Hyderabad: In the first initiative of its kind, the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) has approved setting up a science centre for the upliftment of children in urban slums. SCB is tying up with NGO Akshay Vidya Foundation for setting up science laboratories in a vacant board building and adjacent land in Tad Bund. The science centre is expected to have diverse lab equipment, including microscopes, for school children to use and learn.
“Our primary goal is to bridge the educational gap between privileged and underprivileged students by providing hands-on scientific learning experiences,” Akshay Vidya Foundation organising secretary Varaprasad Tentu said.
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“Many govt school students never get to perform actual experiments despite studying science theoretically,” he added.
The initiative is estimated to benefit students from nearby govt schools and slum areas. The centre would feature laboratories for physics, chemistry, and biology with latest equipment.
During the cantonment board meeting, SCB CEO Madhukar Naik said, “This vacant land would be used for imparting education and upliftment of children in slums, women empowerment, and any social activities.”
“We are designing the centre to be both educational and engaging,” Tentu explained. “Students will have access to trained instructors, who will guide them through experiments aligned with their school curriculum,” he added.
Renovation work is expected to begin after a memorandum of understanding is signed. SCB and Akshay Vidya Foundation were expected to sign a five-year MoU, with the possibility of extension based on the centre’s performance and impact.
“This isn’t just about conducting experiments,” Tentu emphasised, adding, “we’re creating a space where children can develop scientific temper and critical thinking skills.”
The foundation plans to collaborate with local colleges for mentorship programmes and would organise regular science exhibitions to showcase student projects.
“Many brilliant minds are lost due to lack of proper facilities. This centre will serve as a catalyst for nurturing future scientists from underprivileged backgrounds and uplift them from a potential life of poverty or crime,” the NGO representative said.
