Fueling Dreams: The Impact of Sohrarim’s Innovation Hub

In today’s world, as technology becomes more integrated into our daily lives, STEM education has become increasingly vital. STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, aims to educate students in these areas and equip them with the skills necessary for the modern workforce. Sohrarim is a village in Meghalaya that has actively participated in a STEM education pilot program initiated under Smart Village Movement of the Government of Meghalaya in collaboration with Curiosity Gym, and this article will provide an update on the pilot program’s status as of April 2023.

Student Participation

Several schools and communities in Sohrarim have students enrolled in the STEM program. Some schools participating in the program include Tirot Singh UP School, Roman Catholic UP School, Diengsong UP School, Laitryngew Presbyterian Sec. School, Sunny Field Sec. School, Ramkrishna Mission Sec. School, and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan Sec. School. The program is open to students from classes 6 to 12. As of September 9th, 2022, there were 53 students enrolled in the program, with 21 of them registered on the Mysphere platform.

Projects and Learnings

The program includes various theoretical sessions, practical sessions, and project-making opportunities for the students. The practical sessions focus on testing concepts and understanding, skills and knowledge development, problem-solving skills, analytical thinking, and reading and understanding circuit diagrams. The project-making opportunities are given to students with ideas and creativity, which helps them to express themselves and develop teamwork skills.

The program uses various equipment and kits to teach STEM education, including Electronics, Robotics, 3D-designing, architecture, interior design, mathematics, and science.

The electronics section includes both virtual and physical circuit designing using Tinkercad and Fastad as online platforms for virtual circuit designing, breadboarding, and understanding of components, e.g. resistors, capacitors, transistor, diode, LED, battery, LDR, PIR sensor etc.

The robotics section includes construction, and debugging using building blocks like Arduino, jumper wires, motor shield, BO motors, servo motors, IR sensor, and ultrasonic sensor and coding using the Arduino IDE.

The 3D-design and CAD section includes Onshape online CAD platform, Tinkercad online platform CAD, FlashPrint5 Splicing software for Flashforge, flashforge 3D printer, PLA filament, and 3Doodler(3d pen).

Teachers receive a comprehensive curriculum and lesson plans that cover circuit design, robotics, product design, 3D printing, architecture, mathematics, and science. The program offers a variety of projects for students, including a motion detector circuit for security, ornamented tree house project with light wiring, an automatic street light controller circuit, and a rechargeable LED lamp for emergencies. Students develop skills such as reading circuit diagrams, understanding basic circuit components and their functionalities, learning about transistors, diodes, and relays, soldering, measuring, wiring, calculating voltage and current, and building prototypes utilising scrap materials.

Final Projects and Certification

The STEM education program in Sohrarim has proven to be a resounding success, providing students with valuable skills and knowledge in various fields. Through this program, students have developed essential skills, such as problem-solving, analytical thinking, and teamwork, which are crucial to succeeding in the modern workforce. The equipment and kits utilised in the program have allowed students to put their learning into practice. At the same time, their projects have encouraged creativity and imparted various valuable skills. Overall, the program has been an incredible journey over the past year, with students fully engaged in exploring multiple STEM concepts and undertaking captivating hands-on projects.

Recently, the learners finished their final capstone projects, which were truly inspiring and exciting. Seventeen students successfully completed the course with flying colors and received a completion certificate from Smart Village Movement and Curiosity Gym. The projects included an automatic tap water system, a remote-controlled electric car, and home automation for lights, all showcasing these young minds’ ingenuity and talent.

Looking Forward

In conclusion, the future of STEM education is bright and promising. With the help of innovative programs like the Innovation Hubs, students can explore and develop their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics skills. We can empower the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers by providing access to cutting-edge technology and resources.

We are proud to have completed the pilot stage with very encouraging outcomes, and in addition have started Innovation Hubs in two schools  in Meghalaya,  and two schools in Gujarat, we hope to continue expanding our reach to more schools across the country.

Final Projects made by learners

Light Bulb Automation

Learning Outcomes –

1. Understanding of clap activated circuit technology and its application in household light automation.
2. Knowledge of the principles and components involved in building a clap activated circuit for controlling lights.
3. Ability to design and implement a system that detects clapping sounds and triggers the switching of lights on and off.
4. Familiarity with circuitry and wiring techniques required for integrating the clap activated circuit with household lights.
5. Awareness of the benefits of automation in enhancing convenience and energy efficiency in households.

