As a child, Henna Khan was captivated by science and astronomy, often pondering questions like ‘What are stars?’ and marvelling at the idea of an expanding universe. But as she moved through school, her curiosity was stifled. Rote learning took precedence, and the pressure to memorise and perform in exams slowly eroded her passion. Years later, a chance encounter with Cosmos by Carl Sagan reignited her love for science. The experience reminded her of the innate curiosity many children possess—one often suppressed by a rigid education system that discourages questioning and independent thought.
Meghana Baji, ex-CEO, ICICI Prudential Pension Funds Management Company |
This realisation led to the founding of Universe Simplified Foundation (USF), aimed at reimagining education in under-resourced government schools. “The goal is to nurture curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity in students, as these are too often overlooked by conventional learning models,” shared the founder. At the heart of it is a simple but powerful idea that children should be taught how to think, and not what to think. “The organisation’s mission is to transform rote-based education—especially in under-resourced government schools—into an experience that sparks curiosity and engagement,” she added.
USF focuses on critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration |
“The NGO focuses on building three core skills in students: critical thinking, creative thinking, and collaboration, all in the context of real-world problem-solving. The challenge, and the vision, is to design an accessible, hands-on education model that fosters these skills even in the most resource-constrained environments,” she added.
USF has two S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programmes. The first, called the Innovation Hub, is a four-year, in-school initiative focused on mechanical project-making. Unlike kit-based learning, it’s entirely inquiry-driven—students design and build from scratch, learning through trial and error.
“In the first year, the programme is more structured, with students creating projects like balloon cars, water rockets, and solar-powered devices, while learning basic wiring and circuits. Progressively, it transitions into an innovation module, where students engage in hands-on problem-solving using the design thinking approach,” she explained.
The second S.T.E.M. programme focuses entirely on technology—a critical need in villages where computer access is nearly nonexistent. For many students, the programme begins with the basics: identifying a laptop, learning to use a keyboard and mouse, and getting familiar with simple applications like Paint, Notepad, among others.
Students are introduced to MS Office tools such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, later moving on to coding through Scratch, MIT’s visual programming platform that helps build logical thinking. By the end, the kids begin working with robotics, using Arduino microcontrollers to bring their projects to life.
Meghana Baji, ex-CEO, ICICI Prudential Pension Funds Management Company, shared, “With USF’s work, children engage with S.T.E.M. subjects with great excitement, thanks to the NGO’s enquiry-driven approach. I’ve seen their eyes light up when they create something at the Innovation Hubs or conduct an experiment. These students, who primarily come from difficult backgrounds, actually enjoy being in school, which is an incredible shift.”
