Making rural children future-ready through STEM

Smile Foundation, with support from Shell India and in association with the Government of Andhra Pradesh, organised NXplorers Carnival in Tirupati. The day-long carnival was organised with the aim of providing rural school children a platform to display their prowess in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and understanding of the SDGs, in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The NXplorers Junior is an innovative educational programme that aims to empower young minds to address the complex challenges faced by the world today and to become agents of change. It also provides the tools, methodologies and skills needed to tackle the real-world problems using collaborative, innovative and interdisciplinary approaches, developing STEM habits of mind through critical thinking and complex problem-solving skills are a few other goals.
Smile Foundation has been implementing the NXplorers Junior programme, a global flagship social investment STEM educational initiative from Shell, in 89 government schools in Nellore and Tirupati districts of Andhra Pradesh.
District Education Officer Dr V Shekhar said: “Smile Foundation has been doing exemplary work, displaying a high level of discipline. The exhibits presented were incredibly enriching, showcasing innovative ideas from children. It is truly inspiring to witness such creativity and futuristic thinking from our students.”