The girl dreams of bringing the advancements of world-class education back to her homeland.

While studying in the US, Tran To Uyen (born in 1997) - co-founder and National Director of STEAM For Vietnam - aspired to bring the advancements of global education back to her homeland, benefiting teachers and students, in a free manner. In an interview with a reporter from the Vietnam Law Newspaper, Tran To Uyen shared her thoughts on her inspiring story, development plans, and future goals.

Having won a scholarship to study finance at Iona University in the US, and then worked for several large companies in the US, why did Uyen suddenly return to Vietnam to pursue a non-profit project - STEAM for Vietnam?

- My hometown is in the rice-growing region of Thai Binh , but my parents migrated south and I grew up in Ho Chi Minh City. I've always had many goals for myself and made my own decisions before telling my parents, such as passing the entrance exam to Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted or winning a scholarship to study in the US. Later, after working in the US, I decided to leave everything behind to return to Vietnam and work on a non-profit project. While living and working in the US, everything was going well, but in my thoughts and feelings, I felt a sense of loss and indebtedness to my homeland. I wanted to do many meaningful things for my country, and if I were to pass away, my contributions would still exist and bring positive value to the community.

And that yearning led to the creation of STEAM for Vietnam? How well has the project performed in the Vietnamese education system today?

- That's right. I'm a co-founder of the project, and it started from my personal story. I came from a very ordinary background, like everyone else, but I was fortunate to receive a good education and had many opportunities. So I want to bring internationally quality STEAM education, completely free of charge, to all children in Vietnam, regardless of their economic , social, or geographical circumstances. STEAM for Vietnam was founded with the belief that education is the key to unlocking doors for every individual, providing the necessary skills and knowledge to compete globally. Our goal is to ensure that every child has the same opportunities, and that is the concern of STEAM for Vietnam. That's why, in 2020, we established the STEAM for Vietnam organization.

STEAM for Vietnam started from scratch about five years ago. After three years, STEAM for Vietnam has reached over 50,000 students and more than 4,000 teachers, equipping them with knowledge in computational thinking, programming, and robotics. In 2023, for the first time in its history, STEAM for Vietnam sent over 100 students from Vietnam to the United States to participate in the world's largest robotics competition. The trip was filled with touching stories. Students from remote areas like Cao Bang and Ha Giang shared that they had never known about programming or robotics before, but thanks to STEAM for Vietnam, they had the opportunity, which also laid the foundation for bigger dreams. Now, they not only dream of completing high school, but also of getting into universities abroad and participating in larger research projects.

For example, in 2024, we started teaching AI to teachers so they could grade assignments, and by 2025, 100% of teachers in Dien Bien province (approximately 17,000 teachers) had access to AI in their teaching. The growth in our approach to teachers is significant and rapid. For instance, in 2024, there were 8,500 teachers, and by 2025, that number had risen to 100,000. We are aiming for 2 million teachers nationwide and 24 million students to have access to this advanced educational technology by 2026.

STEAM for Vietnam is an inspiring story in education, and Uyen has undoubtedly witnessed much joy from those who benefit from it, especially young people. So what makes this project so appealing?

- There are many inspiring stories, such as the stories of students in remote areas and the stories of the dedication of teachers who are willing to work overtime and support their students, helping them achieve their educational dreams.

When we started the project, we had fewer than five people, but the team set a big goal: to reach 1,000,000 students and accelerate growth as quickly as possible. The way we've done it and the results we have today demonstrate the rapid growth of STEAM for Vietnam and show we're getting closer to our goal. Our team has a spirit of daring to think big, dreaming big, and always seeking solutions to problems, which is the foundation of STEAM education.

When faced with major challenges, our team often analyzes and breaks down the problem into smaller parts, thereby generating creative ideas and solutions. For example, we address the shortage of qualified STEAM teachers, the issue of teachers having to teach multiple subjects or taking on multiple responsibilities, or a lack of experience in real-world situations.

We analyzed the problem and found solutions by collaborating with engineers or creating a hybrid online and in-person educational model. This allowed all students, even those in remote areas, to have the same opportunities as everyone else. The creativity, problem-solving skills, and contributions of hundreds of volunteers globally, along with the aspiration to dream big, all contribute to inspiring and meaningful stories.

How can STEAM for Vietnam encourage talented individuals worldwide to provide free teaching to the educational community?

- We have leveraged the resources of engineers from all over the world to serve as instructors, and many people want to help because I know many of them are very talented and want to contribute to the community. We reach out to them and act as a bridge to share their knowledge with the Vietnamese education community. Teachers and students have access to top experts from around the world, which is fortunate for them. This will improve the skills of teachers in Vietnam, and students will reap the rewards.

Another challenge we face is the geographical location and disadvantaged circumstances of our students. To address this, STEAM for Vietnam has developed an online learning model that blends with traditional learning. This allows students who live far away or in difficult circumstances to still access and participate in our learning activities.

AI has been a hot topic in recent years. How has STEAM for Vietnam connected with it to promote education in Vietnam?

Over the past two years, we've witnessed the impact of Gen AI in transforming the way the world operates. Therefore, now is the ideal time to act quickly and catch up with the trend.

STEAM for Vietnam focused on updating its entire curriculum in 2024 and further developing it in 2025, concentrating on two key skills: computational thinking skills to help children develop logical abilities and skills related to AI. The "learning by playing" model we've implemented will allow students to learn not only through theory but also to create their own game projects. In this way, they will learn how to use AI as a personal assistant to double or triple their work efficiency and learn how to creatively apply technology to real-world situations.

Uyên has gone through a lot and grown up, so what advice does she have for young people passionate about the STEAM field?

- I'll quote something from the students themselves, from Ha Giang. They shared a very meaningful saying: "Nothing is impossible." This emphasizes that if we set limits for ourselves, we will feel very small. However, when we focus on knowledge and education, always seeking opportunities, nothing is impossible. In fact, young people, if equipped with sufficient knowledge and skills, can confidently step out into the world, reach greater heights, and go further.

Thank you, Uyen, and I wish you success in achieving your ambitious goals for the project!

STEAM For Vietnam was founded with the mission of providing a quality, equitable, and free education for all Vietnamese children, enabling them to confidently step out into the world and connect like-minded Vietnamese talents worldwide to contribute to the development of education in Vietnam. After 5 years of operation, the project has provided free, internationally-standardized courses in 5 fields: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math to hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese students.

Since 2023, STEAM For Vietnam has shifted its strategy to the STEAM 2.0 model, strongly and pioneeringly applying artificial intelligence to teaching, helping more than 100,000 teachers equip themselves with AI capabilities to quickly disseminate knowledge to students across all regions of Vietnam.

Looking back after 5 years, STEAM For Vietnam is proud of its incredibly impressive achievements, including: Over 800,000 Vietnamese students have received free access to internationally standardized STEAM courses; Over 100,000 teachers have been equipped with AI skills; 700 global volunteers and 20 reputable partners have collaborated, creating a community of nearly 80,000 teachers who learn and share together; Entering its 6th year, STEAM for Vietnam will continue to break new ground with the “Oct AI” project, helping Vietnamese teachers and students achieve comprehensive AI coverage.

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/co-gai-co-uoc-mo-mang-ve-que-huong-su-tien-tien-cua-nen-giao-duc-the-gioi.html