One must learn by doing things; for though you think you know it you have no certainty, until you try: Sophocles
Home science education in India is more than a century old. Since 1920, Home Science education has taken various titles. Initially Home science aimed to educate women for a better family living. Today it addresses many technical aspects; Food Science and Nutrition not only emphasises about nutrition and the nutritious dishes, but deals with dietetics, post-harvest management and value-addition; Clothing and Textiles has technical textiles and functional clothing; Family Resource Management addresses drudgery and natural resource management; Child Development deals with cognition and caters to the latest growth and development challenges; Extension Education technically links the science to the society with advanced technologies. Hence, with the changing societal dynamics and the need to cater and coordinate farms and families, Home Science was rechristened as Community Science by the ICAR.
The College of Home Science, Tura, Meghalaya was established on 24th September 2004 that was rechristened to College of Community Science on 5th March 2019. Presently the College offers two degree programmes, BSc (Hons) Community Science, BSc (Hons) Food Nutrition and Dietetics; also offers Master’s programme in Extension Education and Communication Management and Food Science and Nutrition.
The College has good infrastructure facilities and well qualified faculty to ensure quality education to the students. Community Science is a multi-disciplinary subject preparing graduates to address critical challenges with the intersection of science and society especially in the North East states including Sikkim. Our graduates are proven to perform better and we envisage imparting superior skills and equipping them to be job providers and successful entrepreneurs.
A bachelor’s degree in Community Science is more relevant today due to its versatile learning programmes. Apart from the core departmental subjects it offers a special dedicated programme to instill an entrepreneurial mindset through experiential learning programme (ELP). Experiential learning is the process of learning by doing, where students gain knowledge and skills through first –hand experience.
The Experiential Learning programme was introduced into the curriculum of the under-graduate programmes on recommendation of the ICAR and is a key part of the Student Rural Entrepreneurship Awareness Development Yojna (READY). It is basically a business-related enterprise program in the field of agriculture and its allied subjects. The programme aims to foster the importance of entrepreneurship in student minds to develop their entrepreneurship skills to various issues enabling them to build their confidence and ability to work on projects with multiple stakeholders.
The goals of the Experiential Learning Programme are to help students gain professional skills and knowledge through practical, hands-on activities. It aims to build their confidence and ability to work on projects. Additionally, the programme focuses on teaching students how to manage and run businesses, preparing them for real-world job situations. This approach ensures students are ready to move from college to work with the skills needed to succeed.
The ELP is conducted during the last semester of the Undergraduate Programme. This programme is offered for one whole semester in the final year of the undergraduate programme for a period of 55 days. Since it focuses on enterprise building, students and faculty are expected to fully commit to the activities, even on holidays, without offsetting working hours or time restrictions.
The students are required to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) to start an enterprise of their choice. They are provided with a minimum amount of seed money to work on their projects. If any substantial investments are needed, they are given refundable funds, which they have to repay at the end of the programme. The profits generated are shared among the members of the Experiential Learning Programme (ELP) group, with 75 per cent of the profit going to the students, 10 per cent allocated for institutional charges, and 15 per cent given to the faculty.
The experiential programme in B.Sc Community Science is divided into two modules. Module 1 comprises the departments of Family Resource Management (FRM), Textile and Apparel Designing (TAD) and Extension Education and Communication Management (EECM) and is called Product Development and Entrepreneurship. Module 2 is Community Nutrition and Welfare and includes the department of Food Science and Nutrition (FSN), Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) and students are required to choose one module based on their preferences. Each module offers essential skill sets for enterprise building.
In Community Nutrition and Welfare, the students have successfully run a bakery unit, a canteen and catering service and a pickling unit. The students set up a small canteen where staff and students can order from a harmonised menu all day long. The menu is finalised after a market survey keeping in mind the food choices of the young students as well as senior staff members. Popular items over the years have been the traditional thalis of the North East region, spicy salads, pizzas to name a few. Healthy baked items such as millet-based cookies and crackers are also made available. Pickling unit produces pickles of meat, dry fish, and local vegetables in bulk which are sold in the local market as well.
