- Over 100 attend GUSEC, UNICEF national workshop on
- supporting child innovators
- We are also trying to build a children’s innovation ecosystem and relevant policies around it: Rahul Bhagchandani, Group CEO of GUSEC
- This year, we have taken a step further by setting up the Vikram Sarabhai Children Innovation Centre (VSCIC) aimed at engaging children in creative, innovative and entrepreneurial dialogue: Prasanta Dash, Chief of UNICEF Gujarat
NE EDUCATION BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, DEC 17
Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council (GUSEC) and UNICEF launched the National Children Innovation Challenge (NCIC) and organised a “National Workshop on Supporting Children Innovators” on Friday.
The national workshop saw the participation of more than 100 entrepreneurs, innovators, policymakers, startups, student innovators, and stakeholders from academia, education, and industry. Discussions at the workshop revolved around coming up with an action plan for developing an innovation ecosystem for school children.
In his address, Rahul Bhagchandani, Group CEO of GUSEC, said, “We as a country do need innovators, entrepreneurs, and job creators, but above all, we need problem solvers. We are trying to inculcate a sense of problem-solving among school children. We are also trying to build a children’s innovation ecosystem and relevant policies around it. The discussions at today’s workshop and its outcome will help in shaping the larger ecosystem we are working on at the national level.”
Bhagchandani also spoke about the Gujarat government’s Student Startup and Innovation Policy (SSIP) 2.0, which is aimed at financially supporting school students in innovation, and urged students to benefit from it.
Prasanta Dash, Chief of UNICEF Gujarat says, “UNICEF & Gujarat University Start Up and Entrepreneurship Council (GUSEC) which in collaboration with the Government of Gujarat are creating an enabling environment and playing a pivotal role in shaping and nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship in the State. Over the last couple of years, we have collaborated on numerous programmes, including the yearly Children Innovation Festival, Prabhaav the Social Entrepreneurship programme, Unboxing Tinkering for ATLs in schools and herSTART platform amongst others. This year, we have taken a step further by setting up the Vikram Sarabhai Children Innovation Centre (VSCIC) aimed at engaging children in creative, innovative and entrepreneurial dialogue through mentoring, hands-on training, immersion programs and competitions besides extending resources and facilities to these children and schools ensuring these innovative ideas are converted into commercialized products/services.”
Three sessions on 21st century skills and their importance in building an innovation ecosystem for children, building soft and hard infrastructure and leveraging existing infrastructure, and New Education Policy 2020, New forms of pedagogy, and next paradigms of learning, were also organised as a part of the workshop. There was also a session for pitching by young innovators.
GUSEC & UNICEF also launched the National Children Innovation Challenge (NCIC), their joint initiative aimed at identifying the best young innovators in India at the workshop. The NCIC, an extension of the annual Children Innovation Festival (CIF), will invite applications from children from all over the country to solve contemporary problems. It will also identify, nurture, and promote ideas by children through the Vikram Sarabhai Children Innovation Centre (VSCIC), which has been established by GUSEC with the support of UNICEF and YUWAAH to support innovations by children in Gujarat.
NCIC is expected to provide exposure to over one lakh school children on innovation and entrepreneurship. About 500 startup teams by young entrepreneurs will be identified as a part of the challenge and groomed through VSCIC, the incubator of ideas. In its endeavour to create an ecosystem for child innovators, VSCIC previously also organised a Teacher Training Program where 54 teachers from 16 cities of Gujarat were sensitised to innovation, entrepreneurship and ways to empower child entrepreneurs to innovate.
