Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL)
Introduction
The Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) is a flagship initiative of the Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, Government of India, aimed at promoting a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among school students. Since 2018, Excel Public School has been at the forefront of this initiative, nurturing young innovators in our state-of-the-art ATL, which serves as a hub for creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Ranked among the top ATLs in the country, our students have consistently secured recognition in events organized by the Atal Innovation Mission.
Through hands-on STEM projects, workshops, and mentorship sessions, the ATL fosters innovation by encouraging students to collaborate, think critically, and develop creative solutions to real-world challenges. This immersive environment not only boosts their confidence and problem-solving skills but also equips them with the knowledge and experience for future careers, while igniting a passion for lifelong learning
Objectives
- Foster curiosity, creativity, and imagination.
- Inculcate skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing, etc.
- Provide a workspace where young minds can give shape to their ideas through hands-on, do-it-yourself activities.
- Inspire young children to explore the world of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) through hands-on activities and experiments. Encourage them to use tools and equipment to discover the wonders of science, technology, engineering, art, and math.
- Equip ATLs with educational and learning kits on science, electronics, robotics, drone technology, artificial intelligence, gaming modules, and astronomy open-source microcontroller boards, sensors, 3D printers, and computers.
- Foster inventiveness among students through activities like competitions, exhibitions, workshops, and lecture series.
Objectives
- Foster curiosity, creativity, and imagination.
- Inculcate skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing, etc.
- Provide a workspace where young minds can give shape to their ideas through hands-on, do-it-yourself activities.
- Inspire young children to explore the world of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) through hands-on activities and experiments. Encourage them to use tools and equipment to discover the wonders of science, technology, engineering, art, and math.
- Equip ATLs with educational and learning kits on science, electronics, robotics, drone technology, artificial intelligence, gaming modules, and astronomy open-source microcontroller boards, sensors, 3D printers, and computers.
- Foster inventiveness among students through activities like competitions, exhibitions, workshops, and lecture series.
Programmes under ATL
ATL Marathon
The ATL Marathon is Atal Innovation Mission’s flagship innovation challenge, where schools identify community problems of their choice and develop innovative solutions in the form of working prototypes. The last edition of the Marathon witnessed 12,000+ innovations; the top 400 got internship opportunities through the Student Innovator Programme with leading Corporations and Incubation Centres in India.
ATL Tinkerpreneurship
The ATL Tinkerpreneur programme is a summer bootcamp designed to equip students with essential digital and entrepreneurial skills. It is an initiative under the Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) programme, part of the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) by NITI Aayog.
Student Innovators Programme
The ATL Student Innovator Programme (SIP), in partnership with AICs, honours the most exceptional innovations created by ATL students that align with ATL’s key focus areas, as showcased in the ATL Marathon. The top teams are awarded internships with leading Corporates and Incubation Centres across India, along with certificates from AIM, NITI Aayog. Our top teams take part in this bootcamp and internships every year.
Student Entrepreneurship Programme
The top teams from the SIPs are supported through a 10-month intensive ATL-SEP programme, in partnership with industry leaders, to further develop their innovative projects. This programme helps young innovators develop their entrepreneurial ideas alongside their education, aiming to create market-ready products through mentorship and training from AIM’s Corporate Partners.
Tinker-Nest Sessions
Our Tinker-Nest sessions are in-house ATL programmes conducted for students across Grades 6 to 8. These sessions aim to create an ecosystem that promotes innovation and provides a platform for young minds to learn basic STEAM-related concepts through engaging projects. During Tinker-nest sessions, students learn basic electronics and collaborate on projects that integrate various STEAM disciplines, fostering a spirit of inquiry and creativity. These sessions’ help students build a strong foundation in STEAM education and develop essential skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving.
ATL Cluster
AIM, in collaboration with the Excelsoft Foundation, launched the first ATL Cluster in Mysuru District, Karnataka, consisting of 18 out of 22 ATL schools, with Excel Public School chosen as the hub for its exemplary performance. The cluster’s activities began with teacher training, site visits, and interactions to assess the status of ATL labs. The initial workshop, held at Excel Public School in October 2022, shared best practices for running ATL labs. Subsequent workshops were hosted by spoke schools, fostering co-learning among them. This initiative led to improved attendance, operational gap assessments, and hands-on practice with ATL equipment for both teachers and students.
