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Time of India
5 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Farm to plate summer camp bridges gap in agri education for students
Mandya: Many children today lack opportunities to learn where their food comes from or understand the basics of farming, nutrition, and mindful eating. To bridge this gap, Polygnan, a non-profit founded by US-returned NRIs and ex-tech professionals Chandana Shivanand and Prajwal Rajendra Prasad, organised the Farm to Plate summer camp in Mandya from May 26 to June 1. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The free week-long camp brought together students from classes 7–10 from various backgrounds to explore the full journey of food—from farm to plate. The camp began with fireless cooking to create a warm, collaborative environment. They took a deep dive into agriculture at the Mandya-based VC Farm, which is attached to the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru. Here, students engaged with professors and field experts, learning about various crops, agricultural implements, soil testing, composting, biofertilisers, irrigation methods, and rare fruits and vegetables, the organisers said. Children also sowed maize seeds and helped prepare the land, experiencing the rhythm and labour of farming first hand. Students explored mushroom cultivation, recognising its nutritional and entrepreneurial potential. At a traditional 'ale mane', students witnessed the labour-intensive process of boiling sugarcane juice to prepare jaggery. Milk was explored from start to finish. Children visited a cattle rearing farm near Arkere and visited the Mandya Milk Union plant at Gejjalgere, which processes over 13 lakh litres of milk every day.
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Kids' business fair ignites entrepreneurship skills in children
Mandya: The spirit of innovation came alive at Polygnan 's Kids Business Fair , the grand finale of a week-long free Business & Entrepreneurship Summer Camp held at Bal Bhavan, Mandya. The camp was organised for children aged 9 to 16, and had around 34 participants from diverse backgrounds. The weeklong camp introduced them to real-world skills seldom taught in traditional classrooms, and concluded on Monday. Kids learnt how businesses are built — from registering a virtual company and securing loans to budgeting, crafting products, and making real sales. Young entrepreneurs set up stalls to showcase and sell handmade goods like candles, greeting cards, coasters, resin art, and more. Each child followed the complete entrepreneurial journey: incorporating a company, receiving a PAN card, pitching to a mock bank, and repaying loans with interest after the fair. Profits were donated to Seva Kirana Charitable Trust, reflecting children's commitment to social responsibility. More than just business, the camp instilled confidence, communication skills, and financial awareness. It taught resilience, responsibility, and joy of creating something from scratch. The fair buzzed with proud parents, curious visitors, and glowing feedback from the community, who called it 'inspiring' and 'one-of-a-kind.' This initiative was spearheaded by Polygnan, a non-profit founded by US-returned tech professionals Chandana Shivanand and Prajwal Rajendra Prasad. Camps by ZP, edu dept enlightens kids The zilla panchayat, in collaboration with the education department, has organised a 21-day summer camp from May 2 to May 26. These sessions, held at Arivu-grama panchayat level libraries, were designed for students from classes three to eight, across all gram panchayats in the district. Authorities stated that these camps aim to provide rural children with productive and enjoyable ways to spend their summers. Beside reading, learning, science behind numbers, personality development, and imparting communication skills, these camps also help students understand local culture, history, and importance of environmental protection, while giving a platform to boost their creativity. ZP CEO Nandini KR said these camps covered crucial topics including good touch-bad touch, awareness about Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, Children's rights, and self-defence techniques.
The Hindu
28-04-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
A summer camp with a difference!
Mandya witnessed an inspiring event as young entrepreneurs, aged 9 to 16, took center-stage during the Kids' Business Fair — the finale of Polygnan's week-long Business and Entrepreneurship Summer Camp, which was offered free. Over the past week, 34 children from diverse backgrounds came together to explore subjects rarely covered in traditional classrooms but essential for life, from understanding how businesses are built, how banks work, creating, marketing, and selling their products. The Kids Business Fair, held on the Bal Bhavan premises, was the highlight of the camp. The enthusiastic children set up stalls, displayed products they had crafted — handmade candles, hair clips, greeting cards, bookmarks, tissue art, clay diyas, coasters, décor items, and much more. Every child experienced the full journey of running a business — from registering their company, receiving an incorporation certificate, pitching their ideas to a bank and budgeting for raw materials, carefully crafting a wide range of handicrafts, marketing their creations to friends and family, and finally interacting with real customers to sell their products during the fair, noted a press release. The profits made through this initiative will be donated to the Seva Kirana Charitable Trust, which runs a free old-age home, the release added. Polygnan is an initiative of the U.S.-returned techies Chandana Shivanand and Prajwal Rajendra Prasad, who worked at tech giants like Meta and Oracle for close to a decade. They wish to provide holistic education beyond schools and academics, making it accessible to children from all backgrounds, the release stated.
