Making rural Andhra children future-ready through STEM and SDGs

Smile Foundation with the support from Shell India and in association with Govt. of Andhra Pradesh organised NXplorers Carnival in Nellore. The day-long carnival was organised with the aim of providing rural school children a platform to display their prowess in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and understanding of the SDGs (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals).

The NXplorers Junior is an innovative educational programme that aims to empower young minds to address the complex challenges faced by the world today and to become agents of change. It also provides the tools, methodologies and skills needed to tackle the real-world problems using collaborative, innovative and inter-disciplinary approaches, developing STEM habits of mind through critical thinking and complex problem-solving skills are a few other goals. These are underlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, the programme is aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and it envisions complementing the latter’s objectives.

Smile Foundation has been implementing the NXplorers Junior programme, a global flagship social investment STEM educational initiative from Shell, in 89 government schools in Nellore and Tirupati districts of Andhra Pradesh.

In addition, 77 government and affordable private schools of Thrissur district of Kerala, and 116 government schools in eight districts of Telangana, that include Warangal, Khammam, Hanumakonda, Jayashankar Bhupalpalli, Jangaon, Mulugu, Mahabubabad, and Bhadradri Kothagudem are covered under this internationally successful programme for school children.

During the carnival, as many as 50 selected change projects and innovative models in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) were exhibited by 140 students from 43 schools from across the district during the carnival. The school children had come up with working models and innovative ideas related to everyday problems, sustainable agricultural practice, controlling emission, nature conservation and many areas linked with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

G Sudheer, Academic Monitoring Officer, Govt. of AP, said, “Smile Foundation has been conducting this innovative and scientifically creative programme in the government high schools. We are glad to see its impact in developing scientific and technological tempers in students.”

G Srinivasulu, District Science Officer, Govt. of AP said, “I am very happy that 51 government schools in Nellore district have been selected for implementing the NXplorers programme by Smile Foundation. This has been igniting critical thinking among the students.”