NIAS-supported Advanced Learning Centres provide early mentoring support to school children aged 11-16, who demonstrate high learning ability and exceptional self-motivation to realize big ideas in life.
NIAS-ALCs are located in partner schools, which serve students from diverse neighbourhood schools. The learning sessions are conducted for 3-5 hours during weekends. The first NIAS-ALCs were set up at Vidyashilp Academy (Bangalore North), Silver Oaks International School (Bangalore South) and Silver Oaks International School (Hyderabad). There are many more ALCs in the process of being established.
The curricular framework for ALCs is developed at NIAS through workshops of ALC facilitators and is designed to provide opportunities for children to go beyond formal classroom structures. The learning areas include Designing, Computer Programming, Astronomy, STEM topics, Creative Expression, and Arts. The sessions are highly interactive and help children connect to multidisciplinary topics and gain the confidence to solve complex problems. Children learn to manage time, become aware of better health, discuss contemporary issues facing the world, and contemplate solutions. They also develop in-depth ability in their chosen areas of interest through mandatory project work, which can open up opportunities for deep mentoring by experts in their field.
Inclusion of the Urban Disadvantaged Children
The ALCs also extended its programme to include students from urban disadvantaged population by collaborating with Parikrama Centre for Learning. The ALCs provide these children foundational knowledge in different domains beyond the classroom. It is believed that additional training in computer programming, calculus, model-making, and relevant research topics facilitate children for higher-order learning. The ALCs host the identified children from their respective neighbourhood during the weekend classes. The programme aims to provide active mentoring to these children. It also provides students an opportunity to engage in a project of their choice under the mentor's guidance. The mentors/facilitators engage in regular conversations that are both one-to-one and through a very active WhatsApp group. This helps the facilitators to track the child’s progress. Lecture series have been introduced to provide the ALC children introductory knowledge on new interdisciplinary subjects like Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy, Astronomy and Cognitive Sciences.
As a capacity-building exercise, the NIAS team also trains the facilitators of the ALCs and provides them with resource materials to enhance their knowledge in a wide variety of areas. In addition, the summer and winter workshops organized for the children of ALCs provide a platform where students from all three centers come together and present their work to a wide range of experts. The children are provided critical feedback and useful leads by the various subject experts. The children display their understanding of cutting-edge ideas in projects, lecture demonstrations, and participating in prestigious national and international competitions.
NIAS-EGT invites applications from schools across the country interested in setting up Advanced Learning Centres, as partners of the programme. We plan to have an E-classroom at NIAS, that will provide the necessary infrastructure to interact with the Advanced Learning Centres countrywide.
With the E-Classroom and teachers’ training, NIAS-ALC aims to scale quickly and reach larger numbers of high ability learners across rural and urban India.
What ALC children have to say about the programme: http://prodigy.net.in/testimonials
Eligibility And Selection Criteria
ALC calls for student applications every year in the month of June. Students become a part of the programme through a rigorous selection process that includes an unconventional essay test and an interaction round. The written assesses the student’s ability to connect with problems or topics beyond the classroom. The child’s engagement in the areas of their interest is assessed through the lens of creativity and problem-solving ability. The key to the assessment process is the ability of the child to find a unique, innovative solution to any familiar problem presented to them. This year, programme is open to students studying in any school of Bangalore and Hyderabad in classes 5 to 9. The age groups vary in different centres.
The goal is to nurture young, high ability learners into well rounded, responsible, high impact experts in their fields, instilled with noble human values.
