IEEE Volunteers are dedicated to a variety of engineering outreach initiatives. Specifically, many participate in outreach programs aimed at supporting STEM in pre-university students. Vijayalaxmi S. Kumbhar was a 2021 IEEE STEM Champion, dedicated to many such programs.
“In an increasingly dynamic world, our nation’s younger generations must be ready to bring skills and knowledge to encounter problems, make use of information and resources, and know how to gather and evaluate data to make accurate and proper decisions,” Kumbhar shared with the IEEE Region 10 Connect Newsletter at the time she was selected as a STEM Champion. “These are the skills that students develop in science, technology, engineering, and math, including electronics disciplines known as STEM.”
In particular, Kumbhar is most proud of the Student Workshop program she led.
“In this kind of program students will be more interactive and they will get hands-on experience,” Kumbhar stated when recently asked about her involvement in STEM programs at the pre-university level. “They will also learn about the new technology and apply it to solve the real world problems.” Kumbhar also stated that interacting with the young minds of students in these programs is the most rewarding part of engaging in STEM outreach programs such as this.
Additionally, Kumbhar led the IEEE Epoxy Solar Camp in India. This youth oriented-STEM program was a 2021 IEEE Pre-University STEM Portal Grant Program award winner and was spotlighted on TryEngineering.org. In this program, students had not only the opportunity to learn more about Solar energy, but were also provided with ample hands-on opportunities to develop their own solar-based projects.
Kumbhar is currently an Assistant Professor at PCET’s PCCOER, Ravet, Pune Maharashtra, India. She is also the chair of the Special Interest Groupon Humanitarian Technology (SIGHT) in the IEEE Bombay Section.
Vijayalaxmi S. Kumbhar was selected as a 2021 IEEE STEM Champion as part of the IEEE STEM Champion Program.
Photo courtesy of IEEE Region 10 Connect Newsletter.