- Phase 2 will be rolled in regions 3, 5, 6, & 10
About 200 children in the Special Education Needs (SEN) department in regions 3,5, 6 and 10 will participate in a Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) programme.
The programme was launched by the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD) in partnership with ExxonMobil on January 25. STEM clubs will also be established under this programme.
According to Programme Coordinator of GCOPD Ganesh Singh, the children will be instructed in STEM robotics, environmental awareness, recycling and other STEM related topics.
“it’s really providing them with the exposure to the STEM subjects, understanding these concepts because as I said the curriculum that is currently used in the Special Needs Schools, yes they're exposed to some of these things but not as comprehensive as they should,"
he said.
Participants will have an opportunity to conduct science experiments using the chemistry and physics kits, which will be provided through the programme. .
The STEM project was launched in 2020 in Region 4, but due to the huge interest in STEM, it was expanded to other regions.
"When we had the graduation to really observe some of the robots that were built, they were very innovative and it was really good, the response has been overwhelming and we have the experience to do a hybrid approach and if schools do not reopen fully, we'll definitely use the hybrid approach in the implementation of the second phase,"
Singh posited.
Sessions will be done both in-person and virtually and will last for six months.
