Children’s Science Congress has evolved into a movement which is spread to all districts in the country. Participation in the Congress provides the first opportunity for problem solving using the method of science. Many young scientists today credit their experience in the Children’s Science Congress as a decisive turning point in their career.

The Outreach Campaign for Understanding Planet Earth aims at promoting a safer, healthier and wealthier planet through better understanding of the natural and man made processes. The theme for the next two years is ‘Planet Earth Our Home-Explore, Care and Share’. This publication elaborates on the theme and encourages young scientists to nurture their creativity.

This guide book will serve as resource material in the orientation process of science teachers and coordinators of science clubs over the next two years. Evaluators use this material as the basis for grading the projects. These are the main purposes for which the editors and contributors have worked. It is also likely to be equally useful for the next several years as a reference material for similar creative activities. Resource persons organizing science activity camps and others involved with school ecology clubs and community science clubs will find this positively useful.

RVPSP, Rastriya Vigyan Evam Prodyogiki Sanchar Parishad, strives to inculcate scientific temper through science communication. RVPSP catalyses research projects, encourages development of communication software, trains communication personnel, recognizes outstanding communicators, co-ordinates efforts across the country and supports field programmes towards this objects. The Children’s Science Congress is a prestigious field project now in its sixteenth year. The larger goal of the programme is to give shape to the preamble of the S&T Policy 2003 which inter alia states-

“To ensure that the message of science reaches every citizens of India, man and women, young and old, so that we advance scientific temper, emerge as a progressive and enlightened society, and make it possible for all our people to participate fully in the development of science and technology and its application for human welfare.”

This book is the result of contributions by several experts from different specialization who have themselves worked in teams while developing the sections of the book. This is an opportunity to acknowledge their contribution. It is hoped that they will continue to support in the process of project development, evaluation, follow up, etc. we also invite inputs from support readers and users of this book to make it more useful.

The journey from here for the teams of young scientists will be as thrilling as their mentors will make it and that is worthwhile challenge for their guides. They will be motivated because a larger objective is also being attempted through the creativity, energy and enthusiasm of the young scientists and discovering that is part of the thrill.