GenWise's Early Explorer program is a 2-week, residential enrichment program that initiates children into core scientific processes and concepts in Maths, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Design and Tools for Thinking, and the interconnections among them.
The program will inspire children to rise to their potential by sowing the seeds for a lifelong love of learning and compassionate living. The courses have been designed and tested by a multi-disciplinary team, and will be delivered by world-class instructors.
Program Outline
How we come to KNOW the world around us - Early Explorers
We will explore Science as being the finest tool we have to begin to know the world around us. How do we begin to think and work like a real scientist:
-
appreciate the role of "inexact" answers in science; sensibly estimate "quantities" in real life, where exact data is unavailable or uncertain
-
sharpen skills of observation, emphasize need for recording observations honestly (without bias of prior 'knowledge'), and to develop confidence around experimental observations even though they may be counterintuitive
-
"discover" underlying principle or property by interpreting observations from an experiment (or a diverse set of experiments)
-
see the connections between different problem-solving approaches, and the scientific method
​
​
​
We will be 'designing experiments' - including world-famous ones, like the Millikan oil-drop experiment (to estimate the charge of an electron), and Rutherford's gold-foil experiment (to investigate the structure of the atom). Our approach here will be to encourage children to think along simple lines of logic to solve some fun challenges. The logic applied to solve these challenges is similar to the logic used by scientists in these seminal experiments.
​
​
We will take a plunge into Math, both as the language of Science and a source of intellectual challenge and joy in itself. We will illustrate the real-life application of abstract mathematical concepts through hands-on activities, We will have a playful introduction to the aesthetical beauty of Math, by discovering patterns, and symmetries.
We will explore the notions of conjectures, proofs (a clear understanding of the concept of a 'proof' is essential to the development of mathematical thinking at this stage of the child), invariances, etc. through simple games and puzzles at a level of mathematics accessible to the child. Using the van Hiele model of the development of geometric thought, students will discover the key principles of trigonometry, and apply their knowledge to a few practical challenges like measuring the height of a tree....
We will then zoom out to nudge the students to think about “knowing” and “understanding” and how we come to know things in rather different ways: in our heads through “reliable” sources, by studying different “subjects” - “History”, “Geography”, “Science” for example, and then more personally, in our bodies through our senses, and through direct action. We will have daily sessions for enhancing the awareness, attention and concentration of children through an "Awareness Through the Body" program, facilitated by Certified Instructors from Auroville.
We will then approach this from another angle - what does it mean to know the natural world and live in it and make choices? What waves do our choices set off in that world? And what are the ripples caused by those waves?
​
And then pushing the idea of “knowing” to the frontiers, we delve into media literacy, and its younger sibling digital literacy - to become truly aware of the nature of "information" available today (especially on the internet) - the unprecedented amount and variety, at our fingertips, put out there by someone for some reason, not all of which is "verified" or "regulated", and the subliminal way it influences the way we think about and understand our world. Through some exciting activities, we will also seek to understand the narrative of advertisements, and to begin to examine them critically.
We will also be introducing children to the Mind Sport, Bridge, thanks to some very strong reasons detailed out in our blog post here.
​
In addition to the formal classroom engagement, children will have the opportunity to be challenged on fun quizzes, showcasing their talents on DJ Nite, Talent Nite, etc., as also on games (charades, tug of war, etc.). Alumni Parents have also expressed their (pleasant) surprise regarding the rub-off impact on students' interpersonal and socio-emotional behaviours.
2-week Schedule - Outline
Our Facilitators
Sowmya
Sowmya is convinced that if there's a way out of the gigantic mess that our world is today, it has to come from our children - their sensibilities, imaginations and capabilities. She is inspired by her Montessori training and nearly 15 years of teaching experience in various school settings.
Sowmya has a B. Tech degree from IIT Madras and a Masters degree from Pennsylvania State University.
Radha
Radha's view of the world is one of hidden connections and she believes that a significant part of learning is to unearth these connections. She is an educator, environmental scientist and, researcher engaged in sustainable living. She is a senior mentor and course designer at GenWise. Radha is a member of Food Sovereignty Alliance, India and visiting faculty at Azim Premji University.
Radha has a doctorate degree in Environmental Science from IIT, Bombay.
Sukanya
Sukanya sees the world as an endless wonder, a world where children are excited and curious about learning science. She was the founder director of Curiouscity Science Education with the mission to enable children to look at science as a special way of viewing the world. Since 2004, she has been a visiting scientist at the Indian Statistical Institute, Bangalore.
Sukanya has M.Sc., M.Phil. degrees from the Univ of Delhi and a Ph.D. from the Univ of Maryland College Park.
Hari Krishna
Hari Krishna loves developing educational activities to encourage curiosity in children. Hari is a mentor and course designer at GenWise. He taught at the School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, a Atal Innovation Mission Mentor of change and a teacher at RSC Salters’ Chemistry Camps.
Hari has a Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Science. He is also an accomplished athlete and loves playing Volleyball.
I was told that there would be 'classes' at GenWise; but to my pleasant surprise we were just learning through fun in the classroom!
Sanchita
​
Vidya Valley, Pune
At GenWise, no one hesitates to ask questions, even the quietest person in the room does!
Siddarth
​
Indus International, Gurugram
There is an excellent balance between academics and activities such as sports, DJ Nite, karaoke, Evening Adda, etc.
Aseem
​
Inventure Academy,
Bengaluru
The courses are so interesting because our facilitators are passionate about what they are teaching!
Vichar
​
KC High,
Chennai
Location - ECC, Bengaluru
The venue for GSS 2019 is yet another verdant setting in Bengaluru, where children can be closer to nature, in a serene campus - that of ECC, Bengaluru - where numerous conferences and workshops are regularly held round the year.
​
We are told by ECC that there could be opportunities to build tree houses, as also for some gardening experiences for participating children.
Program Fee, Schedule
-
The fee for Early Explorer 2019 Program is Rs 99,000/-, inclusive of GST
-
You are requested to secure a seat for your child by paying an advance of Rs 10,000/-; if, for any reason, circumstances change and you have to pull your child out of the program, we will refund this amount to you (but not later than Mar 1, 2019)
-
If your child has attended any GenWise program in the past, which is essentially a reflection of your trust in our abilities to deliver what it takes, this entitles you to an additional 5% off on the fee.
-
Limited, need-based scholarships are available.
​
Eligibility Criteria
-
Children who register for this program are typically expected to be in the age-range of 11-13
-
All children are gifted in their own way; however, ready availability of assessment scores can provide us useful insights - say ASSET, ASSET Talent Search, NUMATS, PSAT, etc.
-
While performance on above assessments help our facilitators in providing the right degree of challenge for each participant, we understand that not all children have readily available scores, as also the fact that these assessments cover just a fraction of the potential capability of each child.
Therefore, we would also heavily rely on feedback from mentors who understand the child really well.
We may also request for a work sample (of any creative type - essays, performances, poems, artwork, tinkering models - whatever the child shows passion and proficiency in), in some cases.