Lubrizol, in partnership with The Apprentice Project (TAP), a non-profit working to build 21st century skills among students in government schools, recently conducted a hands-on learning event at Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation School No. 46, Gothivali, Ghansoli. The event brought together 8 Lubrizol employees and 50 students for a day of collaborative, activity-based learning focused on problem solving and creativity.
A Partnership Built on Shared Purpose
The Apprentice Project (TAP), an initiative of MentorMe Foundation, works with students in grades 4-12 in government and low income schools, building 21st century skills like problem solving, critical thinking, and financial literacy. At the heart of TAP’s model is TAP Buddy, a WhatsApp-based learning platform, which is integrated into school systems. By combining technology and a project-based approach to learning, TAP enables 21st century skill development across classrooms and school systems.
Lubrizol is a science-based company leveraging specialty chemistry to provide sustainable solutions that advance mobility, promote well-being, and enrich modern living. Lubrizol has always firmly believed in creating meaningful impact through its community investments (partnerships with non-profits and volunteering activities) conducted across the globe. In India, this conviction is reflected in the company’s CSR commitment largely towards education-prioritising STEM learning, foundational literacy, and vocational skilling for the communities.
Together, the Lubrizol-TAP partnership supports students across government schools in Navi Mumbai and Pune, united by a shared belief in the power of education to transform lives.
The Partnership in Action
The employee engagement event at NMMC School No. 46 was structured around the same learning approach that students experience every week through TAP Buddy. The students and the volunteers worked through two activities in small groups, one rooted in science and the other in art.
The science activity challenged students to build a functional pedal bin, a model that works on the same lever mechanism as a standard dustbin. The activity opened up questions between children and volunteers about how everyday objects are engineered, why certain materials work and others don’t, and how to troubleshoot when a design does not work as expected. Lubrizol volunteers worked through these questions with the students, guiding the students to think critically and arrive at the solution.
The arts activity focused on traditional Gond art, a folk artform that originates from the tribal communities of Central India. Students designed and painted their own coasters, learning about one of India’s most distinctive cultural traditions while practising focus, composition, and creative decision-making. The coasters, like the pedal bins, were immediately useful, allowing students to see the value in what they created.
This reflects TAP’s approach to learning, where students build conceptual understanding by creating and applying ideas. Skills such as problem solving, critical thinking and creativity emerge naturally through this process.
Where Learning Meets Impact
As their projects came to life, students and volunteers gathered to present what they had built. They spoke about the choices behind their projects; some shared how they wanted to recreate the pedal bin at home, while others held up their coasters proudly.
For Lubrizol volunteers, the experience offered something that reports and presentations cannot capture: a firsthand understanding of how students learn through TAP’s model.
“When we were in school, we weren’t this active and confident. I see these students now and it feels so good to see that they are so confident and smart. I am happy to see the government schools landscape is changing,” said a Lubrizol volunteer.
For the school, the event was equally significant. Anuja Mirkute, Headmistress of NMMC School No. 46, said, “A big thank you to TAP and Lubrizol for bringing this opportunity to us. We don’t have a playground, so we try to keep the students engaged in such activities, and they are performing really well. I hope that our students get many more opportunities like this.”
Looking Ahead
As TAP continues to impact more children and more schools each year, partnerships with funders play a critical role in strengthening both access and quality. Lubrizol’s support, as both a funder and an active participant, enables students to not only build skills, but also gain exposure to real world interactions that shape confidence and aspiration.
Sustainable impact in education is built through consistent presence, programming that is rooted in the realities of the system, and holistic partnerships. The collaboration between Lubrizol and TAP is built on this ethos.
About The Apprentice Project: The Apprentice Project (TAP), a program of MentorMe Foundation, headquartered in Pune, Maharashtra, is a nonprofit organisation working to equip students in Grades 4-12 in government and low-income schools with 21st-century skills. TAP partners with government school systems, including SCERT and DIET, to deliver experiential and AI-enabled learning programs at scale, combining hands-on activities with accessible technology to build problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, and applied learning skills. At present, TAP reaches over 150,000 students across India through partnerships with government school systems.
For more information, visit https://theapprenticeproject.org
About Lubrizol: Lubrizol, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is a science-based company whose specialty chemistry delivers sustainable solutions to advance mobility, improve well-being and enhance modern life. Every day, the innovators of Lubrizol strive to create extraordinary value for customers at the intersection of science, market needs and business success, driving discovery and creating breakthrough solutions that enhance life and make the world work better. Founded in 1928, Lubrizol has global reach and local presence, with more than 100 manufacturing facilities, sales and technical offices and 7,000 employees around the world.
For more information, visit https://lubrizol.com
