“Science is nothing but the method of arriving at the facts. It is the understanding of this method that is most fundamental to science education, Kids should be trained to be sceptical and, at the same time, embrace empirical evidence,” proclaims Obuli Chandran, co-founder of the Coimbatore-based Mango Education. This science education group has now completed four years and is proudly stepping into its fifth.
Learning about computers, inside and out
When they began, the aim was to make science and technology interesting to children. “One of our principles was to break the boundaries between subjects,” explains Obuli, “unite them under common themes through which kids learn. For example, in Astronomy, you will also learn physics, mathematics, biology as in astrobiology, chemistry, history, and kids express what they have learnt through arts and much more.” This idea, he continues, has evolved over time with interactions with parents, other educators and kids. Though satisfied with how the group has evolved, Obuli says there is something new to learn everyday and this will help them keep growing.
Mango began with workshops and has included intensive classes, field trips, interactions with scientists, and online seminars in their repertoire. But there’s much more to do, says Arumugam Sankaran, the other founder. “Fundamental sciences are a vast field where we are exploring subjects like geology, microbiology and unexplored parts of chemistry, and more. We are also focusing on data science, simulation and various other computer tools for children to work on citizen science projects and open source contributions. Last year we tried doing online courses on astronomy and wildlife, which turned out to be successful for us. We are moving ahead with self-paced online courses for kids between eight and 15 years.”
The Mango Education team with founder Obuli Chandran (second from left standing) and Arumugam Sankaran (third from right seated)
There have been plenty of challenges along the way, recalls Obuli. The biggest challenge was to “convey what we stand for and what we do, among the ocean of educational centres.” The viability of the business model and building a team were other issues. Obuli says the current team is a “great one” and that they are working on the viable business aspect. “Another challenge was to understand what parents and kids were looking for and how that fit it with what we have to offer. We had a steep learning curve. It was tough, but completely worth it.”
Astronomy is among the more popular courses
- Fourteen-year-old Lohith Aswa has been with Mango Education for two years. “Physics-related programmes are my favourite, especially astronomy. I would like a new programme in which one can learn basic meteorology.”
- Mridhula B, 13, has attended 12 programmes in two years and says they helped her gain “knowledge and technical skills related to photography and other basic sciences”.
- Twelve-year-old Akshaj J Gopal’s favourite is the Mango Astronomy club, which “sparked my interest in astrophysics.” He mentions learning “trigonometry, calculus and vector analysis sounds scary but is in fact quite interesting.” All this has taken him closer to his goal of being an astrophysicist. Akshaj would like a programme on aerospace engineering.
- Srinivas Padmanbhan, 11, delightedly recalls learning “about neutrinos at the India-based Neutrino Observatory in Madurai. His learning over three years is “how to look at the sky and what a tiny speck we are in the universe.”
The parents seem to concur. Hema RV says not only has her son gained but she herself has too. “My son is interested in learning experientially and by active participation rather than book learning. He has developed interest in various fields and his confidence has strengthened. His interpersonal communication has improved and the outdoor programmes have trained him to adapt to the situations. I have gained friends’ in the community with a similar mindset and my own interest in science has been kindled. My hobbies have widened to include sky watching, photography, and nature walks.”
Satish Venkataswamy also says that his son’s interests have grown wider and stronger. “It has been and still is a very fun educational ride for my son and this is how learning is supposed to be.” Vijayalakshmi R feels that the nurturing of her son’s passion and skills has led to an internal growth. “ His view on education is totally different from the traditional mark-based studying. He knows more than his academic subjects,” she says.”
- According to Obuli, the high point was “partnering with Prezantim Events to organise SCICON 2019: A Science Conference for Kids, in which scientists and experts from across the country came to Coimbatore to address nearly 500 kids. The entire show was hosted by the kids; we were just working in the back-end. It was a joy to see kids take ownership and a big morale boost for us.
- As far as lows are concerned, the only one was “the financial difficulty we had to tide over.”
As the group enters its fifth year, I ask where they see themselves in the 10th. “As a large community of science enthusiasts, kids, educators, experts and scientists,” says Arumugam. “Still continuing to deliver science education to the best of our abilities, and focusing more on efforts towards a scientifically literate society at large. We will continue to expand on how research and innovation, combined with interdisciplinary learning, can create a new generation of problem solvers who are able to think globally and also act locally. Right now, there is a growing disparity in education due to income levels. We hope science becomes more accessible to everyone.”
