Rajendranagar: Rousing interest in STEM fields

1. Project 'STEM' emerge as a better tool to fight illiteracy as well as channel students' interest towards Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, despite lack of infrastructural facilities in their schools
2. Science kit with 100+ plus experiments helps them understand how the science models work, despite absence of science labs in the schools.
3. Deloitte came forward voluntarily to distribute bicycles among students facing hardships to reach schools
4. India Literacy Project (ILP) selected 11 schools under Rajendranagar circle for a 10-month project

Rajendranagar: School Management Committees (SMCs) formed by India Literacy Project (ILP), an NGO working to eradicate illiteracy in rural areas, are now coming to rescue the state-run schools facing shortage of facilities and infrastructure.

To implement the idea, the NGO has selected 11 schools under Rajendranagar circle that includes GHS Rajendranagar, ZPHS Budvel, ZPHS NTR Nagar, ZPHS Attapur, ZPHS Ganesh Nagar, ZPHS Mailardevpally, ZPHS Padmashalipuram, ZPHS Hydershakote, ZPHS Manikonda, ZPHS Vatti Nagulapally and KGBB Kismatpur.

So far 946 students belonging to 11 schools are counselled and guided on their career options. Collectively, all the 11 high school students from 6th to 10 classes covered under the project total 5,350 students including 2,518 boys and 2,832 girls.

"The theme Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) says all about the vision behind launching the project for the rural pupils to catch them young with digital and science-oriented training programmes to simulate their minds," said Kankanala Eprahim, the Project Lead, STEM Project Rajendranagar Mandal

STEM shows results

With the support of United Way of Hyderabad (UWH) as well as State Street, ILP has launched its project STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) 10 months ago with a vision to provide rural children the opportunity of advanced way of learning through science projects as well as understanding the course in a digitalized way.

The project is based on the five core elements of stimulating young minds. "However, science kit with 100+ plus experiments helps them understand how the science models work, despite absence of science labs in the schools. During the project even Deloitte' company came forward voluntarily to distribute bicycles among the students facing hardship to reach schools owing to lack of transport facility," said Eprahim.

Beyond school books

For this, Eprahim added, ILP has decided on organising science fairs, summer camps, career guidance events besides extending logistics support such as distribution of bicycles among students to keep them connected to the schools.

This distinctive aspect of the project is that it has adapted a method of holding elections in schools and constituting school management committees involving parents, headmasters, Anganwadi, ANM, Asha workers, ward members, local corporators, retired teachers and alumni of the schools. Also there are two co-opted members, one is from local NGO and another is of the NGO looking over the project.

During the 10 months of project, a number of schools, wherein SMCs is constituted, have overcome the shortage of facilities and infrastructure on their premises. "The SMCs, consisting of 15 members each, including chairman, vice-chairman, six ex-officio members and seven executive members, used to meet once in a month to discuss the issues cornering the students as well as the lack of facilities on the premises," according to Preeti Iyengar, Coordinator, Hyderabad Chapter.

Elaborating on the programme, she said science fairs, summer camps and career counseling programmes were also organised during the past 10 months to help student's head on a proper path towards their better future. Career counseling was conducted in almost all the 11 high schools in a phased manner.

Field officers such as Vasudeva Chary, Kishore and Kamalakar are the few other team members of the ILP who have worked for the whole year implementing project activities in all the 11 high schools.