EIP is an initiative put forward by our school that lets students take their creative ideas and initiatives above and beyond; from making an app to creating something that can assist the blind. This initiative requires students to use their intellect and rely on teamwork to find a solution to a world issue that no one has thought of. It allows the students to build bonds and learn about the issues of our world. The different stages require the team to work hard and put their minds together to make use of their resources and be problem solvers. EIP has many stages:
- Empathise – This stage allows the student to realise who the issue is affecting and who they have to help. It allows students to create bonds with people by understanding their hardships and how they can help those people.
2. Define – This stage allows the students to understand the details and magnitude of the issue they are dealing with. It helps the students get closer to solving the issue by requiring them to create a problem statement, a “how might we” statement, if you will, which helps the students learn what exactly the problem is and how they can see it through a different pair of eyes.
3. Ideate – In this stage, the students put their heads together and really think about an idea or solution to the issue they have chosen. This stage permits the students to use their creativity and imagination to the best of their abilities and generate a solution that is unique.
4. Prototype – In this step, the students work together to bring their ideas to life and see if their solutions are viable and can actually be used in the real world. In this step the students can also see what changes can be made to further portray their idea and what modifications are required.
5. Presentation and feedback – In the final step, the students present their projects to parents, teachers and other students to confirm whether the project needs a little tweaking or whether they need to refocus their views or even if the project is perfect and doesn’t need fixing. This helps them understand what they need to work on and gives them more motivation to do their best.
Not only does this program allow a child to harness their skills and collaborate with others, and view and perceive the issues of the world but also gives multiple credits for college and provides them with countless opportunities to make a change in the world!
– Shreya Sevilimedu Veeravalli, 9A