– “Innovation to Entrepreneurship – The EIP Journey”
As I walked from one booth to the other with my fellow teammates, it almost felt as if I was walking down memory lane. Can you believe that it was just a year ago when it was my friends and I who were presenting projects at the innovation and entrepreneurship program showcase, with vibrant presentations, and informative trifolds? Only this time we were one of the 15 10th grade groups presenting their EIP projects. So much had happened since then, we were now in the board year and some of us had published research papers in International Journals. We presented our projects to industrial experts and sought valuable feedback to refine them further. As a student of 9th and 10th grade, EIP is one of the most memorable experiences you can have. It’s not only about problem solving and bringing about a meaningful change, but also about the lessons you learn on the way, whether it’s making wise use of time, (often a lesson hard learnt) running from one corner of the school to the other to get feedback from teachers and peers, gathering data, putting together prototypes, working on presentation materials, and more. These memories are the ones that often last through our lifetimes.
The innovation and entrepreneurship program, as the name suggests, not only focuses on innovation but also on developing ourselves into responsible entrepreneurs. It involves learning about building prototypes, exploring revenue generation plans, and analyzing ways to market our solutions. This year-long journey was filled with a lot of unthought of and unexplored things. From understanding what constitutes a research paper, how to gather credible information, learning about plagiarism, actually writing the research paper, revising and editing the paper, and waiting for the confirmation as to when our paper would be accepted for an international conference or published in an International Journal. The topics covered were also very distinct from crypto mining to studies to bridge the gap in digital skills of senior citizens, connecting guardians of children with autism spectrum disorder and mental health professions through the means of an app, to study the implementation of women’s safety devices in crucial situations, and to promote and implement electric vehicles in sustainable food delivery services. Not only these but several other interesting and imminent fields such as piezoelectricity generation were also looked into. Furthermore, the methods of presentation, planning and prototype innovation were especially commendable by our juniors. From hydroponic systems on Mars to identifying students’ personalized learning rhythms and patterns, they really explored all possible topics and their futuristic mindset was greatly appreciated. Undoubtedly, this learning experience would not have been possible without the indispensable and crucial role played by our teacher mentors, including Dr. Vimaldeep, Mr. Sheldon, Mr. Avinash, Ms. Michelle, and the entire EIP team. EIP was and will be a unique and one of a kind experience that we will be sure to treasure for the days to come.
Prisha Shah – 10J