Leaders and advocates of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) take learning beyond just the academics offered in the classroom. Through TryEngineering, IEEE Volunteers are able to make STEM outreach projects a reality that reach school-aged children around the world. TryEngineering empowers educators and supports volunteers by providing STEM resources including peer-reviewed lesson plans at no cost. The IEEE Pre-University STEM Grant Program offers the opportunity for financial support to start, sustain, or scale selected STEM outreach projects in local communities. In 2024, 53 programs were selected as STEM grant recipients.
One of these selected projects was Empowering Pre-University Educators: Integrating STEM Excellence in Teaching Pedagogy. This exciting 3-day workshop, held at the NMAM Institute of Technology in Nitte, India, aimed to empower pre-university educators by integrating technology into STEM education. A total of 58 local educators and 10 volunteers participated in the workshop. Each day focused on a different STEM subject, including physics, chemistry, and mathematics. Participants explored the application of these subjects in engineering, and enjoyed daily lab visits. Participants also learned about the use of generative AI in teaching, and the practical applications of Excel.
After the success of the program, TryEngineering was able to conduct an interview with the program’s leaders:
What inspired you to create your program and get involved with STEM outreach at the pre-university level?
We observed a need to connect pre-university colleges with the engineering curriculum. It was also noted that there was a need to use IT tools for teaching in pre-university colleges. The contents were crafted to focus on the application of IT in teaching STEM at pre-university colleges. The workshop was also planned to provide insight into the use of STEM in engineering, which was achieved through the lab visits.
What goals were met, and how did you measure the program’s impact?
The program successfully met its goals, with 90% of participants able to apply the IT tools discussed during the workshop in their teaching process. The Generative AI tools were also well-received, appreciated by more than 90% of participants. Additionally, the lab visits were highly valued, helping participants map scientific concepts to engineering applications, with 100% of participants agreeing on their usefulness.
Here are some quotations from the participants’ feedback:
- “It was very informative, I learned new things in depth, and overall it was good.”
- “Understood the recent AI tools for learning and teaching recent engineering developments in chemistry and got basic biotechnology understanding.”
- “Got to know the real importance of PU topics in Engineering fields.”
- “It would help better my teaching with better use of AI tools.”
- “We came to know about how important it is for the students to learn the basics in PUC.”
- “New AI tools are really nice and I can definitely use them to attract 1st PUC students who get more time to connect with the theory.”
- “It’s nicely arranged. This program has definitely improved teaching methodology. Teachers have to know modern, new technology.”
Empowering Pre-University Educators: Integrating STEM Excellence in Teaching Pedagogy was a recipient of the 2024 IEEE Pre-University STEM Grant Program. 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.