Training of Trainers

Two-Day Innovation Bootcamp for School Children

Event Name: Two-Day Innovation Bootcamp for School Children(7th and 9th Jan) 
Organiser: Centre of Excellence for Road Safety, IIT Madras 
Target Group: School Students (Classes 7th and 8th) 
Venue: ICSR Exhibition Hall
Duration: Two days 
 

Overview

The Two-Day Innovation Bootcamp for School Children is an academic outreach programme organised by the Centre of Excellence for Road Safety (CoERS), IIT Madras, as part of National Road Safety Month 2026. The programme introduces structured problem – identification and solution-development approaches to school students, with a specific focus on road safety.

The bootcamp is designed for students from Classes VII and VIII and is conducted as a supervised, curriculum-aligned engagement combining conceptual instruction with guided practical exercises.

Background and Rationale

Road safety remains a persistent public safety concern in India. As reported in Road Accidents in India 2023 by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, 1.72 lakh road crash fatalities were recorded nationwide, with 25.5 percent involving individuals below the age of 25 years. These data indicate the continued vulnerability of young road users and the necessity of introducing road safety awareness and risk comprehension at the school level.

Early-stage educational interventions contribute to the development of risk perception, behavioural awareness, and decision-making capacity. Structured exposure to problem analysis and solution development enables students to better understand road environments and factors contributing to unsafe conditions.

Programme Description

In response to this need, CoERS, IIT Madras, has designed the Innovation Bootcamp as a two-day structured academic engagement. The programme employs a Design Thinking–based framework to guide students through observation, problem definition, ideation, and basic prototyping related to road safety challenges.

The approach emphasises analytical reasoning, contextual understanding, and systematic articulation of solutions.

Objectives

The objectives of the programme are to:

• Introduce students to structured problem-solving methodologies based on Design Thinking principles
• Enable students to translate observed road safety issues into clearly defined problem statements and preliminary solution concepts

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the bootcamp, participating students demonstrate the following competencies:

• Understanding of fundamental road safety concerns and responsible road user behaviour
• Ability to apply structured problem-solving approaches to analyse real-world situations
• Development and presentation of basic prototypes corresponding to identified problem statements
• Improved capacity for collaboration and structured communication