NEAID (Northeast Centre for Equity on Integrated Development)

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STEM Education

The STEM for Girls Program addresses educational and socio-economic challenges in marginalized communities in two aspirational districts of Assam, Baksa and Darrang. As India aims to become the third-largest economy by 2032, it is estimated that 80% of the new workforce will require STEM skills, however, various report suggest that India is not ready to meet this demand, especially for the Women workforce. There is a 4% representation gap between women graduating and entering the workforce in STEM from 2017 to 2021 and as per the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Report, India ranks 127th out of 146 countries. India’s evolving economy demands a skilled STEM workforce, yet rural schools struggle to prepare students, perpetuating urban-rural economic gaps. In Assam, high dropout rates and low female representation in STEM highlight systemic barriers that need to be overcome. One in every three children drops out of secondary school in Assam. Additionally, NFHS-5 (2019-21) states that, about 66.4% of women in Assam in the age group of 15-49 years are anemic and 31.8% of women aged 20-24 in Assam were married before the age of 18.

Hence there is an urgent need to encourage girls in rural Assam to build an Agency to make informed life decisions and work towards building a skilled workforce ready to meet future challenges and technological advancements. The project empowers Students and Mothers’ groups, creating sustainable development and leadership opportunities within communities.

Focus areas
  • To inculcate digital fluency and skills for employment among the girls.
  • To address the challenges emerged from gender faced by girls in their educational lives.
  • To encourage girls to pursue subjects and careers related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
  • To develop skills such as knowing about self, communication, relationship building, problem-solving skills, and confidence to take life decisions.

Students were introduced with project-based activities which help them to develop their communication and critical thinking skills. The different activates and teaching techniques helps in promoting self-learning and innovation. Materials like worksheets, toolkits, etc. are made available to students for tinkering and exploration, further enhancing their ability to think creatively and independently. These are catalyzed by activating STEM labs in schools followed by conducting Hackathon with students to solve pressing problems in their community. Through this initiative, the STEM for Girls program aims to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of the modern world, while also promoting values of inclusivity, diversity, and respect.

The interventions at the field level are executed by Akikaran Fellows who work closely with HMs, Teachers, and Students supported by the Program Team who engage with District Authorities to create a movement of change towards STEM education.

Reach:
  • 200 schools in rural areas of Assam
  • 23 districts of Assam
  • 14,877 students
  • Across 58 blocks
  • 424 teachers
  • 163 HMs