Energy and oil giant, Shell has partnered with the National Institute of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (NIHERST) to provide secondary school students with the latest technology and training in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM.)
The two signed a three-year contract at the Education Towers in Port-of-Spain yesterday as NIHERST undertook the management of Shell’s STEM centre and its STEM bus.
Speaking during the ceremony, Shell’s External Relations Advisor, Leslie Bowrin said the partnership will benefit hundreds of students across T&T.
So far, Bowrin said, 3500 students in 26 schools across the islands have already been exposed to STEM training.
“What we tell our facilitators is: we don’t want it to be another Saturday lessons class, we don’t want children coming away very heavy and burdened, we want them to enjoy it, enjoy science and be curious to explore,” Bowrin said.
He added, “So we design our programmes where we have a lot of field trips, a lot of interactive activity so the young people are very much engaged.”
He said the programme’s main focus is not academic success but developing critical thinking skills in the nation’s youths.
“It gives them the tools to look at the problems in their communities whether it is drainage and we challenged them to go out, pick out a problem and use the tools to come up with some proposals and recommendations. We have the young people thinking about their problems all the time and seeing how science can be applied to address those problems and not just to get a CXC pass,” he said.
Bowrin said Shell has recognised that the task of correcting societal issues should not rest on the state’s shoulders alone and the company is trying to do its part to assist.
He said with the combined expertise of NIHERST and Shell, the youngsters will be exposed to the most advanced technology and teaching methods.
However, he said the challenge has often been getting adults to understand and appreciate how this kind of programme is beneficial.
“Our experience has been the young people take to it, the adults are more the challenge, how do we get our teachers and educators to embrace and adapt to the technology because the young people get it, in many instances they can be teaching the classes,” Bowrin said.