“Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow,” Physicist William Pollard once said. Taking inspiration from it, the Springdales School, Dhaula Kuan, on Wednesday set up the Atal Tinkering Laboratory under the patronage of Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog.

“I feel happy that they have their own space to work on what they think. Children from class sixth and above have their own ideas and work on their experiments. It’s a beautiful place to work. The lab has a lot of facilities and three things – meeting, lecture and workshop can go on the same time,” Springdales School Principal Jyoti Bose told The Statesman during the event.

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The novel idea initiated by the government fosters creativity and scientific spirit amongst the students.

NASA scientist Henry Throop was the chief guest of the event. He is Planetary Astronomer and Senior Scientist, Planetary Service Institute, Tucson, Arizona and Mumbai. UK Sharma, an official of the Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, also graced the event.

“We have selected this laboratory on a very stringent merit based criteria. I am very happy to see the lab has come well and elated to see its functioning. This is the first lab to which the Atal innovation mission has issued the grant,” UK Sharma, adviser science and technology, Niti Aayog, said.

“It’s an honour to be here at the school. It’s a pleasure to speak with the students about astronomy and the work we are doing at NASA. I am happy to be involved with the dedication and inauguration of this innovation lab,” Throop, wearing a broad smile, said.

In an Interactive session held in the school auditorium earlier this morning, Throop, in his address to senior school students, spoke about the NASA’s New Horizon Mission to Pluto and beyond. The young scientists of the school attended workshops on Lego Robotics, 3D Printing, Arduino Robotics, Electronic Circuits etc.

The programme was also attended by erudite scientists, intelligentsia, members of the school board as well as the students and staff of the nearby government and private schools along with the children of school’s adopted community at adjacent JJ Cluster.