STEM Learning’s CSR Program Implementation details from Karnataka region
54
Schools Empowered
24400
Students
Benefited
216
Teachers
Benefited
22
Corporate Supported
7
Presence In Districts
STEM Learning supports the Karnataka government in its endeavour to promote & improve the quality of education in the state. The mission of the Karnataka government is to equip children with knowledge, skills and values to enable them to become good human beings. The Literacy rate in Karnataka has seen an upward trend and is 75.36 percent as per 2011 population census. Thus, STEM Learning has been committed to enhance the basis of learning by multiple efforts, including by being the implementing partner for the installation of Mini Science Centres (MSCs).
STEM Learning inspired education leads to explorative thinking and a problem-solving mindset that, in effect, contributes to potential innovators, designers, strategic thinkers, scientists and partners. With the support of Corporates, STEM Learning has installed MSCs. in 61 schools of Karnataka. The objective is to increase scientific temper & inquisitiveness among students, so they can be ready for the future. Corporates who’ve contributed to the change in the education sector of this state include Brillio, BASF, CBM, Chloride Metal, Concern India, Dover, Exide, Fullerton, GIS, JSW, L&T, Samarthanam, Trident Skills & Learning Solutions, and United Breweries.
The schools where the MSCs have been installed have experienced the impact of the revolutionary STEM education. They’ve reported an increase in the attention span of the students. The engagement levels among students have been amplified. The teachers do not need to intervene like before, as the interactive models spike the curiosity of students. The students keep playing with the models and interim learn the mechanism and grasp the concept. While interacting with each other, they communicate what they experience and peer learning is quite a common phenomenon observed.
MSCs encourage students to become independent thinkers. Students collaborate to explore and learn various topics. And while they interact with each other, interdependence is seen among students. The plug and play models cover 80 concepts from 5th to 10th standards. Not only do the students learn through a hands-on approach but since they are aligned to the syllabus they can grasp the concept easily. The schools in the 7 districts of Karnataka namely Udupi, Bengaluru, Mangalore, Kolar, Hosur, Bellari and Mysore have experienced a reformation in the education system. 24,400 students have benefitted with this pedagogy approach.
The teachers are enthusiastically using the exhibits during classroom sessions. Besides increasing the engagement levels among students, the teaching time has been reduced by 50-60 %. The teachers do not have to spend time on getting the attention of students as they did before. STEM Learning provides an in depth learning experience for teachers through the ‘Teacher Training Program.’ Thus up skilling 244 teachers and giving them an all round understanding of the learning aids they have at their disposal.
STEM Learning has set up Tinkering Labs in Karnataka and has received praise from the media through online and print mediums. In these labs students put their theoretical knowledge to practice by building models. Many a time these models are built in response to various issues faced by people. And it is seen how effectively the classroom learning is directed towards solving societal issues.
As part of the CSR initiatives, Corporates encourage employees to contribute to the society. 500 hours of employee volunteering has been recorded where employees have shared their industry expertise with students, thus igniting the career opportunities that lie ahead. Employees conduct quiz competitions and are even trained to maximise this experience. STEM Learning provides the necessary tools for the holistic growth of students.
