CUSAT: Two-Week Summer Residential Science Camp for High School Students in STEAM

KOCHI:
Centre for Science in Society, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), in association with the U.S. Consulate General Chennai, organised a two-week summer workshop for high school girl students in science, technology, engineering, design and arts, and mathematics (STEAM). The students were selected through an evaluation process from Kochi and Coimbatore regions.

Scott Hartmann, Cultural Affairs Officer (CAO), U.S. Consulate General Chennai, said, “The U.S. Consulate General Chennai, working along with academic partner CUSAT, organised this two-week camp to provide high school girl students, who are at the threshold of making career choices, with insights, practical skills, and connections that can help them choose and succeed in STEAM fields.”

CAO Hartmann said that the programme is intending to provide foundational, entrepreneurial, and technical/vocational skills through practical and hands-on methodologies to a group of 40 selected high school girl students from Kochi and Coimbatore. Besides “learning-by-doing” laboratory sessions at CUSAT’s Centre for Science in Society, participants attend industry-relevant sessions such as computational thinking and mathematics, as well as skill-building sessions on leadership, social and environmental consciousness, communication, and personality development.

This workshop is part of U.S. Consulate General Chennai’s two-year initiative, along with academic and private sector partners, to equip girl students with STEAM training and opportunities to develop their knowledge and abilities in real industry settings to support India’s priorities to increase the role of women in the workforce and the economy as well as U.S. objectives to promote inclusive, equitable growth, thus strengthening Indian technology innovation and entrepreneurship.

“This workshop is addressing gaps in specialised STEAM fields such as artificial intelligence, data science, data architecture, cyber security, block chain technology, and machine learning and make the girls ready for tomorrow’s globalized workforce,” said CAO Scott Hartmann. “Making women in STEAM a core part of our scientific and technological cooperation will enhance the bilateral relationship and advance our commitment to open, merit- based, transparent, and reciprocal science and innovation,” he added. The programme started on May 8, and it will conclude on May 20.