Essar Foundation organized Bal Vividha, from January 4 to 6 at the Kandla Port Trust ground, Vadinar. More than 4,500 children from 22 schools across 17 villages participated in the festival, whose theme was ‘Discovering the magic of maths and science in nature.’
Bal Vividha is a festival celebrating education and alternative approaches to learning. It seeks to promote the idea that learning can be fun and can take place beyond textbooks. It tries to raise questions about common perceptions regarding education through interactive activities.
The festival had multi-layered components in terms of interactive corners, learning workshops for students and children and a science exhibition by and for the students. While the interactive corners had 10 organizations including Adhyayan Institute of Innovative learning, Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Eklavya, Navnirmiti and Jeevantirth exhibiting literature, innovative toys and games, the learning workshops for teachers and children illustrated and encouraged the use of experiments for learning. The science exhibition provided a platform to the students to present their ideas on innovation.
The event saw wide media coverage in local and national dailies, and was also graced by dignitaries like the District Collector of Jamnagar and the District Superintendent of Police, Jamnagar, among many others. Essar executives present at the event included R.K.Sukhdevsinhji, Resident Director; S.S.Khandwawala, Group Head, Security, Intelligence, and Vigilance; C.Manoharan, Director, Refinery; and Madan Gopal Gupta, Executive Director, Power Business, Salaya/Vadinar.
