Don’t even ask me how many Borosil tubes I broke while performing a failed experiment in the chemistry lab back in school.

And, how to deal with my boredom during physics lab classes, I used to doodle on the tables. No, I love science (FYI, I am a Physics graduate), but the sheer truth that the way these subjects are put forward to the students is…umm…boring!

BORING. (I’ve said it, finally)

So, when we received a message from the Harvard-couple Akanksha and Kshitij Chaudhary inviting us to join them for the science ‘fun’ class, we yelled – Why the hell not?

Yesterday, three of us went to their center ‘Innovation Station’ where the couple is hosting a 6-week STEM program for kids aged 4-14. (We don’t care, we’re in our twenties)

STEM that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, aims at transforming the boring science labs into fun places. Akanksha and Kshitij, who have recently shifted from the US, shared with us their plans to bring about a positive and effective change.

Kshitij said, “This age-old pattern seems fixed to us. There are books, and the kid is supposed to parrot everything written in it. Most of them write their exams without even understanding the concept behind the stated formulae, definitions, experiments, in the book. And then they are sent to pursue medicine and engineering. Alas, the same pattern follows.”

That’s true. I remember the one year after my school during which I was ‘asked’ to ‘prepare’ for IIT. I knew nothing about the damn thing.

Through STEM, the couple is determined to swap the words ‘have to’ with ‘’want to.’ They want to see the India where kids are automatically attracted towards science, and where nobody forces them.

Using discarded plastic bottles, bottle caps, pens, threads, wool, cardboard, popsicle sticks, straws, and what not, the couple gives children a hands-on experience of scientific and mathematical concepts. What’s more fun? One can even use LEGO to make models!!!!

Akanksha explained, “We use things kids enjoy playing with. We only tell them to design something, say an aeroplane, letting them design it their way. It’s them who decide the shapes, the geometric inclinations, etc. In such a case, there is no pressure to follow a fixed itinerary. Instead, they try, fail, retry and succeed. It’s them who have to make the plane fly anyhow.”

Akanksha added, “If to consider the stats and studies done by various renowned education centers, they indicate that kids can only retain 10% of lessons when they read, 70% when they listen, and 90% when they actually perform the task.”

Enough heard, the excited Komal, Ayushi and I already wanted to try our hands at chemical magic, bubbling potions, and other spectacular machines. We’re handed over few items that we were supposed to assemble into a car! Through this, we were to understand what Potential, Kinetic, and Renewable energies were.

The car’s wheels were bottle caps that we fixed together with the cardboard using refills and straws. The balloon was to give the power and act like the car’s engine.

This is how Ayushi and my car looked. And Tada! It worked!

Now, don’t ask me how much time Komal took to blow air in her balloon, because that, my friends, is longer than a butterfly coming out from its cocoon.

The Scientist-husband Kshitij came to her rescue. Phew.

Later, to check who’s designed a Ferrari and who’s got a Bullock-cart, my two F-1 girls competed against each other. (A little information – Komal pushed her ‘car-cart’, so don’t ask me who has won!)

Before leaving, they asked us if anyone of us has any query. To which, I raised my hand and asked, “Did you guys meet at the Harvard?” After all, the Science nerds and Technology geeks are romantic, too!

PS: If you want your child to actually enjoy Science (not just mixing coke with mentos & blowing your window away), Technology (not just playing Temple Run on your Smartphone), Engineering (not just dismantling the TV remote), and Mathematics (not just remembering how many chocolates are left in the refrigerator), contact Innovation Station India.