For the first time in Mon district, the Summer Science Camp 2024 was held in Tizit from July 24 to 27 to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education among the students of the district.
Organized by Zen Coaching Centre under the Sustainable Development Goals Innovation Participatory Action Research Initiative 2.0, the camp received support from the SDG Coordination Centre, Planning & Transformation Department, Government of Nagaland.
“We wanted to popularize science here (Tizit). We wish to promote science education,” Zenwang Konyak, convenor of the camp, told MT. Zenwang, who has been in Tizit for about a year now working to promote science, expressed a desire to assess the camp’s impact through a future survey to determine how many students will take up science as a result of the camp.
The camp welcomed students from classes 5 to 11, some attending voluntarily and others sent by their parents. The event saw the enthusiastic participation of 37 students from nine schools in Tizit.
A standout feature was the presence of NagaBots, which significantly enhanced the camp experience, according to Zenwang.
The camp featured a two-day robotics workshop conducted by engineers from NagaBots. Students were thrilled to learn how to make LEDs glow, build SYON cars, program Arduino bots, create hand game circuits, and launch water rockets. The NagaBots team also demonstrated drone flight principles and operations, leaving students inspired and eager to explore further.
“The response from NagaBots made this event really wonderful,” said Zenwang, adding that the camp also let the students do around 10 practical exercises including microscopy and chemistry experiments.
Mon-ang, a class 9 student, shared his experience with MT: “At first, I didn’t know what a Science Summer Camp was, but my parents wanted me to join. I found it quite interesting as it was the first science camp in Mon. I learned so much about science, things I didn’t know existed. Building rockets and robotic cars made science interesting to me. If there’s another science camp in the future, I will definitely attend.”
His mother echoed his sentiments: “We are very happy with the science summer camp. I believe my children learned things they never would have in their regular classes.”
Wan-ngam Konyak, a class 10 student, and Tonlih Wangsa, a class 11 student, who are friends, said, “Before the science summer camp, we found science boring and scary, but now our interest in science has significantly peaked.”
“I think, now, I am interested in doing engineering,” said Wang-ngam, while Tonlih said she will go with the flow. “Being a science student, I learned many things which I didn’t know before,” added Tonlih. “My brothers and their friends also attended, and they are all very interested,” the girls added.
According to the girls, the science summer camp was fun and exciting as they learned how to make PowerPoint presentations within twenty minutes and present them. They were also taught how to control drones, and many games related to science were played, such as making things using bottles and other materials, utilizing their own creativity.
Under the guidance of Shayei Konyak, the event co-convener, students engaged in a variety of practical sessions, including frog dissection, handling scientific equipment, and conducting experiments in chemistry and physics. The camp’s curriculum also covered topics like microscopy, telescopy, and robotics.
The expertise of the instructors added depth to the learning experience:
· Chemistry: Daisy T Konyak (B.Sc., Chemistry)
· Physics: Pewang T Konyak (Diploma, Electrical and Electronics Engineering)
· Information Technology: Ngamlih Konyak (B.Tech., IT)
· Zoology: Shayei Konyak (B.Sc., Zoology)
· Botany: Zenwang Konyak (Ph.D Scholar, Botany)
Another interesting plot, according to Zenwang, was the presence of Major Revender Bhatt of Assam Rifles Tizit who paid a visit to the event to encourage students. “He is also from an engineering background, so he emphasized on science and technology education and to pursue a career in the future,” said Zenwang.
The event was sponsored by P Paiwang Konyak, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Nagaland.
Local YouTuber Tinglem Konyak documented the camp’s activities, sharing the excitement and learning experiences with a wider audience. His coverage can be viewed on his YouTube channel (Tinglem Konyak).
The first Summer Science Camp in Tizit has set a new precedent for STEM education in Mon district. By providing students with hands-on learning opportunities and exposing them to various scientific disciplines, the camp has ignited a passion for science that promises to grow. With continued support and community involvement, the future of STEM education in Mon district looks bright and full of potential.