STEAM SUMMER COURSE ATTRACTING MANY STUDENTS FROM DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS
The program, designed for underprivileged students aged 13 to 15 in Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc City, allows students to freely explore and enhance their knowledge and skills in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.
“We initially targeted students in grades 8 and 9, but then received many requests from parents wanting to enroll their children. As all the children expressed a desire to join the class, we decided to expand the age range from grade 2 to grade 11,” said volunteer teacher Hoang Anh. As a result of this age diversity, the teaching staff had to adapt their lesson plans to suit the needs of the students.
Ngo Tat Dat (12 years old) shared, “I’ve never attended classes like this before. Usually, I help my family by selling lottery tickets in the morning. I also assist my mother with household chores and her business.”
The first summer course of the 2024 STEAM program focused on two key future industries: agriculture and information technology. It not only generated interest from local students but also attracted volunteers from various places.
Quoc Binh, an international student in Canada, took advantage of his summer break in Vietnam to volunteer for the program by supporting the coding content. “At first, I felt a bit awkward as it was my first time teaching. However, after joining the class and helping the students, I felt like just another member of the class and forgot that I was a volunteer.”
STEAM 2024 is a community project initiated by Coca-Cola Vietnam in collaboration with the social enterprise Green Connect. The first course, supported by the local government of Linh Trung Ward and parents, attracted many young students who attended classes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evening at EkoSchool.
UNLEASHING POTENTIAL THROUGH THE STEAM SUMMER COURSE
The project is a long-term program that helps students gain fundamental knowledge in science and apply it to programming, mathematics, physics, and design, depending on their choices and interests.
“In just a short time, the students have shown their talents and abilities, such as independent thinking and organizing their thoughts during programming lessons,” said Thanh Binh, a volunteer teacher at STEAM. “Therefore, if we can provide more suitable courses and ensure sufficient facilities, we can unlock their full potential.”
In the agriculture class, in addition to the main course content of designing an egg incubator model, the students also got to experience music during breaks or before classes. This helped them relax and develop both the left and right hemispheres of their brains. Typing skills and language learning knowledge through the online learning platform OLM were also included in the curriculum for students of appropriate ages.
After a month of activities, the 2024 STEAM course had produced both musicians and agricultural engineers, with rhythmic songs and healthy chicks hatching from the egg incubator model.
CREATING MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN
“Most of the students who participated in the course came from disadvantaged backgrounds, and their ability to attend class every evening was limited. However, even on days with heavy rain, they still came to class enthusiastically,” shared Nhat Hieu, a chip manufacturing engineer who taught at STEAM, commenting on the students’ eagerness to learn. Between each lesson, the team of volunteers prepared light meals for the students, such as bread with meat or eggs, to boost their energy and encourage regular attendance.
As the first chapter of the 2024 STEAM Summer Experience comes to a close, EkoSchool pledges to continue offering new classes. They aim to disseminate knowledge to underprivileged children in the area, helping them access basic and suitable courses that will assist them in making informed career choices in the future.
