Smile Foundation, with the support from Shell India and in association with Govt. of Telangana, organised NX Corner Carnival in Khammam. The day-long carnival was organised with the aim of providing rural school children a platform to display their scientific prowess.
Dr. P. Srija, I.A.S, Addl. Collector (Local Bodies) was the Chief Guest and Shri Somasekhar Sharma, District Educational Officer graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour.
As many as 20 selected change projects and innovative ideas in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) from 13 schools were exhibited by 60 students at the carnival. The school children had come up with working models and innovative ideas related to every-day problems, sustainable agricultural practice, controlling emission, nature conservation and many areas linked with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
NX Corners are designed to cultivate teamwork, effective communication, and goal-oriented collaboration while sparking curiosity, creativity, and imagination. By promoting a design mind-set and computational thinking, NX Corner Labs encourage innovative problem-solving approaches. Additionally, they support adaptive learning and physical computing skills, preparing students to navigate and excel in a developing technological landscape.
An NX Lab consists of a 50-inche 4K Smart LED Google TV 50GloLED (Grey), Inverter, 32-GB Pen drive with pre-loaded SDG content, besides high-end laptops with Win11 loaded. Pull-up table for laptop below smart TV, sim-based Wi-Fi router with internet connection, white-board cum notice-board (3 x 2 feet); sun board posters, project materials with four storage boxes, shelf-open stainless steel powder-coated white colour; content (e-books, video for grades 6-8); HDMI cable with a space decorated with Sustainable Development Goals theme etc. are also part it.
Dr. P. Srija, I.A.S, Addl. Collector (Local Bodies), Khammam, said, “A Stupendous appreciation to Smile Foundation for the exemplary work undertaken in Khammam district. The creativity, dedication and passion displayed by the students were truly outstanding. It was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the joy of scientific exploration and discovery. The models, presentations, and experiments were amazing. The great efforts in putting this together were evident in the performances of the students who showcased immense confidence, innovation, knowledge and technical skills while exhibiting them.”
Shri Somasekhar Sharma, District Educational Officer, Khammam observed, “We must make our children future-ready with STEM education as well as with SDGs orientation so that they grow up capable and responsible. We are happy with the progress with our association with the Smile Foundation.”
Smile Foundation has been implementing the NXplorers Junior programme, a global flagship social investment STEM educational initiative from Shell, in 48 schools, including 30 ZP schools and 18 MJP schools, in Khammam district of Telangana. The programme aims to benefit school children by enabling them to understand, navigate and address local and global challenges, as underlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The programme is also aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and it envisions complementing the latter’s objectives.
Apart from 48 schools in Khammam district in Telangana, Smile Foundation has also been implementing the programme in 90 government schools in Thrissur district of Kerala, 130 government schools in Tirupati and Nellore districts of Andhra Pradesh, and 160 government schools in Warangal, Hanumakonda, Jayashankar Bhupalpalli, Jangaon, Mulugu, Mahabubabad, and Bhadradri Kothagudem districts of Telangana.
