About Think SMART

In the burgeoning world of excessive consumption and surplus production which eventually leads to waste, adding to the crisis of mortality of our otherwise healthy and self-nurturing planet, there is an ever-growing need to bring forth products and solutions which add to the longevity of the planet instead of taking away from it. In the spirit of green engineering, sustainable and self-sufficient innovation, and in the spirit of creativity and magic, the project Think SMART ((Sustainable Materials and Renewable Technologies) was founded to address the problems caused in the contemporary world by excessive consumerism at the cost of the environment. The project also aims to address and rectify the loss of creativity in a world which focuses more on possession and less on utility. 

As such, the initiative Think SMART directs itself to focusing on the world of science and technology so as to equip the students with skills and knowledge needed to think creatively and in a minimalist fashion so that the absolute necessary utility, paired with the absolute necessary aesthetic makes the world a better place to live in, by bringing forward a generation of scientists and engineers who focus on sustainability. Hence, a training guide ‘START’ - Sustainable Technology Action and Research Training’ is a part of the project, which serves as a comprehensive educational resource, consisting of extensive workshops which are conducted with young students, making them aware of and privy to the world of green technology and innovation. The focus of these workshops is right from the basics of cycles of production, addressing the problems of material excess at the very core.

The START (Sustainable Technologies Activities and Reflection Tasks) workbook consists of an extensive activity book equipped with training young students on the DIY way of being. To complement this, a Think SMART workshop series, in collaboration with an NGO bringing together students from underserved communities, apprises them of the techniques used in sustainable methods of innovation and development.  Through the course of this workshop series, the students learn various methods of self sufficiency and sustainability - which are crucial skills needed to step into a cleaner/greener future. These workshops include real-world training of the skillset, in order to enhance the tangibility of creativity and proximity with autonomy and control over their own selves by finding the joy in creativity and creation. 

Finally, a ‘Go-START Fundraising campaign’ in collaboration with a partner NGO raises a significant amount of funds, which are then given away in the way of child education in our country, especially among the underprivileged.