Twelve class IV-IX children were adjudged Student Icons of India at the national finals of iKen Scientifica 2011-12, organised by Mexus Education in Mumbai between Feb-April. They will represent India at the international finale where they will compete with students from ten participating countries. Based on the premise that “every child is a born genius”, iKen Scientifica is a unique competition which provides class IV-IX students a platform to showcase their innovative ideas and projects based on scientific theory and concepts through hands-on learning techniques.

Designed to nurture “scientific approaches to life”, iKen Scientifica offers Indian youth a platform to ideate, innovate and compete globally. The annual national competition is designed to provide an alternative learning environment which stimulates students to develop scientific tempers and mindsets. iKen Scientifica comprises four rounds: city, state and national levels followed by the international finale.

“It offers a complete curriculum on design and technology — a curriculum designed to stimulate youth to approach problems with creative, inventive bents of mind, a conspicuous lacuna in school and college education,” says Saurabh Saxena, director, Mexus Education. 

Nrityanjali Dance Festival

As a prelude to the golden jubilee celebrations of Nrityanjali, a Mumbai-based institute of performing arts, education, personality development and management services, a ‘Dance Festival (Season 2)’ was organised on June 30 at Kalidas Natyamandir (Mulund, West). The . The competition attracted the participation of dance institutions from across India. Classical dance, Western dance and Bollywood were the major categories with each category featuring the following age groups – below 12, 12-15 and above 15 years. Well-known music and dance exponents Shrikala Hattangady (kathak dancer and producer at Doordarshan, Mumbai) and Debi Bsu (Odissi dancer and disciple of Late Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra) judged the competition which commenced with a dance performance by Nrityanjali students, followed by an audio-visual showcasing the extensive work done by the institute in the field of performing arts. 

The winners of Dance Festival Season 2 are Pavis, Domvili; SPIPA, Thakurli; Ntrityali, Nashik; Takshashila, Thane; Flawless, Thakurli; Shivoham, Juhu and Soundarya, Ghatkopar, and Dancing Stars Academy. The event was supported by Marico (I) Limited, RR Kabel, Children’s Academy, Kamla Global Academics, and Pragnya Bodhini School. EducationWorld and IBN-Lokmat were the media partners.

Promoted by Dr. Tushar Guha, a well-known personality development guru, music composer and director, Nrityanjali offers music, dance, drama and personality development programmes. Dr. Guha has also developed innovative performing arts based pedagogies for improving teaching-learning in schools. 

Ryan International’s awards shower

The excellence award of the National Education & Human Resource Development Organisation was presented to Mme. Grace Pinto, managing director of the Ryan International Group of Institutions (RIGI), at its 16th seminar on ‘National economic growth through individual contribution’ staged in Mumbai on June 20.

Moreover on the same occasion, RIGI was conferred the Quality Brands India 2012-2014 award for excellence in education by Quality Brands Times.

Meanwhile a team of three students — Akhil Puri (class XI), Sahil Shrivastav (IX) and Neharika Rastogi (X) — of the Ryan International School, Greater Noida won top honours at the World Scholars Cup, the global round of which was held in Bangkok recently. The team won medals in debate, collaborative writing and teamwork.

SMART teacher development programme

The Calgary (Canada)-based SMART Technologies Inc — the global leader in interactive whiteboards — launched its SMART Professional Development Program for Teachers in Chennai on June 19. According to Sanjiv Pande, managing director (India & South Asia), SMART Technologies, the programme will address the need of preparing teachers to use interactive educational technology tools for improved learning outcomes. SMART plans to train teachers of  35 schools in Chennai in the first phase of the programme.

Under the SMART Professional Development Program for Teachers, the company’s team of education consultants will conduct a series of workshops in 15 major cities countrywide to train teachers in the use of technology tools, including the SMART Notebook™ collaborative learning software. Over 6 million teachers have activated SMART Notebook software to create and deliver engaging lessons for more than 40 million students in 175 countries around the world, says Pande.

“Well-trained teachers are integral to an effective education system and it is critical to provide them with 21st century educational tools as well as offer professional development training to optimise the use of such products. SMART has introduced this training series for teachers to equip them with skills to use SMART products and make subject lessons more engaging for students,” says Pande.

Airbus Fly Your Ideas challenge

Unesco is supporting the Fly Your Ideas challenge, a students contest of Airbus, the Toulouse (France)-based passenger, cargo and military aircraft manufacturing company, to inspire a new generation of engineers.

Through its Fly Your Ideas competition, Airbus offers students an insight into the world of aviation to boost their interest in the industry. The global biennial contest — now in its third season — challenges students worldwide to develop new ideas for a more sustainable aviation industry, and comprises three rounds with five teams to be chosen as finalists in the summer of 2013, with the opportunity to win a Euro 30,000 (Rs.21 lakh) prize. All teams are supported by an Airbus mentor during the project development phase, and for the first time this season, an Airbus expert will offer advice at key stages of the competition.

The Fly Your Ideas challenge is part of Future by Airbus — a pioneering vision statement for sustainable aviation in 2050. University students of any nationality or discipline – from engineering to marketing; business to science; information technology to design — are invited to participate. Proposals must address the key issues facing the industry: Energy, Efficiency, Affordable Growth, Traffic Growth, Passenger Experience, or Community Friendliness. The winning team will be adjudged by a high-profile panel of judges. To enter, students must register as a team of three to five members at www.airbus-fyi.com during the period June 19-November 30 this year. In 2011, the Fly Your Ideas challenge attracted entries from more than 2,600 students representing 287 universities in 75 countries.

Amity-New Medical Centre concordat

The Delhi-based Amity Group and the New Medical Centre Group of companies, Abu Dhabi, have concluded an agreement to start an Amity International School in Abu Dhabi which will offer CBSE, IB as also UAE curriculums to cater to children of 69 nationalities resident in the emirate. Dr. B.R. Shetty, CEO of New Medical Centre, proposed to grant complete autonomy to Amity for building and running its school in the best interests of the people of Abu Dhabi.

Dr. Shetty also invited the Amity University faculty to Abu Dhabi to stimulate research and development (R&D) activities in the emirate. He called upon researchers and scientists of Amity to step up their research, file more patents and finally, commercialise them for the benefit of both countries and establish an Amity Medical School “as soon as possible”. According to Amity Group sources, Dr. B. R. Shetty is a visionary entrepreneur, educationist and philanthropist of international repute with interests in hospitals, pharmaceuticals, financial services, retail and education in the emirate.