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Event - Science Experiments ( 30 July 2018 to 03 August 2018 )

"Vidnyanvahini", a not-for-profit organization located in Pune in India, seeks to bridge the huge gap that exists in the standard of teaching science between rural and urban schools in the state of Maharashtra. This is sought to be done through a variety of activities.

The backbone of Vidnyanvahini is its team of volunteers consisting of retired scientists, engineers and teachers, collectively called the Dialogue and Action Group (DAG). The MSL carries a team of five to six members of DAG to the selected school on a given day. Priority is given to small rural high schools, which lack a science laboratory and do not enjoy state grants. During a tightly organised full-day session, students perform some science experiments themselves in groups of 4 to 6 and observe demonstration of others. The theoretical principles underlying the experiments are also explained to them. This is supplemented by educational audio-visual material, exposure to sessions on the environment, hygiene and guidance on issues of adolescence. In a typical year around 135 school visits are made by the MSL.

Besides school visits, a number of teacher-training workshops are held to enhance science-teaching skills among rural school teachers. An annual student camp seeks to expose rural students to a variety of developments in science and technology through presentations from subject experts and visits to factories, and laboratories. In addition, several book-bags are distributed to schools as mobile libraries.

• Scientist Name: Snehal Godse, Suresh Yerunkar , Atik Shekh , Urmila Parchure, Shubhangi Parkar, Nalini Mungel