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The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi Thursday launched the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Mentorship Program for Class XI girls from government schools to encourage them to choose science as their career.
“The primary objectives of the program, designed for Class XI girl students, are to train young students to think creatively about science and innovation, to provide them novel hands-on experience in solving research problems, and to help them form a stronger knowledge foundation,” the institute said in a statement.
For the program, 10 girls from various Kendriya Vidyalayas in the city have been shortlisted for now, who will be mentored by professors from IIT-D in their chosen topics of interest. They will also get access to research scholars under these professors.
During the mentorship period, they will be exposed to “foundational concepts in STEM disciplines, and also learn the experimental methods and techniques used in science labs”.
Speaking about the program, IIT-D Director V Ramgopal Rao said, “STEM needs to have more women participation. Through the mentorship program initiated by IIT-Delhi, schoolgirls will get exposure to some of the world-class laboratories and research work going on here. I am hopeful that this mentorship at IIT-Delhi will prove to be a turning point in their lives and they would be motivated to enter the world of science and technology and help society with their research work.”
The program will have three levels. “A two-week winter project, starting from the end of December 2021 and ending in early January 2022, an online lecture series, consisting of modules in Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Mathematics and some Engineering branches. These lectures will be delivered by IIT-Delhi professors during the period between February and April 2022. During this period, students will also be interacting constantly with their mentors on their specific projects. Summer project (3-4 weeks in May-June 2022), where the students will get hands-on experience in labs, and finalise their project reports with their mentors,” the institute said.
The project areas will cover different disciplines such as computer science, chemistry, mechanical engineering, physics, and biological sciences.
“In the future, there are plans to have participation from students from other regions in the country and turn the program into a residential one. The STEM Mentorship Program for schoolgirls is the second academic outreach initiative by IIT-Delhi for school students. In September 2021, the Institute had launched SciTech Spins lecture series for students from class IX-XII. Under this initiative, IIT-Delhi professors engaged in cutting-edge research in science, technology and allied fields deliver online lectures and conduct laboratory demonstrations every month,” IIT-D said.
“The program will give girl students some required traction for getting into the fields of science and technology in the future. We believe that students should be exposed to scientific concepts at an early age, to be able to appreciate the rigour of academic research, and to build up the confidence to take up academics as a career choice when they grow up”, said Pritha Chandra, Associate Dean, Academic Outreach and New Initiatives.
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