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Results of Atal Tinkering Labs: FIZ Robotic Solutions
The successful implementation of the Atal Tinkering Lab initiative will necessitate the collaboration of several institutional partners in order to create an ecosystem of innovation and learning in which the partner institutions provide the appropriate mix of support structures. Creating a positive sentiment in the community about the initiative is critical to making an impact.
Institutions could play a significant role in assisting the ATL in establishing itself as a community hub of innovation. Institutions can assist the ATL by mentoring and raising awareness about the ATL’s innovation initiatives. Start-ups, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and large corporations may all provide ATL students with exposure to advanced technologies.
Furthermore, with entrepreneurship taking a massive leap forward as a result of AIM’s efforts, successful start-up founders have great stories to share with and educate the young ATL innovators as mentors. Furthermore, through workshops and training sessions, local and regional makerspaces could provide extensive support to ATL students.
Moreover, academic institutions such as engineering colleges, polytechnics, ITIs, and other educational institutions could help students quickly grasp the concepts of tinkering and making, thereby accelerating their learning curve. Higher education institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), and other prestigious organisations could also help by providing mentoring through their skilled faculty members and research teams.
This will shape a strong innovation value chain, where ecosystem stakeholders will be able to support those in the pipeline, resulting in a sustainable Indian innovation ecosystem.
Several of these institutions will play an important role in shaping a fruitful ATL journey for the students.
Aside from the assistance described above from external stakeholders, a few schools may require additional assistance. This is where institutional partners can make a significant contribution through ATL adoption, particularly in the case of government schools or schools located in second/third tier cities and rural areas with limited access to improved infrastructure, which may affect the quality of the ATL initiative’s implementation.
AIM has established clear guidelines for ATL adoption that any organisation wishing to make this significant contribution could follow.
Partners adopting ATL schools must bear the following primary responsibilities:
- Assigning a Resource Person (RP) to manage ATL-related activities in school, assist the ATL In-charge, and ensure the successful implementation of the ATL initiative. The RPs should make teacher training easier in collaboration with the ATL In-charge, we offer programmes, student workshops, and boot camps. They should also do community outreach to raise awareness about the ATL.
- Providing a continuous pool of volunteers to mentor ATL students and teachers, which will eventually lead to the creation of technological innovations.
Partners’ secondary responsibilities shall include:
- Organising events/competitions/exhibitions for their adopted ATL, as well as encouraging ATL students to participate in various innovation events/competitions/challenges.
- Helping ATL schools improve their social media presence
- Workshops on various topics for ATL students could be organised to help students better understand innovation.
- Mentoring: Partners could organise mentoring programmes in which experienced professionals spend time with young innovators, assisting and advising them on how to advance their innovative ideas.
- Training sessions: Partners could organise the Teachers Training Program in various ATL schools to educate ATL-in-charges on the ATL mission and provide hands-on experience with the various equipment that the lab will house.
However, partners’ assistance is not limited to non-financial aspects; they could also provide financial assistance for the ATL’s scale-up, capital, and other operational expenses.
10 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a good avenue for corporations to support ATL while also making a significant contribution to nation building.
Atal Tinkering Lab Success Measurement
Good governance and regular monitoring are critical components of project management and the successful implementation of any new initiative. As a result, regular monitoring and evaluation will be two-fold: first, in terms of how the ATL facility serves as an innovation platform for students and the community, and second, in terms of the impact created at the student level in terms of skills developed.
Dashboard for monitoring
The ATL’s performance will be evaluated based on specific parameters, which may be submitted in the form of a monthly/quarterly report. An ATL’s success is measured using both subjective and objective parameters such as the number of students enrolled in the ATL, the number of ATL workshops held, the number of mentoring sessions organised, the number of teachers trained, the number of innovation projects initiated, the number of innovations taken to the community, the number of patents and copyrights filed (if any), and so on.
The monitoring report must also include financial expense information. It is recommended that the ATL In-charge keep an invoice/bill for all expenses incurred for their records and subsequent submission to AIM.
Impact created
Adopting an outcome-based approach is critical for any programmatic intervention to have a significant impact on the ground. Because ATL is a national initiative, the overall outcomes must be continuously monitored and corrective measures implemented as needed. Inputs, outputs, outcomes, and overall impact would be used to determine success.
Inputs for the ATL intervention that provide impetus toward achieving the ATL mission objectives may include the number of students, teachers, and mentors engaged, the number of training programmes conducted on various aspects of innovation and Intellectual Property (IP) creation, and the number of innovation events held.
Quantitative measures of the number of innovations created in the ATL are among the outputs. The ATL outcomes will be measured by the impact they have on the overall problem-solving and innovative mindset of our country’s youth, which will lead to large-scale entrepreneurial initiatives that will accelerate the country’s economic and social progress.
The outcome can be measured by how ATL assists students in developing various 21st century skills such as creativity and innovation, IP creation, Entrepreneurial Mindset, Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills, Communication Capability, Collaboration Skills, Flexibility and Adaptability, Initiative and Self-Motivation, Social and Cross-Cultural Skills, Productivity and Accountability, Ethical Leadership, Integrity and Responsibility, Altruistic and Societal Thriving.
The ATL is the first in a series of linked innovation initiatives that AIM is facilitating through its AICs and ANICs to create a self-sustaining and continuously improving ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship across the country.
Also read:
ATAL TINKERING LABS: A JOURNEY OF INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
HOW ATAL TINKERING LAB IS FOSTERING A CULTURE OF INNOVATION