Igniting STEM passion in ethnic minority students.

The Vietnam National Energy and Industry Corporation (Petrovietnam) has recently inaugurated and put into use STEM education practice rooms at three schools: Pi Nang Tac Ethnic Boarding Secondary and High School (Bac Ai Dong commune); Khanh Hoa Ethnic Boarding High School (Bac Nha Trang ward); and Nguyen Van Linh Ethnic Semi-Boarding Secondary School (Bac Ai Tay commune). These STEM rooms not only provide creative learning spaces on par with international standards but also further ignite a passion for science and technology among ethnic minority students in the province.

Modern learning space

Visiting Khanh Hoa Ethnic Boarding High School, we witnessed the students' excitement as they studied and practiced in a room equipped with modern facilities. While intently observing specimens through a microscope, Mau Thi Bao Ngan, a student in class 10A, quickly recorded her findings in her notebook. “This microscope is very modern; it allows me to observe specimens in detail, realistically, and from many angles. This is something we’ve never experienced before,” Mau Thi Bao Ngan said.

Leaders of Petrovietnam and representatives from various departments and agencies performed the inauguration ceremony for STEM education practice rooms in the province.

Mang Thanh Tuan, a 12th-grade student, and many other male students share a passion for information technology and robotics. Now, studying, practicing, and creating in a room equipped with modern and necessary equipment and machinery has further motivated Tuan and his classmates to pursue their love of science and technology. “Previously, we were guided by our teachers in creating science and technology products. However, our learning and practice were done with only simple tools and materials. Now, studying in such a well-equipped facility, my friends and I are very happy. I hope to create something truly practical and meaningful from this lab,” Mang Thanh Tuan shared.

The STEM education practice room at Khanh Hoa Ethnic Boarding High School.

Each STEM room, funded by Petrovietnam with 3.5 billion VND, has an area of ​​80 to 120m² and is equipped with modern equipment and technologies such as: Robotics; Internet of Things (IoT); Artificial Intelligence (AI); smart sensors and programming tools; microscopes, 3D printers, etc., meeting the learning and practice needs of up to 36 students. This provides students and teachers at the three schools with a more open environment, equipment for practice, and a broader space for creativity.

Students enjoy working with the equipment and technology in the STEM education lab.

According to Mr. Tran Quang Dung, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Petrovietnam Party Committee, the STEM classroom program was implemented by the corporation following the directive of General Secretary To Lam, with the goal of equipping schools with creative learning spaces on par with international standards. To date, the program has completed 100% of the classrooms nationwide. In the future, with the support of Petrovietnam and experts, these STEM classrooms will soon be connected to the international STEM system to help Vietnamese students' ideas and products reach further. Petrovietnam also hopes that many of the students who benefit from the program will become engineers, officers, and employees of Petrovietnam in the future.

Make effective use of STEM rooms.

Not only does the STEM room provide students with many valuable learning opportunities, but it also receives attention and expectations from teachers. Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Tra, a physics teacher at Khanh Hoa Ethnic Boarding High School, said that when they heard about the school's investment in building a modern STEM room, the science teachers were very excited to see it put into use. Now, that has become a reality, creating favorable conditions and further motivating teachers to better convey knowledge; fostering enthusiasm for students to explore, discover, and create in science and technology. This is also a necessary stepping stone for the school to develop the science and technology research and innovation movement and promises that in the future, the school's students will achieve high awards in science and technology innovation competitions at all levels.

Students from Khanh Hoa Ethnic Boarding High School operate robots assembled in the STEM education practice room.

According to Mr. Le Bien Hai, Principal of Khanh Hoa Ethnic Boarding High School, practical lessons have traditionally relied on simulation models; when organizing STEM education, teachers mainly guide students to independently explore existing tools or low-cost materials to create products, resulting in low effectiveness. Investing in a modern STEM lab will greatly benefit the school in practical teaching and learning. The school also plans to effectively utilize and exploit the STEM lab to encourage and develop students' love for creative science and technology.

Students enjoy working with the equipment and technology in the STEM education lab.

Mr. Le Dinh Thuan, Deputy Director in charge of the Department of Education and Training, said that the entire province has 485 schools from primary to high school implementing STEM education. Every year, more than 1,200 science and technology projects by students are carried out. Although some positive results have been achieved, the implementation of STEM education still faces many difficulties and limitations. Most STEM models and equipment are made by teachers and students themselves, lacking systematic and synchronized approaches, and failing to meet the requirements for modernity and high scientific and technological content. Many educational institutions have only invested in STEM corners, but not in dedicated STEM rooms. Petrovietnam's investment in STEM rooms will contribute to promoting STEM education in a deeper and higher-quality manner. The beneficiary schools need to focus on developing plans to utilize, operate, and effectively promote the STEM rooms. Actively share models and implementation experiences to spread the value of STEM rooms to other educational institutions in the province, identifying this as a task and responsibility in innovating teaching methods and improving the quality of science and technology education.

GIANG DINH

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/xa-hoi/202601/tiep-lua-stem-cho-hoc-sinh-dan-toc-thieu-so-c280e77/