STEM centre opened at government school in Tiruchi

TIRUCHIA STEM Innovation Learning Centre has been opened in Kattur to nurture students in advanced STEM courses. It has a herbal garden, drone satellite launch vehicle mission unit, augmented reality module and more. It will train 4,000 teachers and 60,840 students in 3 years. Minister for School Education inaugurated the centre with Mylswamy Annadurai, former director of ISRO Satellite Centre. It will provide a platform for students to develop ideas and take part in competitions. Experts will be connected to students for successful projects.

A STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Innovation Learning Centre has been established at the Adi Dravidar Welfare Girls Higher Secondary School at Kattur in Tiruchi.

The centre was opened under the Vanavil Mandram scheme in association with the American India Foundation’s (AIF) digital equalizer education programme at a cost of ₹20 lakh. This is the second such centre to be inaugurated in the State after Chennai.

The centre is aimed at nurturing students in advanced STEM courses and assisting them to develop their ideas and providing a platform to take part in competitions. It will introduce students to a trans-disciplinary learning approach through robotics, artificial intelligence, space technology and the STEM incubation workstation.

The facility also has a herbal garden, and a drone satellite launch vehicle mission unit, and is equipped with an augmented reality module to assist students to learn about satellites, drones, and rockets.

Around 4,000 teachers and 60,840 government school students in the district would be trained at the centre in three years. Three dedicated faculties will be appointed for a term of three years to train students as well as teachers. The trained students and teachers will share their knowledge once such centres are inaugurated in other districts, said officials of the School Education Department.

“Students who come up with innovations and prototypes demanding facilities not available at the centre would be connected with the experts in the concerned fields through which they could further their innovation to a successful project,” the official added.

The centre was inaugurated recently by Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Minister for School Education, in the presence of Mylswamy Annadurai, former director of ISRO Satellite Centre.