IBM STEM For Girls launched

IBM announced a partnership with Arunachal Pradesh's Department of School Education to launch the IBM STEM for Girls programme in more than 130 secondary and higher secondary schools across 15 districts in the state. More than 13,500 students in grades 8 through 10 will be exposed to digital fluency, coding skills training, and 21st-century skills such as life and career skills as part of this effort.

The expansion of the STEM For Girls programme in Arunachal Pradesh is part of IBM's commitment to train 30 million people globally by 2030.

The curriculum developed by IBM STEM For Girls will complement and align with the state's efforts to provide high-quality education. This initiative is part of a three-year programme between IBM and the state government, with implementation partners Quest Alliance and Alombro Mayu Yaku Chi Amey Aroga (AMYAA), to help increase the participation of girl children and women in STEM careers.

AMYAA will hire facilitators to support school processes, as well as anchor advocacy and liaison with district education officials in order to carry out the programme.

Students will be able to access curricula in a variety of settings, including IBM SkillsBuild, which provides learners with coursework that introduces learners to foundational technologies used in a variety of industries, such as cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

Padmini Singla, IAS, Secretary-Education, Govt of Arunachal Pradesh said, "We are extremely proud to launch the IBM STEM For Girls program in the state. We believe that the purpose of education is to create a platform for independent thinkers and innovators. The state will continue to focus on improving foundational literacy and numeracy, early childhood care and education, governance and digital education and emphasize on improving vocational and teacher education."

Sandip Patel, Managing Director, IBM India said, "Through our IBM STEM For Girls initiative, we are reaching out to students beyond metros to offer a holistic knowledge development program, training in new-age technologies, and help girls make informed career choices with the input of mentors from IBM . We aim to work in partnership with the Arunachal Pradesh State government to advocate, spread awareness and sensitize the school system, teachers, and educators on inclusive practices for promoting girls in technology."

The programme also intends to form a State Resource Group made up of teachers and educators from various districts. The group will be in charge of teacher capacity building and implementing the programme in 130 schools. Through this programme, we will also empower 650 teachers in intervention schools to become 21st-century educators. This programme will enable teachers to engage and train students in computational thinking, STEM, and girl agency development. These schools will serve as models, demonstrating a curriculum that incorporates coding, STEM, and life and career skills training into the classroom curriculum.

This initiative focuses on involving teachers in the co-creation of relevant educational materials to advance computational thinking and the development of 21st-century skills at the secondary and higher secondary school levels.