STEM Access Project – BALPP, SAPRI, Meu Labs
The STEM Access Program, organized collaboratively by the Bandaranaike Academy for Leadership and Public Policy (BALPP) and the South Asia Policy Research Institute (SAPRI), and conducted by Meu Labs, aims to enhance STEM education in the Thunukkai Educational Zone,Mullaitivu. The initiative selected 10 schools whose students will participate in a six-month online STEM course.
On the 1st of July 2024, the BALPP, SAPRI, and Meu Labs successfully launched the STEM Access project with the Teacher Training Workshop at Mankulam Maha Vidayalam, Thunukkai zone Mankulam in Mullativu district. 30 teachers, 3 from each of the 10 selected schools participated in the workshop. The teachers provided valuable feedback and will oversee student recruitment and program rollout at their respective schools.
On the 2nd of July, Meu-Labs and BALPP teams conducted three highly successful workshops at Palinagar M.V, Mallawi MMV, and Oddusudan M.W, each attended by approximately 100 enthusiastic students. These workshops, led by the Meu Labs team, sparked significant interest in STEM education. Additionally, students from seven other schools participated online via Zoom.
These workshops also provided the MeuLabs-BALPP team with valuable insights into the technological infrastructure of the schools. We were pleased to find that all four schools visited exceeded our expectations in terms of IT labs and the number of devices available. However, challenges with WiFi and internet connectivity persist, highlighting areas for future improvement.
Under the facilitation of Mr. Suwarnarajah Kathiresan, the former president of the National College of Education, Vavuniya, BALPP and Meu Labs held discussions with principals, zone officials, and other school representatives. These conversations highlighted the crucial role of STEM education and allowed us to tailor the program to the unique requirements of the local educational context.