three-day Youth STEAM Learning Festival, centred on the themes of climate change and youth empowerment, was organised in various cities of Sindh including Karachi, Sukkur and Sujawal.

The festival, organised by the School Education and Literacy Department and the UNICEF in collaboration with Thar Education Alliance, will commence in Hyderabad after Eid.

Chief executive of Thar Education Alliance and organiser of the festival, Partab Shivani said that the Generation Unlimited programme of the UNICEF was launched to unleash the full potential of the world’s youth. “If provided with the right skills and opportunities, the youth can be at the forefront of efforts to creat a better, more equitable world,” said Shivani.

Shivani said that the theme of this event was particularly relevant due to the recent floods. “This region [Sindh] was directly affected by the floods. It is bearing the brunt of climate change. Raising awareness about it through events and activities is really important,” he said.

“Two stalls in the festival specifically focused on out-of-school children and non-formal education, aiming to encourage the government and concerned authorities to address these issues,” said the director.

“STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. I wish we could organise more STEAM activities in Sindh. This is the first time in the history of the province that science and technology are being discussed in this way. Experts and organisations having national and international portfolios are sharing their narratives and building a future for the future generations,” he said.

He urged the government to allocate a budget to promote STEAM education for every district and school. “We’re living in an era of innovation. Through this approach, every child can learn through activity-based methods, growing differently and choosing their career path accordingly.”

Saying that the government has already recruited 60,000 teachers, Shivani said that their target audience was not only students but also teachers, who play a pivotal role in educational development.

“The festival will feature students presenting climate models to mobilise the community and civil society to contribute to sustainable education development,” Shivani stated, “We will gather recommendations from experts during this festival and subsequently discuss those with relevant authorities, including the SELD, the government and policymakers.”

The best part of these festivals is the participation of government school children from all over the province. They showcased their science models to demonstrate fire detection and controlling of flames, a zero carbon city, a telescope to teach astronomy firsthand, climate disasters, temperature and atmosphere, the devastation caused by floods in Pakistan and more.

Abdul Aahad, a sixth-grade student of Government High School, Sukkur, showed a model to promote the use of solar panels, windmills and wireless chargers as well as a reporting bin that lit up when full of garbage to announce that it needed emptying.

Mohammad Umar, a ninth-grade student of Ebrahim Ali Bhai Government Secondary School, presented a model he had made to show what caused acid rain. The pupil showed the effects of acid rain on plants and animals through his exhibit. Syeda Manum, another student from the same school, came up with a model that demonstrated the effects of greenhouse gases.

Sultan Ali, a student studying in the eighth grade at Government Boys Secondary School, Sujawal, had a fire detection system complete with fire extinguishers. The zero carbon city of Class-VII students Mohammad Rustam and Sundas Shabbir was quite elaborate and beautiful.

Class-X students Aisha Khan and Nayab Atif brought back horrifying memories of the 2022 floods as they explained what caused such a catastrophe. They spoke about ozone layer depletion, the need for planting trees and the need to control pollution. The smoke coming out of factory chimneys and the dark clouds gathering in the sky above were ingeniously created by girls using cotton wool and black ink.

It was a pleasant surprise to see so many enthusiastic young people not just explaining their projects so well and in-depth at their school stalls but also visiting other stall. Many schools had sent their students to attend the festival.

Jawad Mirani, an educationist and activist, had brought 245 boys and girls from his community to enjoy the festival organised in Sukkur. Mukesh Meghwar from Aman Elementary School in Jeeand Khan Laghari village of Badin had brought not just his school children but also teachers and parents of the children with him to experience the Sujawal Youth STEAM Learning Festival.

In a panel discussion on Education in Emergencies, Quality Enhancement and Investment in STEAM Education, Pirbhu Satyani said that some children did not feel safe at schools. “Our infrastructure needs to be upgraded. Many buildings are on the verge of collapse and yet the situation is not being taken seriously,” he said.

“After the 2010 flood, a few organisations initiated school safety programmes, but the problem has persisted. Children from vulnerable and marginalised communities continue to suffer,” he said.

Partab Rai Shivani said that there was a need for a consolidated plan and a consistent education policy. “While we have short-term projects, the absence of sustainable plans is apparent. Despite having 60,000 teachers, many schools lack teaching staff. Skills are in demand. 76 percent of the skills training programmes cater to boys’ schools. Despite efforts to promote girls’ education through awareness campaigns, many schools still face significan challenges,” he said.

Sadiqa Salahuddin said that climate disasters had posed significant challenges to the continuity of schooling, with notable impacts during the floods of 2010 and 2022. “Despite these hardships, we are committed to strengthening the interest in education in such situations,” said Salahuddin.

Raj, a participant of the STEAM Learning festival, said that he was active in social circles and academia, attending various events, but learning about climate change and youth empowerment in the context of STEAM learning was new to him. “In this festival, they not only invited usual speakers to talk but also scientists and technology professionals to teach and develop children’s interest in science. They succeeded in their mission,” said the student. “When it comes to gender inclusion, they invited people from all genders to discuss their experiences. Hearing transgende -rights activist Shahzadi Rai, who is also working on transgender education policy, was great,” he added.

Chief programme manager of Reform Support Unit Junaid Hameed Samo said that the RSU engaged in education reforms, aiming to foster STEAM-based learning in schools and cultivate the intellectual growth of children.

“During each regional festival, every district not only participated but also showcased their models, facilitating mutual learning and the exploration of career paths. This marks the completion of the first phase, covering four regions of Sindh. In the second phase, we plan to extend STEAM learning festivals to the remaining regions in the next academic year,” he said.

“A recommendation has been made to the provincial government and the Sindh Education and Literacy Department to allocate budget for an innovation fund. It is proposed to establish fully equipped science centres in every region, introduce mobile laboratoriess in flood-affected areas and set up digital laboratories in every school. This aims to provide children with a learning mechanism beyond traditional classrooms and making use of the digital world.”

The writer is a multimedia journalist based in Hyderabad, Sindh. His X handle: @MathraniSanjai. He can be reached at smmathrani1@gmail.com