BUILD CAPACITY
Mentorship Initiatives
India is home to more than 371 million young people, the largest youth population in the world. SGB's Mentorship Initiative was built around one conviction: that equipping them for the knowledge economy requires more than degrees.
250+
Young Adults engaged in non-formal learning programmes
18,000+
Learners engaged through Student Learning Modules
14
Learning resources created by young adults at the Gallery
OVERVIEW
SGB's Mentorship Initiative implements our mission of building capacity in young adults through non-evaluative, self-motivated, hands-on learning. All programmes provide exposure to research practices through deep engagement with peers and experts, conversations with the public, and learning by doing. Our programmes are designed for young adults between 15 and 30, and for the educators who work with them.
I. NON-FORMAL LEARNING
Experimentor and Mediator Programme
Our flagship mentorship initiative is the Experimentor Programme: a fourteen-month full-time engagement in which young adults drive the visitor experience at SGB, develop learning experiences, and create learning resources alongside our curatorial team. Experimentors also have the opportunity to earn a Postgraduate Certificate in Science Public Engagement from the University of Glasgow, and to explore career pathways through one-on-one mentorship.
Over weekends, Experimentors work alongside Mediators, typically college students, to shape a dialogue with the public.
Internships
For young adults pursuing or having completed undergraduate or postgraduate studies, including Graduation Projects.
Externships
An opportunity, or high school and undergraduate students, to shadow the team and see what happens behind the scenes in public engagement.
II. INFORMAL LEARNING
Learning Modules and Programmes
Our informal learning programmes are one-time engagements designed to expose young adults to new research, skills, and ways of thinking.
Student Learning Modules
Structured two-to-three hour walkthroughs led by trained Mediators, designed for school and college groups. Available in English and Kannada.
Two to four week programmes for 18 to 30 year olds, offering deep engagement with exhibition themes through work with artists, scholars, and practitioners.
Masterclasses and Workshops
Expert-led sessions for 15 to 30 year olds, blending lectures, hands-on learning, and open discussions like Ask Me Anything around exhibition themes.
Participatory Programmes
Open call programmes for 15 to 30 year olds, to creatively engage with exhibition themes through photography, writing, and film. Selected participants receive mentorship to develop their work, which is showcased both in the Gallery and online.
LEARNING RESOURCES
For every exhibition-season, we develop learning resources in English and Kannada, freely accessible to learners and educators anywhere. Our Open Courseware and Activity Handbooks are available online, free, and designed for both independent learners and classroom use.
Do-it-yourself activities connected to exhibition themes, designed to integrate with school curricula.
Freely accessible digital learning modules curated from previous exhibition-seasons and programmes, for educators and independent learners.
Exhibition-in-a-Box (EIAB)
A portable exhibition format that includes selected exhibits, programmes, and activities. Built on an interdisciplinary and multimedia approach, it encourages engagement, discussion, and exploration beyond the physical gallery.
A curated selection of exhibits, programmes, and activities drawn from our exhibition-seasons, EIAB is built on an interdisciplinary and multimedia approach. Exhibition-in-a-Box is designed to travel, bringing the same quality of engagement, discussion, and exploration that happens in the Gallery to schools, colleges, community spaces, and organisations, if you are unable to visit us in Bengaluru.
SGB has signed Memoranda of Agreement with three departments of the Government of Karnataka—Rural Development and Panchayat, Higher Education, and School Education and Literacy—to distribute our Learning Resources in English and Kannada to libraries, high schools, and science centres across the state.
In addition, we actively participate in outreach initiatives at universities, public events, and open days to showcase our work and make our resources accessible to wider audiences.