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Media Release
Mangaluru, Dec 18: Connected Wisdom, a month-long celebration of science, literature and heritage, inaugurated on Children’s Day, has offered ELC and CFAL students and the community meaningful opportunities to engage with experts from diverse fields. Through interactive sessions, students have explored ideas that nurture curiosity, critical thinking and real-world understanding. As the series draws to a close, the final week features conversations with a celebrated author, a senior IAS officer, an eminent astrophysicist and directors of the Indian Montessori Centre.
The concluding week includes an open session on December 18 at the CFAL campus from 5.30 pm onwards, with Dr Prajval Shastri, astrophysicist and former faculty member at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. The talk will focus on scientific thinking, curiosity and evidence-based inquiry, encouraging participants to explore, question and connect the wonders of the universe with everyday experiences. Jupiter, Saturn and the Messier 2 globular cluster will be visible during the event, which will be conducted by CFAL’s Astro Club. The session is open to all.
On December 20 at 6.30 pm, TLC Café will host Roopa Pai, one of India’s best-known children’s authors, for a book-signing and reader interaction. A computer engineer-turned-writer with over 35 books to her credit, including The Gita for Children and the popular Taranauts series, Roopa Pai brings stories that have shaped the reading journeys of young and adult readers alike. The programme is open to all.
Also on December 20, a talk by Latha Rao, director of training, IMTC Koramangala, and Jayashree Guruprasad, director of training, IMTC Mangaluru, will be held at the ELC campus. An open house will also be organised to showcase the pedagogy of observation- and enquiry-based learning at the Learning Centre.
CFAL’s theatre club will present a play based on the life of Srinivasa Ramanujam and host a mathematics exhibition based on his work. Thulasi Maddineni, IAS, secretary to the government, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (Administrative Reforms), Government of Karnataka, will also address students. Drawing from her experience in governance and public service, she will speak on the importance of women in leadership roles and how inclusive leadership strengthens institutions and public life. The session will be co-anchored by Dr Smitha Hegde, who will speak about her work with Amara, CFAL’s greening initiative in Mangaluru.
About Connected Wisdom:
Connected Wisdom is an initiative of ELC and CFAL to bring children, educators and the wider community together with storytellers, authors, artists and specialists from diverse fields. By enabling direct engagement with experts, the initiative nurtures curiosity, empathy and an appreciation of heritage. So far, Dr Ramachandra Hebbar (ISRO), Amrita Shah, Priya Muthukumar, Nandita Jayaraj, Chandini Chhabra, Nester Fernandes, Mamatha Rai, Praveen Alva, Rajesh Vidyasagar (World Bank), Abhisheka Krishnagopal, Dr Janardhanan Havanje, Fr Jason Pinto and several others have conducted sessions that link learning with sustainable traditions. Through Connected Wisdom, ELC and CFAL continue to create spaces where learners engage deeply with ideas and develop a lifelong love for inquiry and reflection.
For more details:
Visit www.elcindia.org or call +91 6360238816.
To attend the book-signing event with Roopa Pai, please RSVP at 7483414681.







