At the Vidyodaya Girls Higher Secondary School, Chennai, students are now being trained to fly a drone, programme a robot and see their ideas come to life on 3D printers, all thanks to the Rotary Hallmark Srishti STEM Lab established at the school by RC Chennai Hallmark, RID 3234.
The high-tech lab, inaugurated by PDG J Sridhar in June, is equipped with hands-on modules on STEM, robotics, artificial intelligence, drone and 3D printing facilities. Through this initiative, the club aims to spark scientific temperament in students at an early age and prepare them to become future innovators, engineers and researchers, says S Anil Kumar, the club’s IPP.
“We believe innovation must begin in classrooms. By exposing children to real-world innovative technologies at a young age, we are giving them the confidence to think differently and solve problems creatively,” says S Rhama, the club’s charter president, who had envisioned and implemented the STEM lab project.This is the second STEM lab set up by the club which plans to continue the project to benefit more schools.
The initiative was supported by Imperial Granites, and N Sankar from Singapore. Kalvishala Institute of Education and Skill Development LLP, Chennai, helped in setting up the lab infrastructure and training resources.
The enthusiasm was palpable on the faces of students as they worked on the robotic kits and printed their first models. A student from Class 9 exclaimed, “I didn’t know I could create something like this. Now I want to learn more and build something useful.”
With projects like Hallmark Srishti, Rotary is not just donating equipment, it is enabling dreams become real, smiles Anil Kumar.