Limited to 17 handpicked students for Kerala and Tamilnadu, Chakshumathi’s 4th Annual Eyes Free Science Summer Camp started at the serene Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI) in the foot hills of Sahya Mountains in Palode 40 Km away from Capital Thiruvanthapuram on 17th of May 2015.
All the previous years the camp site was at 100% accessible Camp Kanthari of legendary Sebriya Tenberken and Paul Korenberg, the home of Kanthari (www.kanthari.org) International Institute for Social Entrepreneurship. This year with the new Camp schedule which was clashing with the starting of the new batch of the Institute made us to sought for a new location and decided to look for a scientific research facility. TBGRI was also part of our previous camps since we spend a day there to learn and understand botanical specious by touch and smell.
This year utilizing full the facility and the most modern Chemistry lab at the centre, 4th Eyes Free Science Camp 2015 is going to me more excited. Camp was inaugurated by Mrs. Shoba Koshy, Chairperson of State’s Child Rights Commission. On 18th participants overwhelmed with joy, when Chief Minister Shri. Omen Chandy announced that the State this year will lift the unwritten ban (few not sensitized officials of the State’s higher education department think VI students can’t do science) for admission of visually impaired students in science subjects in the higher secondary session. Also all A+ winning students of the recent SSLC exams from VI student community was honored at the Jawahar Balajanavedi function by KPCC president Shri. V.M. Sudheeran and international celebrity Magician Gopinath Muthukad.
Camp will continue till 26th of May at TBGRI with intense sessions in Accessibility, Assistive Technology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics and personal grooming (mobility and life skills). On 26th participants will visit Trivandrum Technopark and will understand the Tech environment with guidance of ACIS (Alianz Cornhill) (http://www.acis.co.in/) staff. Allianz is the main support of Chakshumathi’s Eyes Free movement since 2012 along with IEEE Sight and Young professionals.