MIRI: The IEEE Student Branch of Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) has launched the Tech-on-Wheels initiative to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in secondary schools in Sarawak, particularly in underserved communities.
The programme, conducted in partnership with Chumbaka Miri and All Abroad Young Leaders Centre (AAYLC), aims to bridge the digital divide and provide access to technological resources.
Students are taught to use Arduino, an open-source platform for building electronics projects. The initiative has reached several schools in different locations, including Miri, Bintulu, and Limbang.
In Limbang, the programme was conducted at SMK Medamit, involving 50 students from three different schools – SMK Medamit, AMK Seri Patiambun and SMK Limbang.
In Miri, it was done at SK St Columba, SMK Chung Hua, SMK St Joseph, SMK Pujut and SMK Luar Bandar, while in Bintulu, it was conducted at SMK Kidurong.
The students had the opportunity to delve into robotics, coding, and electronics, guided by mentors from the IEEE Curtin Malaysia Student Branch (IEEE CMSB). The programme aims to foster practical skills and interest in STEM fields among the students.
“The students were very enthusiastic and showed great interest in the modern technologies that we showcased,” said IEEE CMSB president Alan Tiong Ka Wei.
He was joined by members Alyaa Maisarah Abdul Hamid, Amber Kong Jianin, Mohamad Haziq Mohd Daud and Lai Yong Jun.
The Tech-on-Wheels initiative is also being carried out to promote the Young Innovators Challenge (YIC), a competition where teams of two to three students from secondary schools compete to design microcontrollers such as Arduino or integrate applications according to the competition theme.
This year, the theme is “To Solve the World’s Problems, Start with One Person”. Students are required to build a prototype to help a hero in their community such as a teacher, parent or community leader to solve a problem with social impacts.
All the schools participating in the Tech-On-Wheels programme will compete in the YIC at the STEM Playground in Miri in October.
For more information on the IEEE CMSB, email ieee.curtinsarawak@gmail.com or visit ewh.ieee.org/sb/malaysia/curtinsarawak or visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CurtinSarawak.IEEE
