Education Minister, Tamil Nadu, inaugurates AIF and Atlassian Foundation’s - STEM Innovation and Learning Center in Kattur

BusinessWire India
Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 18: The American India Foundation (AIF) and Atlassian Foundation, in the August presence of Thiru Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Minister for School Education, Government of Tamil Nadu, and Padma Shri Dr Mylswamy Annadurai, The Moon Man of India, Former Director - ISRO, Vice President - The State Council for Science and Technology, Tamil Nadu, inaugurated Trichy’s first STEM Innovation and Learning Center (SILC) at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School (ADW), Kattur.
 
AIF’s award-winning flagship education Program – Digital Equalizer has designed the Center to be a one-stop solution for STEM among students and teachers. Consisting of Innovation Corner for students, the center will introduce students to a transdisciplinary learning approach through robotics, AI, Space technology and the STEM Incubation workstation. It aims to nurture their curiosity in advanced STEM courses while also assisting them in developing their innovative ideas into prototypes and providing a platform to participate in State/ National/ International level competitions.
 
The Center also consists of a Technology Corner for Teachers. Fitted with a smart lab, the Tech Corner will facilitate teachers to conduct techno-pedagogy-enabled classes for their students as well as receive training on the Digital Equalizer Way of Teaching (DEWoT) - a unique method developed by AIF to address all types of learners in the classroom. The center also contains a Studio Setup to assist teachers in creating high-quality DE Edu reels - an idea conceptualized to bring about a revolution in education by creating quickly consumable content about the subject's essential definitions and basic concepts, as well as for exams such as NEET, NMMS, etc.
 
Speaking at the inauguration, Thiru Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, the Hon'ble Minister for School Education, Government of Tamil Nadu, said "I thank American India Foundation for organizing such an event at Trichy's Adi Dravidar Welfare School. I'm glad to announce that SILC began in Chennai, Arumbakkam, and eventually made its way to Trichy; I applaud AIF and Atlassian Foundation for providing this chance to rural children. The works of AIF have been associated with our government's Vaanavil Mandram scheme; they are upholding the prestige of our government schools by introducing the necessary training and workshops for current technological developments. This STEM education instills rationalism in kids. I'm astounded by how young students talk about their herbal garden and the science behind space technology. I am also delighted to welcome Dr Mylswamy Annadurai, India's pride, to Trichy".
 
Mentored by Padma Shri Dr Mylswamy Annadurai, The Moon Man of India, Former Director of ISRO, the Center aims to create a platform for students to learn about Space technology through Digital Equalizer’s TLM. The Center is designed to impact 4,000 teachers and 60,000 students across 250 schools, paving the way for a new era of STEM education in Tamil Nadu.
 
As a precursor to the inauguration, a two-day Drone Satellite Launch Vehicle Mission (DSLV) and Aerodynamics Workshop was conducted at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Kattur. 100 students from six government schools were selected to participate in this workshop, where they received hands-on experience in assembling drones and PICO satellites as well as fabricating gliders, hydro blasts and mini rockets.
These students had an inimitable opportunity to explain and launch their models in front of the dignitaries on the occasion of the SILC inauguration.
 
The inauguration and the subsequent launch were conducted in the presence of key dignitaries like Abirami, District Revenue Officer, Sigaram Sathish Kumar, Coordinator, Aasiriyar Manasu, Sivakumar, Chief Educational Officer, School Education Department and Dr D. Baskaran, Head - Innovation & Technology and Regional Manager - South, AIF.
 
Expressing his views on the Mission, Padma Shri Dr Mylswamy Annadurai, The Moon Man of India, Former Director of ISRO said "I applaud AIF and its team for establishing its STEM Innovation Learning Centre, aligned with the Vaanavil Mandram scheme, in this school and extending STEM education to the other schools of Trichy. It brings me a lot of pride to watch government school students demonstrating what they learned at the DSLV workshop, particularly the girl students, proving that there is no gender bias in science and technology. I hope that AIF continues to educate the students as per the future trend".
 
“Education is one of the most empowering forces in the world. It creates knowledge, builds confidence and breaks down barriers to opportunity. By democratizing access to STEM, AIF’s DE program connects stakeholders such as schools, parents and the government to deliver a tech-forward learning experience for children. With a multi-year partnership, AIF leverages Atlassian employee engagement to equip youth with the 21st-century education skills needed to cultivate strong career pathways. The Atlassian Foundation is thrilled to partner with AIF in this transformative educational endeavor,” said Michelle Holmes, Director of the Atlassian Foundation.
 
“AIF is honored to partner with the government to further the mission of advancing STEM learning in the state and empowering the youth to explore STEM careers. It takes a strong curriculum, expert guidance, thoughtful teaching and unbridled support for our children to reach for the stars. Our Digital Equalizer program does all that and so much more. In this era of intense transformation in education, global trade, economy, technology and society, STEM learning and careers are the future and I congratulate the youth who participated in the training and launched their prototypes today. They make us immensely proud,” said Mathew Joseph, Country Director, AIF, on the inauguration.
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