Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar is conducting a free online camp for school students of Classes 8-12 to help them develop critical thinking, empathy and creativity. It is aimed at facilitating the transformation of school children to a thinker and an influencer.

Camp HSS, has an aim to create awareness among school students and their parents about liberal arts. The camp would also inform them about a lot of choices in life and career beyond the conventional mainstream choices. Highlighting the unique opportunities that would be provided by this camp, Dr Jaison A Manjaly, Jasubhai Memorial Chair Professor (Philosophy and Cognitive Science), IIT Gandhinagar, said, “Camp HSS is all about the fun, excitement and pleasure of engaging with Humanities and Social Sciences with critical, reflective and logical thinking, empathy and creativity. This camp would also trigger curiosity among school children about topics that are otherwise not given adequate space in school curriculum.”

The program aims to nudge other institutions of higher education to initiate outreach programs for school children and also create opportunities for school children to interact with faculty from institutions of higher education. The institute promotes critical thinking and an appreciation of the interdisciplinary character of knowledge, with an emphasis on the liberal arts, project oriented learning, compulsory courses in design and the life sciences, diversity and globalisation.