Witnessing the inequity in access to technology education in their own youth, STEM leaders and enthusiasts are often compelled to bridge the gap and nurture the next generation of innovators. STEM fields present immense potential to address global challenges, but this requires diverse perspectives and voices. Engaging pre-university students, especially those from underrepresented communities, ensures a broader talent pool and fosters a richer, more inclusive future for STEM.
Recognizing the transformative power of STEM education, particularly at the pre-university level, IEEE RVCE actively fosters outreach initiatives that ignite curiosity and empower young minds. The IEEE STEM Grant Program from TryEngineering offered the opportunity for this Student Branch (Bangalore, R10) to launch IOT Workshop – Learn, Create, Innovate as a new initiative for local STEM outreach. In this program, seven volunteers lead 50 local school-aged students in a collaborative learning environment with hands-on opportunities. Students engaged in learning about STEM topics including Robotics, Coding, Electronics, IoT, Microcontrollers, Sensors, Programming, Virtual Circuit Design, and WiFi controlled devices. Students were evaluated on their ability to complete assigned projects, such as building an RC car or integrating sensors with microcontrollers. The functionality and complexity of their projects served as indicators of their practical skills and problem-solving abilities. An intra-IOT competition provided a platform to assess students’ skills in a competitive environment. The level of teamwork, innovation, and problem-solving exhibited by the teams were evaluated by judges to determine the top performers.
The program yielded many outcomes that were considered successful. Participants completed knowledge assessments before and after the workshop to gauge their understanding of key concepts in IoT, programming, and electronics The assessments demonstrated that 85% of students gained a significant increase in’ understanding of IoT concepts, programming, and electronics. The workshop feedback revealed high levels of student engagement and enthusiasm for learning about IoT, and follow-up surveys indicated an increase in students’ interest in pursuing careers in the field of IoT. Additionally, 92% of participants reported feeling comfortable collaborating with others on technical projects in the workshop feedback survey.
“This workshop opened my eyes to the possibilities of technology. I never thought I could build an RC car with my own hands!” – Darshini, Competition First Place Winner
“Working in the mixed teams was challenging but rewarding. It taught me how to communicate my ideas and collaborate effectively.” – Sinchana, Competition Second Place Winner
IOT Workshop – Learn, Create, Innovate was a recipient of the 2023 IEEE STEM Grant Program. Additionally, this program was sponsored by IEEE Communications Society, as a program that focuses on communications and networking technologies. You can read more about the strategic partnership between TryEngineering and IEEE Communications Society that launched in 2023 in this article.
IEEE TryEngineering and the IEEE Foundation have partnered to raise donations in support of the IEEE STEM Grant Program. If you would like to contribute, please make a donation via our IEEE TryEngineering Fund donation Page.