Rotary E-Club of Metro Dynamix in partnership with Open Space Foundation organized a free Public Star Gazing Event and the Project Vinveli – Namma Telescope Exhibition as part of the Coimbatore Vizha, at the Corporation Primary School Ground, Sidhapudur, Gandhipuram.
It is a three-day event held from 29th November to 1st December 2024, between 6:00 and 9:00 pm. and the event was inaugurated by Rtn Subramanian, Rotary District Secretary; Rtn Kamal Kumar, Assistant Governor in the presence of Corporation Education Officer and Supervisor of Education Department.
This event was attended by 500 + people, who have enjoyed viewing as far as the Saturn, Venus, earth objectives and stars through the advanced telescopes set up at the venue.
Project Vinveli, an initiative led by Rotary E-Club of Metro Dynamix in collaboration with Open Space Foundation, has successfully deployed 38 refractor telescopes across government middle schools in the Coimbatore district, directly benefiting over 500 students.
Besides public star gazing, public got to enjoy the exhibition wherein students from the Project Vinveli participating schools showcased the telescopes, their milestone achievement’s, sharing their personal experiences, and demonstrating how to observe the beauty of the night sky.
Vidya Thathamangalam, Secretary and Project Chairman, Rotary E-Club of Metro Dynamix, who resides in Toronto, Canada added “This is a groundbreaking initiative of our club wherein government school students in Coimbatore have embarked on an exciting journey to explore the wonders of astronomy.”
She also said, “Project Vinveli, a pioneering program, has enabled students to construct telescopes and participate in an International Asteroid Search Campaign. Many of the participating schools have shown keen interest to up-skill their students in science and astronomy and build on STEM education and we are very happy to provide that opportunity and financial assistance to many of these students coming from less privileged backgrounds with the support of our knowledge partners Open Space Foundation.”
Moreover, Vidya Thathamangalam, mentioned, “This year alone we have extended the program to 12 schools in Madukkarai with the help of our CSR partners Walkaroo Foundation and Trident Pneumatics.
We plan to build on this momentum by adding many more government schools to this program and come up with many such projects to inspire students for a bright future. We look forward to corporate’s CSR collaboration for making this possible.”
According to Chitra, Teacher, Corporation Middle School, Thudiyalur, “Our goal is to make astronomy accessible and engaging for students from underprivileged backgrounds. We believe that by fostering a curiosity-driven approach, we can inspire the next generation of scientists and innovators.
One of the key highlights of event is the Project Vinveli – Namma Telescope exhibition where we got to display our achievements as part of the Telescope Construction project. Students from government schools have been working tirelessly to design and build their own telescopes, with guidance from Open Space Foundation.
This hands-on approach has not only deepened their understanding of astronomy but also instilled a sense of pride and accomplishment.”
Bharath, co-founder of Open Space Foundation adds “Project Vinveli – Namma Telescope is a shining example of what can be achieved when passion, dedication, and community come together. As these young astronomers continue to reach for the stars, we can’t help but feel a sense of excitement and wonder at the possibilities that lie ahead.
We would like to thank Rotractors of Cosmos and Coimbatore main clubs from District 3201 for volunteering, our venue partners Hope Foundation and Corporation Primary School Sidhapudur for sharing their space for the event and not forget the Coimbatore Vizah team for helping us with the event coordination. We look forward to annually using this platform to give back to the community in our own way.”
