STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is an initiative supported by His Majesty’s Secretariat and a collaborative voluntary initiative of Bhutanese women working in STEM-related fields across the country to promote and empower Bhutanese women. It was first launched on April 21st, 2022 in Thimphu by Her Excellency, the Health Minister, Dasho Dechen Wangmo. The STEM Festival is being held for the first time by women working in a STEM group to recognize the crucial role of STEM in this modern era.
His Majesty’s recent address to the Nation at the Opening Ceremony of the 8th Session of the Parliament stresses how pertinent it is for our country to meet the global standard of education. The reality is that the education we are imparting to our young minds is failing to equip them with the skills and competencies needed for the 21st century. Therefore, women in STEM are striving to meet His Majesty’s vision to advance the STEM field by nurturing, retaining and enhancing their expertise.
The camp was organized by Bhutan National Commission for UNESCO in collaboration with DITT and We-Power (DGPC) with funding from UNESCO and ADB. The women in STEM were formed later. The discussions and forming of the group happened after the camp.
The STEM Festival was conducted on the 11th - 12th of November, 2022 at Coronation Park coinciding with the Birth Anniversary of the 4th Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
The objectives of STEM are to:
Make STEM learning fun
Expose youth to various aspects of STEM through experiments or displays, and inspire them to become more oriented towards STEM courses and careers
Encourageyouths too take up science subjects in high schools and tertiary education, and
Enhance awareness of the importance of STEM education.
There were fun game stations where all the audience could participate in maths-related games and test their mathematical abilities. It was mainly to prove that maths is an interesting subject.
There were also live performances by some of the famous Bhutanese singers to entertain the crowd.
Inter-school STEM competition was also organised, where schools from Thimphu District came up with a science exhibition, and there were a panel of judges to select the best exhibitions.
One of the members working in STEM women said that it was their first time receiving quite a huge crowd, and this has made them feel confident that Bhutanese are developing an interest in STEM.
There is another event “Mentorship for Girls” coming up, " which will be organized by the same group. If anyone is interested to be a part of the STEM community and helping them organize the events. Anyone can register via a google form. As a member, you can attend any programs organized by the group, share your understanding and experiences, and participate in the activities.
Anyone can register by clicking on the following link.