SNS-GenWise Summer Program
@Shiv Nadar University, NCR
For Students in Grades 5 through 10
June 16 - 26, 2022
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The Shiv Nadar Schools Global Alliances Think Tank presents a 10-day GenWise Summer Program at the world-class campus of Shiv Nadar University (SNU). This 10 day residential program will run from June 16-26, 2022. Students will arrive at the SNU campus on June 16 by noon and will leave on June 26. There will be an open house and convocation ceremony on Sunday, June 26 in the first half, which parents and teachers will be invited to attend.
GenWise is an entity dedicated to supporting the needs of learners, through their network of accomplished mentors - with excellent academic, professional and teaching credentials. GenWise offers 2-3 week summer programs modeled along the lines of Johns Hopkins CTY, Northwestern CTD etc., adapted to the Indian context. GenWise believes its programs are on par with these programs, given the expertise of its mentors. GenWise is also a founding member of the Gifted India Network that supports parents, teachers and schools in meeting the needs of gifted students.
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GenWise residential programs help bring out the child’s potential by supplementing the work of schools and parents. GenWise’s approach and the benefits of the programs are outlined here.
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Watch the short film below to hear what parents and students have to say about the program experience, and read the testimonials of past participants here.
The Program is split into 2 tracks:
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Senior (Grades 8,9,10 in Acad Year 2022-23)
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Junior (Grades 5,6,7 in Acad Year 2022-23)
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The Senior track comprises the following 2 academic enrichment modules-
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The Junior track comprises the following 2 academic enrichment modules-
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Apart from the academic enrichment work, students will engage in a host of activities that broadens their horizons, enhances their socio-emotional development and allows them to make connections with their peers and mentors and have fun (in a device-free environment). Students will have an opportunity to visit labs and other facilities at SNU.
Safety of students is ensured through tightly-monitored, well-established processes, as well as well-trained staff. The Staff-Student ratio in our Programs are typically 1:4. In coordination with SNU, GenWise expects that issues, if any, will be well-managed.
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Regarding medical issues, the campus infirmary has permanent paramedic staff round the clock, supported by a 24x7 ambulance stationed on campus. A general physician visits the facility from Monday to Saturday during evening hours. A basic health care center run by Max Hospital on campus can cater to basic ailments and the students are referred to the empaneled hospital through the University-provided ambulance, whenever it is medically advised. We will be requesting for particulars regarding your child's medical history and insurance details.
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Program Fee, Registration Form
The program fee is Rs. 69,000 (this is inclusive of tuition, food and accommodation and 18% GST). If this is of interest to you, please register here.
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Please reach out to any of us in the GenWise Leadership Team, if you'd like to speak live:
Vishnu @93422 47734
Rajesh @98409 70514
Shrikant @98600 33502
Sowmya @75985 66949
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____________Please see below for detailed course descriptions_______________
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Life in a City, with a changing Climate
(Senior Track - Students in Grades 8,9,10 in 2022-23)
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Life in cities is becoming pretty unpredictable in these times of changing climate. Floods are followed by drought whether it is Kochi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Bonn, Berlin or Beijing. Traffic congestion, air pollution, mounds of waste, loss of green spaces, increase in paved surfaces, rising temperatures characterize our cities. Those of us living in these 'heat islands' are trying to figure out what is happening and why. Is there a way out of this? How should we plan and build our cities so that they become liveable? Can people and 'nature' coexist in cities? But when we hear words like 'nature' or 'biodiversity' we think of forests, wildlife parks, mountains, the sea – very rarely an urban space, paved roads, cracks in walls, pools of water. The way our houses are built, the materials we use, how our cities are planned and laid out, deeply impact and shape all life in our cities…. and our future. Can we explore possibilities of re-imagining our urban spaces so that all life can flourish?
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There are cities which have been doing just this: re-imagining their spaces to make them liveable, breathable and dynamic. Innovative, democratic and participatory planning has been at the heart of such efforts. Green spaces, parks, city forests and water bodies naturally bring temperatures down, improving quality of life and contributing to capturing carbon as well.
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In this course, we start by taking 'nature walks' in our neighbourhood - 'nature' which is right outside our doorstep. As we begin an exploration of this 'nature', we will start understanding its different forms, how we are shaping it and being shaped by it. This will lead us to the larger question of the changing face of cities in a changing climate and what it means for our collective future. We will use ‘systems thinking’ approaches to map key elements of the situation and their interrelationships.