Skills Developed –

1. Circuit Design and Wiring: Developing the ability to design and create circuits, and effectively wiring components together
2. Adaptability and Flexibility: Enhancing the ability to adapt and modify the circuit design or components to suit specific requirements or overcome challenges encountered during the project.
3. Troubleshooting and problem-solving abilities.
4. Technical understanding of electronic components and their functions.
5. Attention to detail and time management.

Dual Axis Arduino solar tracker project using LDR and Servo motors

This is very interesting Socially relevant project from one of the Learner from centre Balam

 He has also designed and 3D printed the fixture for mounting of solar panel

Learning Outcomes –

• Proficiency in using 3D printing technology to design and fabricate custom parts for the solar tracker.
• Development of programming skills with Arduino Uno for controlling the solar tracker’s movement.
• Knowledge of electronics and circuitry involved in the project, such as motor control and sensor integration.
• Ability to translate code into a functional requirement of moving ( tracking the sun) the solar panel, based on sensor inputs.
• Problem-solving abilities and critical thinking in optimising the solar tracker’s efficiency and performance.

Skills Developed – CAD Design, 3D Visualization , Creative Thinking, Spatial Thinking, Debugging, Rapid Prototyping, Problem solving skills, Programming-mindset, Critical thinking, Computational thinking, Strategic Thinking, Teamwork

Hand Sensing Tap Water System

This project makes sense to Covid times when we were thinking about contactless delivery and other methods to avoid spread of virus.

Learning Outcomes –

1. Understanding of ultrasonic sensor technology and its application in various systems.
2. Knowledge of the principles and components involved in building a hand sensing tap water system using an ultrasonic sensor and Arduino.
3. Ability to design and implement a system that detects hand proximity and dispenses water accordingly.
4. Familiarity with programming and configuring the programing board to control the water flow based on sensor readings.
5. Awareness of the importance of touchless technologies in promoting hygiene and reducing water waste.

Skills Developed –

1. Technical skills in integrating an ultrasonic sensor with an Arduino board to create a hand sensing tap water system.
2. Programming skills for coding the Arduino board to detect hand proximity and control the water flow.
3. Circuit design and wiring skills to connect the components of the tap water system correctly.
4. Problem-solving skills to troubleshoot and debug any issues encountered during the project.
5. Communication skills through documentation and presentation of the project and its findings.

Moisture sensor based water irrigation system

Learning Outcomes –

1. Understanding of moisture sensing technology and its application in water irrigation systems.
2. Knowledge of the principles and components involved in building a moisture sensor water irrigation system.
3. Ability to analyse and interpret moisture sensor data to make informed decisions regarding irrigation.
4. Familiarity with programming and configuring the moisture sensor system for optimal performance.
5. Awareness of the importance of water conservation and sustainable irrigation practices.

Skills Developed –

1. Technical skills in assembling and configuring a moisture sensor water irrigation system.
2. Data analysis and interpretation skills to determine appropriate irrigation levels based on moisture sensor readings.
3. Programming skills for configuring the moisture sensor system and implementing automation features.
4. Problem-solving skills to troubleshoot and resolve issues related to the moisture sensor water irrigation system.
5. Communication skills through documentation and presentation of the project and its findings.

Bluetooth Remote controlled Car

Learning Outcomes –

• Understanding of Bluetooth technology and its applications in wireless communication.
• Development of programming skills for controlling the robot car using commands sent over Bluetooth.
• Knowledge of electronics and circuitry involved in building a robot car.
• Problem-solving & debugging abilities, teamwork, and creativity in customising and enhancing the robot
• Students learn to create a mobile app and its development environment.

Skills developed – Logical Thinking, Algorithmic Thinking, Coding and Programming Skills, Troubleshooting, Testing

ABOUT CURIOSITY GYM : Curiosity Gym, established in 2015, is a leading provider of STEAM-based learning. They aim to transform education by fostering curiosity, engagement, and creative confidence. Through gamified learning and pedagogy, Curiosity Gym offers ready-made lesson plans and live online courses in STEM, Coding, AI, Robotics, and more. Their sessions, conducted by subject matter experts, focus on design thinking and scientific temper. With a team of engineers, physicists, linguists, and graduates from prestigious institutions, Curiosity Gym equips students with 21st-century skills and encourages them to tackle real-world challenges through applied learning.

ABOUT SMART VILLAGE MOVEMENT: The Smart Village Movement is a collaborative process facilitated by the SVM organisation with the Berkeley-Haas Center of Growth Markets to create a Smart Village ecosystem. We partner with Government, Academia, Corporations, and Rural Communities to foster independence and sustainable rural development in Indian villages and other emerging markets. Our mission is to empower rural people through digital technologies and open innovation platforms to access global markets.