On a sunny afternoon in Bangalore, 12-year-old Riya adjusted the code on a robot she and her classmates built to sort recyclables. In the next room, her cousin Aarav painted a mural about how math patterns show up in nature, while others brainstormed ideas for a student-led eco-business.

This isn’t just school—it’s STEAMS learning in action: blending Science, Technology, Entrepreneurship, Arts, Math, and Self-development. Across India, this integrated, hands-on approach is transforming education from exam prep to life prep.

What Makes STEAMS Different?

STEAM—adding Arts to STEM—is already popular worldwide. Wizkids Gurukul is going a step further by including Entrepreneurship and Self-awareness. That’s what the extra “E” and “S” stand for in STEAMS.

Instead of learning subjects in isolation, students connect them. A tech class might include designing an app for a social cause. A geometry lesson could turn into an art project. At Wizkids Gurukul, we see this every day in the challenges our students tackle—mixing storytelling with innovation, science with compassion.

Learning by Doing, Feeling, and Thinking

Indian schools are embracing this with:

• Art-integrated learning: Painting, dance, or drama to explore academic topics

• Project-based assignments: Designing, building, and presenting real-world solutions

• Skill-based courses: Coding, robotics, design thinking, and more

• Reflection and wellness: Journaling, mindfulness, and group exercises

As one student in an Atal Tinkering Lab put it: “From soldering to coding, we’ve learned by doing.” And while tech skills are crucial, so is empathy. When students share stories, express feelings through art, or build projects that solve real problems, they learn to care and connect.

Why STEAMS Matters Now

The NEP 2020 encourages this shift by promoting “critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and entrepreneurship.” It’s about preparing children not just to work in the world, but to change it.

Programs like Atal Tinkering Labs show what’s possible:

• A student team in Kerala designed a smart irrigation system to help mountain farmers

• Another group created “smart goggles” to support a visually impaired classmate

These aren’t just projects—they’re acts of empathy and innovation, driven by young minds who see problems and ask, how can we help?

How Can Parents Support STEAMS?

STEAMS isn’t just for the classroom. As a parent, you can help by:

• Asking your child what they’re building, exploring, or imagining
  
  

• Encouraging hobbies like coding, painting, gardening, or creative writing
  
  

• Supporting curiosity with kits, books, or community activities

• Helping them reflect—not just on what they learned, but how they felt and why it mattered