The course is relevant to every concerned earthling. And for those passionate about the cause, it could be a stepping stone to disciplines like urban ecology, urban biodiversity, landscape architecture, environmental science and sustainability which are increasingly becoming important areas of study.
This course is facilitated by Dr. Radha Gopalan.
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Investigative Thinking through Forensic Science
(Senior Track - Students in Grades 8,9,10 in 2022-23)
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How do forensic scientists analyse traces of evidence found at crime scenes? Can a small drop of blood or strand of hair help identify the suspects?
In this course, we will answer such questions by understanding the biological, chemical, and physical concepts of forensic science. We will further explore the ethical and legal aspects of crime forensics by understanding the roles of bias, doubt and technology in investigations.
Each topic is set against the backdrop of a real or fictional case, and to solve it, we will engage in investigations, debates and discussions to understand the topic in detail. All throughout, the focus is on the process of scientific enquiry and the legal principle of ‘proof beyond reasonable doubt’.
We will use our analytical skills to examine fingerprints, DNA, blood samples and bullet fragments. We do this against the backdrop of cases adapted for students at this learning stage. In the process, we dive deeply into understanding fingerprint formation and patterns; and the structure of DNA, how it is useful as evidence, and what the process is for differentiating the DNA of two people. We will have similar deep dives into the understanding of blood and the process of blood typing and matching. We finally take a journey back in time and reconstruct one of the most famous crime scenes – the JFK assassination, and using our knowledge of force and motion, try to resolve discrepancies in the case.
This course is a perfect mix of deep dives into cutting-edge scientific concepts and using critical thinking to make evidence-based deductions. So put on your investigative hats, make deductions based on evidence, and reach conclusions on different forensic cases!
This course is facilitated by Ritu Lamba.
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The Pleasure of Scientific Discovery
(Junior Track - Students in Grades 5,6,7 in 2022-23)
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Science begins with questions, and then tries to answer these questions through developing hypotheses and conducting experiments. In this course, students will explore the world around us through science and hopefully experience the “pleasure of finding things out “, as Richard Feynman puts it. While students will learn specific science concepts, the larger goal is to experience science as a special way of viewing the world. Through various hands-on activities students will get a feel for how real scientists work and realize that science is not confined to hi -tech laboratories but is all around us….
Take water, for example, a liquid which is most familiar to us from everyday life. We might think we ‘know water’… what more is there to know about it? But consider the questions below-
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How do astronauts wash their hands on a spacecraft?
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Why don’t we find water in liquid form on Mars?
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Is it possible to boil water without a stove?
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Will melting icebergs raise the sea level?
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How do aquatic creatures survive in frozen lakes?
A scientist must have the curiosity that leads to such questions (even about things that appear familiar). This curiosity must be backed by the knowledge and skills needed to go about answering them.
In this course, we will work on a variety of experiments to discover extraordinary properties hidden behind this “ordinary” and familiar substance called water.
Along the way students will learn various scientific thinking skills such as- how to
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Sharpen skills of observation, the need to record observations honestly without bias of prior knowledge and develop confidence about one’s own experimental observations even when they appear counterintuitive.
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Interpret observations to draw conclusions about observed patterns to “discover” an underlying property or principle
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Uncover multiple ways of looking at the same problem
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Work cooperatively in groups, compare observations across groups and discuss and constructively criticise agreements and anomalies.
The simple experiments in this course will equip us to find clues to the more complex questions posed above.
This course is facilitated by Dr. Sukanya Sinha.
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Making Choices: Value and Money in Daily Living
(Junior Track - Students in Grades 5,6,7 in 2022-23)
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This course aims at introducing basic intuitions and concepts (that develop into economics as a discipline in higher education) to young learners, through simulations and role play based activities. These concepts are:
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The idea of scarcity
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Ideas of value and exchange
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Resource allocation and transaction
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Simple models of demand and supply
The intended learning outcomes are that the learners gain an understanding of why we make choices and how they are made by individuals when faced with situations of scarcity. Learners will have a first hand experience of making these choices and resulting consequences themselves by engaging in simulations that are inspired by contemporary issues.
For example, over a period of 3-5 days through a guided activity of growing a chosen food item (sprouts, microgreens etc) the learners will encounter challenges of what to grow, how to grow, who will want to eat/buy them, what will the grower get in return, how much of is produced and the impact of events (weather, water availability etc) on production.
This course is facilitated by Sachin Tiwari.