All protocols set by FSSAI are followed during production of food items. The team also offers catering services for official programs not just of the college but also for State department offices and other colleges as well. The team is run professionally with an assigned head chef, chefs, waiters, cleaners, cashier, accountant cum treasurer and this role is passed around to ensure that each student gets to experience all roles. Book keeping becomes an integral part of this experiential learning program to ensure all expenditure and sale proceeds are properly recorded. The students have earned revenues amounting to more than one hundred thousand rupees.
Another component of the module consists of crafting educational materials, fostering creativity, understanding child development, and applying effective teaching methods. In this experiential learning endeavour, the art and technique of sublimation printing, a method that involves transferring ink onto a material through a heat press was used. The focus is on imparting skills in designing and utilising sublimation printing techniques to create educational materials for children. Recognising that teaching young children learning extends beyond conventional methods like chalk and lectures, we emphasise the importance of hands-on experiences and stimuli. Understanding that children learn best through seeing and engaging activities, the aim is to use everyday items like cups and bottles as vehicles for immersive learning experiences.
The approach involves the incorporation of educational elements such as alphabets, numbers, state and national animals, flowers, family pictures, traditional attires etc into children bottles, cups. These visuals are integrated to provide a dynamic and interactive learning experience. They are not just vessels, they are interactive platforms for hands-on learning. As children engage with these objects during routine activities like meals or playtime, they naturally absorb new information, reinforcing their understanding of fundamental concepts.
Business plan is started with a comprehensive market survey. Costs of the required raw materials were gathered from both online platforms and local shops. This dual approach allows obtaining a holistic understanding of market pricing trends. With this information, a strategic pricing model for finished products is decided. Students use multiple approaches for marketing their products including use of social media platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, hostels, friends, family etc. Through this experiential learning, students gain valuable practical skills, foster innovation, and contribute to the creation of educational tools that support the learning and development of young children.
ELP in Product Development and Entrepreneurship involves firsthand experiences in product designing, development, selling and overall management of the ELP in a business model. It covers all aspects relating to designing and development of functional and decorative articles. While developing the articles they apply the knowledge from the subjects learned in the department. Generally, articles such as stationery stand, table cover, saree bags, apron, key chain, phone charm, flower, vase, Diwali candles, decorative diya, agarbatti, mosquito repellent agarbatti, embroidery hoop and dream catchers are some of the popular products sold during the ELP.
Customised products are also made as per demand of the customer. It also equips students with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in apparel and accessory designing, product development, and entrepreneurship, preparing them for successful careers in the fashion industry. The module covers all aspects related to income generation through the production and sale of apparel and utility products, as well as the management of entrepreneurial ventures. It is a professional academic program in textiles and apparel, designed to prepare students to be industry-ready by developing curricula that address the evolving needs of the apparel industry.
Students gain skills, generate a profit of approximately 120-160 per cent, and build capacity in several key areas such as techniques like sewing, pattern making, draping, and embellishment, participating in projects requiring the creation of a complete design collection, developing creativity, innovation, and the ability to work under deadlines, developing and testing prototypes for functionality, fit, and aesthetics helps refine design concepts and improve technical skills. Techniques of instructional device production and instructional video production are also carried out in which students acquire photographic skills and video production skills by using different software. While doing so students also acquire managerial ability and learnt marketing strategies.
Since the College is part of the Central Agricultural University (Imphal), it is apparent to focus and recognise the importance of sustainable agriculture and organic practices. It is therefore important to integrate organic production technology as a part of the ELP programme. This academic year the College is set to introduce Organic Production Technology, which will help the students in identifying opportunities, creating values, managing risks and driving innovation to building successful businesses that contribute to sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship. This programme is designed to provide students with comprehensive hands-on experience in organic production technology, especially the production of biofertilisers and vermicompost units as an integral component. Throughout this programme the students will be equipped with knowledge and skills necessary to produce biofertiliser and vermicompost.
A bachelor’s degree in Community Science provides a comprehensive education that combines theoretical knowledge with practical skills. The Experiential Learning Programme (ELP) is a significant component, preparing students for real-world entrepreneurial challenges and opportunities. With its focus on diverse subjects and hands-on experience, a degree in Community Science is highly relevant and valuable in today’s world.
(The writer is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Community Science, Tura)
