The tribal communities in South India,
especially those in the
Wayanad region in the proximity of Kerala state, have low literacy
rates and occupy a socio-culturally marginalized status among various
demographic clusters in India. The pedagogies employed through mainstream
schooling do not appeal to the students in the tribal community, resulting
in high dropout rates. Therefore, Madras Christian College, Chennai,
has identified tribal communities as an underrepresented group in
Indian science education proposing to engage them through “Service
Learning Science Camps”. Herein we document our activities
as formative assessment through teaching chemistry to tribal school
children and consolidate the experiences gained by both the student
volunteers and tribal students for prospective research. The program
enabled the student mentors to explore their leadership skills while
administering the science camps. In addition to this, the camps created
a pleasurable environment for learning chemistry for the tribal children
and increased their inclination toward science. This exercise helps
students to change their perception toward tribals and bridge the
gap between them by providing a welcoming and supportive environment
for pleasurable learning. We propose these camps as a model to reach
out and popularize chemistry among the overlooked communities, simultaneously
nurturing the minds of college students toward creating an inclusive
future.