Goethe-Institut launches science portal for young students

Jayashree Joshi, head of Information and Library at the Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Mumbai told PrintWeek that "Kinderuni Marathi is a unique program which has its roots embedded in teaching the three faculties of science namely: Humankind, Nature and Technology. It is meant for young learners in the age group of 8-12 years and clears basic science concepts and teaches fun scientific facts with the right amount of drama, humour and visual aids for the young learners."

The launch event on 24 July at the Max Mueller Bhavan will be attended by students, teachers and the principal from Vidya Vikas Mandal Vidyalaya, Andheri, Sanskruti Sanvardhan Mandal, Sagroli, Nanded, students, teachers and parents from Sajag Charitable Trust who work with underprivileged children.

The chief guest is Rajnikant Mendhe, a science teacher of a primary school, who was in the news in 2018 as he taught at a one-student school in Chandar village. At that time Mendhe travelled 50 kms daily to educate the single child. Josi said, "Mendhe is making efforts to induce scientific interest in children in the age group 8 to 12 years." Presently he is a teacher in the Jilha Parishad primary school at Gorhe Budruk.

Julia Husslein, the deputy director and head of language department said, "The Digital Kinderuniversity addresses questions that children are interested in and that have importance and relevance to their daily lives." A key aspect of the Digital Kinderuniversity is its online platform which is accessible to everyone free of charge.

Husslein added, "This means a child can study at the Digital Kinderuniversity without leaving their home. The young students' parents can help them understand the study materials and are able to use a parent profile online to monitor and track their progress. Kinderuni at school allows children to learn individually or in groups under the supervision of a teacher – both during and outside of the classroom. Further, it provides teachers with didactic materials, lesson plans and ideas and inspiration for interdisciplinary projects."

The virtual part of the Digital Kinderuniversity teaches the child the basics of media literacy. This is the ability to use media consciously and professionally, in order to attain the desired goals.Typically, children from 8-12 years old are already familiar with smartphones, tablets and computers, which they use primarily for playing games. The Digital Kinderuniversity teaches students to use computer technologies in a more sophisticated way, thus providing them with skills that will be useful to them in the future.