Don Bosco Higher Secondary School Puthuppally was awarded ‘Best School in Experiential Learning with S.T.E.A.M Education’ at the Chitkara University’s 6th edition of International School Awards, on April 23rd, 2022, to celebrate and share innovation and learning with the purpose to promote holistic education and support National Education Policy 2020.
“Having understood the SCERT Kerala report, the recommendations of VIF Task Force, the NEP-2020, as well as the need for a therapeutic approach for our students, it was time for us to take the much-needed crucial positive steps forward after the pandemic had created a lot of learning gaps and to be recognized and appreciated for it through this award is a matter of great honour for our school” said Fr. Tony Cherian, Principal of Don Bosco Higher Secondary School, Puthuppally, Kerala.
The proven methodology to implement Experiential learning is through integrated S.T.E.A.M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) programmes. STEAM promotes growth and change in mental processes related to thinking, reasoning, memory and other areas of brain development acquired from a consolidation of knowledge gained through experiences.
International STEAM Research (ISR) has been doing phenomenal work in this field and have been empowering schools pan India to facilitate Experiential Education through S.T.E.A.M activities using Futuristic Technologies such as Drones, Robots, AR,VR, IOT, applied Coding etc at an affordable cost.
Jugend Eine Welt (JEW) – Austria facilitated Don Bosco Higher Secondary School (DBHSS) to partner with International STEAM Research (ISR) in order to implement Experiential Learning through S.T.E.A.M Education at DBHSS.
“Our students have been having an extraordinary experience within our STEAM Lab called ‘Happy Zone’, ever since Experiential Learning was introduced at DBHSS. The benefits of this intervention are multiple. It has transformed our school into a Happy Zone for children to remain curious, excited, and eager to spend quality time engaging in discovering rather than just covering their subject portions through rote learning. Along with learning numbers and facts, students are encouraged to develop the 4C’s of the 21st Century, i.e., Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration and Creativity, with a scientific and entrepreneurial attitude” says Fr. Tony.
It is imperative to state that this kind of education contributes to the ‘Education for Sustainable Development’ (ESD) and ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDG) of the United Nations.
