Hands-on Science Kits
At Ekalavya Model Residential School in Tamil Nadu, where many students come from tribal communities with limited academic exposure, three teachers — Rajalakshmi, Nandhini, and Sowndharya — chose to move forward with belief. Over three days, they worked closely with students, breaking down concepts, guiding them through simple experiments, and building confidence step by step. The physics lab gradually came alive — not just with materials, but with curiosity, effort, and a quiet sense of excitement. 39 students stepped forward not just to participate, but to present, explain, and share their ideas. Some spoke with a clarity and confidence that stood out and stayed with everyone present.
Most government school students study science from a textbook. Very few have ever done a science experiment.
In India’s government schools, science is overwhelmingly taught through chalk-and-talk. The National Education Policy 2020 emphasizes experiential and competency-based learning, but the reality on the ground is that most schools lack basic lab equipment. Students memorise definitions and diagrams for exams without ever seeing a prism split light, building a circuit, or testing the pH of a solution. The result: science feels abstract, disconnected, and forgettable. Students who could develop genuine scientific curiosity instead develop a fear of the subject.
a functional science laboratory
A lab in a box — 200+ experiments that turn science from a subject into an experience
ILP’s Science Kit is a compact, self-contained “Lab-in-a-Box” that brings hands-on science to any classroom — no separate lab room needed. Each kit contains materials for over 200 experiments across Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, using a mix of everyday materials and a few specialized components. But the kit alone isn’t the programme. What makes it work is the structured teacher training, detailed experiment manuals with step-by-step instructions, demo videos, and ongoing classroom support that ensures teachers actually use the kit regularly.
Every experiment is aligned with the NCERT curriculum for Grades 5–10. Annual science fairs give students a platform to design, test, and present prototypes — moving them from “why” to “how” while developing problem-solving skills and confidence.
200+ curriculum-aligned experiments
Covering Physics, Chemistry, and Biology across Grades 5–10. Each experiment maps directly to NCERT textbook concepts so teachers can integrate it into their regular teaching plan, not as an add-on.
Teacher training first
Every kit comes with structured hands-on teacher training. Teachers don’t just receive kits — they explore, experiment, and discover how simple concepts turn into powerful learning moments before using them with students.
Manuals & demo videos
Detailed experiment manuals with setup steps, item lists, and concept explanations. Short demo videos help teachers visualise each experiment before conducting it with their class.
Annual science fairs
Students design, test, and present prototypes at school and district-level science fairs — building problem-solving skills, presentation confidence, and community pride. For many students, it’s the first time they’ve built something with their own hands.
From kit delivery to science fair
Here’s how ILP transforms science teaching in a government school.
School selection & kit distribution
ILP works with state education departments and district officials to identify schools. Kits are distributed to science teachers along with the complete set of manuals.
Hands-on teacher training
Teachers attend practical training workshops where they perform experiments themselves — discovering how simple concepts turn into powerful learning moments. They practice each method before using it with students. Refresher training and ongoing classroom support follow.
Regular classroom experiments
Teachers integrate experiments into their regular teaching plan, mapped to NCERT textbook chapters. Students build hovercrafts to learn Newton’s Third Law, test pH with homemade indicators, use convex mirrors from the kit alongside actual car mirrors to understand optics. Learning shifts from memorising to understanding.
Science fairs & student presentations
Annual science fairs at school and district levels give students a platform to design their own projects, build prototypes, and present to judges and peers. Topics range from renewable energy to food adulteration detection. Winners receive certificates and trophies; every participant is recognized.
Monitoring & assessment
ILP tracks kit usage, teacher engagement, and learning outcomes through regular field visits and pre-post assessments. District teacher WhatsApp groups share experiences, experiments, and photos — creating a peer learning community that sustains momentum beyond ILP visits.
Making science tangible for every student
Cumulative impact across all ILP science kit deployments
science kits
hands-on science
hands-on science
When science becomes experiential, it stops being a subject to memorize and becomes something students genuinely understand. And once that shift happens, there’s no going back. The feedback from teachers was simple and honest: this works. And more importantly, we want more of this.
Adopted by state governments at scale
ILP’s Science Kit has been adopted through government partnerships in multiple states. The Government of Karnataka ordered kits for thousands of schools as part of their education strengthening initiative. In Tamil Nadu, kits are deployed in collaboration with the Department of School Education and IIT Madras under the Anaivarukkum IITM vision. Through CSR partnerships with Kennametal, HCL Foundation, JSW Foundation, and Guru Krupa Foundation, the programme continues to scale across districts in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Jharkhand. When the Haryana Education Board visited an ILP school, they indicated they would explore adapting similar interventions — a signal of the model’s replicability.
Gallery
[Photo gallery — students and teachers conducting experiments, science fairs]
Bring a science lab to a school that has none
One science kit equips an entire school with 200+ experiments for years