Grant Spotlight: Promoting Out-of-School STEM Learning at Home
Education is not just for educators and teachers. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted that changes in technology have boosted access to information that parents and guardians can now leverage when the child is not physically in the classroom. The Promoting Out-Of-School STEM Learning at Home program was proposed as a means to establish an out-of-school STEM learning program in Uganda that would engage pre-university students and their parents.
The objectives of the program included provoking an interest in STEM learning at home and providing STEM learning resources and hands-on activities to the parents of students interested in STEM learning. The project partnered with three Rotary Clubs in Kampala and managed to reach 330 students and 225 households; significantly more than the target 50 households. The program took place over the course of three months. During this time, seven online STEM sessions were conducted with pre-university students. STEM lesson kits were delivered to participating homes and parents assisted with the hands-on activities provided.
Going forward, the Rotary District 9213 has indicated that they intend to take on and integrate the STEM Portal project into the activities of their clubs next year.
Promoting Out-of-School STEM Learning at Home was funded by the IEEE Pre-University STEM Portal Grant Program in 2021.