"So science is so fun!This is the cheer of a primary school student from Xiaotuo Primary School in Yunnan during the STEM class of SAIC Volkswagen's "Star Project". As a rural primary school student, this was his first exposure to such a curriculum. There were fun science stories in the classroom, teams to do experiments, and the children's excited cheers were endless. After class, some children asked, "When will you play again?"”
This is the charm of STEM education for children. STEM education, which is the abbreviation of the English acronym of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This approach to education guides students to think critically, combine cross-disciplinary knowledge and skills, and solve real-world problems. There are abundant hands-on experiments in the classroom, just like playing with toys and games, which are very popular with children.
However, there are many challenges for rural schools to implement STEM education: schools often lack the right science curriculum, equipment and equipment;Teachers lack specialized science education training and experience;It is also difficult to have resources such as science and technology museums and museums around the school.
In recent years, many social forces have been keenly concerned about the new needs of rural education development, and SAIC Volkswagen's rural education project "Star Project" is one of them.
A little starlight, give rural children "their own STEM lessons".
The "Star Project" began in 2015 and is a public welfare action launched by SAIC Volkswagen and the China Youth Development Association. At the initial stage of the project, rural schools will improve the construction of teaching buildings and teaching environment, provide teaching equipment and teaching resources, and promote the development of education in underdeveloped areas. So far, the project has donated more than 16 million yuan to build 11 hope schools, benefiting more than 1,000 young people every year, and the total number of beneficiaries has exceeded 20,000.
In recent years, with the continuous development of social economy, the demand for innovative and compound talents from all walks of life has increased year by year, and high-quality science education is also the key to achieving education upgrading. In order to promote educational equity, accelerate the high-quality and balanced development of compulsory education, and enable teachers and students in rural schools to enjoy high-quality education courses, SAIC Volkswagen has launched the "Star Plan 2".0", to provide rural schools with their own STEM education programs, the value behind the birth of the car - scientific exploration and innovative spirit, to benefit children in the way of education and public welfare, to help children set sail for their dreams and chase their dreams.
In the face of the pain points of rural schools, the "Star Project" provides solutions one by one.
If you don't have a curriculum, then develop your own. The "Star Project" has developed a set of 12 themes of STEM comprehensive science courses, covering life science, material science, earth and space science, technology and engineering and other fields, involving the core concepts of earth, materials, machinery, plants, insects and other disciplines, is a set of "nutritionally balanced" scientific feast. Each course also provides courseware, teacher's handbook, student handbook and course material package, which solves the financial pressure of the school from the source.
If there is a shortage of teachers, then empower rural teachers. In 2023, SAIC Volkswagen will not only promote STEM courses in the Hope Primary School built with the assistance, but also expand the "Star Project" and STEM education to the Hope Primary School not built with the assistance of SAIC Volkswagen for the first time, and enter the 19th Primary School in Karamay, Xinjiang, so that more students and teachers can understand STEM. A total of 100 teachers were trained throughout the year to improve their understanding of the STEM curriculum system and their interdisciplinary teaching capabilities.
There is a lack of scientific and technological resources around the school, so take the teachers and children out. This summer, the "Star Project" invited 40 teachers and students from Hope School to gather in Shanghai for a week-long summer camp. Every evening, children can experience a STEM lesson tailored to their needs and receive a science miniature project. The children also went to the Huangpu District Youth Science and Technology Activity Center, the Shanghai Museum, Fudan University and other places of scientific significance to experience the application of textbook knowledge.
Work with more partners to help rural education
Nowadays, STEM education is becoming more and more mainstream in today's education. UNESCO recently opened the UNESCO International Institute for STEM Education (UNESCO IISTEM) in Shanghai, China, marking the first time that a UNESCO Category 1 Centre has been established in China. SAIC Volkswagen realized that if it wanted rural schools to catch the train of STEM development, it should take this opportunity to invite more partners to pay attention to and support them.
In 2023, SAIC Volkswagen held four public welfare visits, leading employees and volunteers to visit the donated Hope Primary School in Guangxi, Shaanxi and Yunnan and the 19th Primary School in Karamay, Xinjiang, and bringing the latest STEM courses to local teachers and students. During the visit, the volunteers became science teachers and guided the children to complete their first science experiments. Many volunteers were touched by the enthusiasm of the children and expressed their hope that there would be more in-depth exchanges like this.
During the visit, the volunteers also took the children through an art class, and many of the children picked up a paintbrush for the first time, but created paintings that amazed the adults. These paintings were later exhibited in public welfare activities to tell the children's stories to more people and arouse enthusiastic people's attention and support for rural education.
SAIC Volkswagen's engineers and designers were also actively involved in the project. Engineers contribute to content design with their expertise during the STEM curriculum development phaseIn addition to designing merchandise for the products, the designers also designed exclusive basketballs, frisbees and other cultural and sports equipment for children as gifts to support their physical and mental health development.
From supporting the hardware improvement of Hope Primary School to helping cultivate the soft power of rural education, SAIC Volkswagen is working with "Mutual Benefit+" partners to pay attention to the educational growth of every child. In the future, the "Star Project" will also be upgraded and updated with the times, and STEM courses will also integrate more high-quality resources into the classrooms of more primary and secondary schools. The Star Project aims to ensure that every child can enjoy a fair educational opportunitySTEM education, so that more rural children can enjoy better and more advanced education courses.