners
Mumbai, January 11. Over 100 students from more than 30 Indian and overseas schools participated in ‘Infinity 2020 — The Ultimate Math Championship’ hosted by the Aditya Birla World Academy in association with BITS, Pilani in Mumbai. Infinity is a prestigious annual two-day inter-school mathematics competition held since 2014.
The winners of ‘Mathematician of the Year’ gold certificate and trophy were Anupsa Swain of Navrachana School, Vadodara and Ivan Toth-Rohonyi of the Mahindra United World College, Pune. Navrachana School, Vadodara was adjudged overall champion. The Scindia School, Gwalior and Mahindra United World College, Pune won gold certificates and trophies in the Bulb Your Ideas and Pass the Baton contests. Research mathematician Dr. James Tanton and Dr. Ranendra N. Saha, director of BITS-Pilani, Dubai campus, were guests of honour.
“It was evident that days and weeks of planning had gone into the event and it was meticulously executed by the math department and class XI students of Aditya Birla World Academy,” said Neerja Birla, founder and chairperson of the Aditya Birla Education Trust, speaking on the occasion.
Chaman Bhartiya School
Bangalore, January 22. Bhartiya City, described as India’s largest integrated smart mega township established on 125 acres in suburban Bangalore, inaugurated its Chaman Bhartiya School. This K-12 private school is set to admit its first batch of pre K-V children in June.
Chaman Bhartiya has signed collaborative partnerships with LEGO, Apple and the Global Schools Alliance. The school’s ‘We lead’ curriculum “which merges academic excellence with development of leadership skills and 21st century competencies,” has been designed by Danish educator Allan Andersen, founder of Orestad High School, Copenhagen, Denmark.
“We believe that given the right environment, tools and support, all children can be leaders. We have amalgamated the best Indian and Scandinavian practices to ensure that our students receive holistic education. We intend to break with India’s rote learning tradition and encourage real-life project-based learning to develop deeper understanding and skills to apply in real life,” says Andersen.