ATL Sarthi provides tools and support to schools to adopt a self-monitoring approach for better and continuous performance. It also provides necessary guidelines for local authorities like districts, states, innovation councils, private organizations etc. to help assess ATLs in their particular region and provide much-needed guidance and support to steer this ATL ecosystem to new heights.
As the name suggests, Sarthi is a charioteer and ATL Sarthi will enable the ATLs to be efficient and effective. The initiative has four pillars ensuring the performance enhancement of ATLs through regular process improvements like a self-reporting dashboard known as ‘MyATL Dashboard’ and development of SOPs for schools to ensure financial and non-financial compliances, on-ground assessments of ATLs in collaboration with relevant local authorities through cluster-based approach and providing ownership to schools to analyze their performance through Performance-Enablement matrix.
The ATL Sarthi brochure can be viewed here
The detailed document on ATL Sarthi can be accessed here
AIM and Excelsoft foundation, a Mysuru based organization associated with Excel Public School, Mysuru piloted first ATL Cluster in Mysuru District of Karnataka state, consisting of 18 ATL schools, out of a total of 22 ATL schools in the district. Excel Public School, the best performing school, was selected as the hub school for that cluster, with the remaining 17 school been the spoke.
The functioning of cluster began with teacher training, formal interactions, on ground visits to check the status of ATL labs. The first workshop was conducted at Excel Public School in October 2022 and shared best practices to run the ATL lab. From the second workshop onwards, each spoke school started hosting other schools of the cluster and started co-learning from each other. This resulted in regular attendance, checking gaps in operations, if any, and hands-on practice on ATL equipment for both teachers and students.
Samagra Shikshana, Karnataka State Education Department, UNICEF and Vigyan Ashram have gone one step further and enabled ATL clusters for around 140 Government ATL schools of Karnataka from 14 odd districts. To strengthen the structure and overall performance of the hub schools, a dedicated training program was organized for Principals and ATL in-charges of 14 selected hub schools.
The initiative got its own name: SRISHTI (Strengthening Rethinking and Innovation in Schools through Hands-on Tinkering and Inquiry). This training offers hands-on experience with different tools and software, as well as theoretical knowledge of design thinking. The training programs will be conducted further with help of Vigyam Ashram and UNICEF team, while State Education Department will ensure governance and on-ground support through DIET (District Institute for Education and Training) nodal officers in the district
To strengthen the footprints of ATLs in aspirational districts, AIM and Aspirational District Program of NITI Aayog has collaborated to ensure smooth functioning of ATLs with District Magistrates and District Educational Officers. There is a total of 1174 ATLs in 112
Aspirational districts across the country and based on on-ground verification of ATLs through District officials, AIM shall provide necessary handholding support for higher performance of ATLs in aspirational districts. This shall provide necessary support for building vibrant innovation ecosystem in the country by penetrating into districts having low socio-economic backgrounds.
AIM and Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship(MGNF) program collaborated to empower fellows present on field to coordinate with the district officials and visit ATL schools where they are placed. There has been some great progress in some of the districts. The fellows have enabled more than 40 ATLs in 15+ districts by sharing the gaps, challenges and other areas of improvement with AIM team.
