A Day of Energy, Exploration, and Learning at STEM Land

-Vaishnavi

Rishi Valley School Visit on 22 January

On 22nd January, STEM Land welcomed students from Rishi Valley School. The group consisted of 40 sixth-grade students, accompanied by their teachers. Their energy levels were absolutely mind-blowing, filling the space with excitement from the moment they arrived.

The visit began with a short introduction explaining what STEM Land is, why it exists, and how it is used as a learning space. As soon as the students entered the room, their curiosity was clearly visible. They looked around with wide eyes, exploring the space, and we could genuinely feel their sense of attraction and interest toward the environment.

To give them a rich, hands-on experience, we had planned multiple activity sessions, including Robotics with the Finch Robot using Snap, Drone exploration, Mathematics with hands-on materials and Polypad, Art, Games, and RTL.

Robotics with Finch Robot

The Finch Robot session was facilitated by Sivasankar. The students were eager to learn and quickly picked up how to program the robots using Snap. They experimented independently, tested their programs, and even created friendly competitions among themselves. The room was filled with laughter and excitement as the robots moved around. It was pure joy watching them learn through play.

Drone Session

The Drone session, handled by Atchudhan, was another highlight. Students were fascinated by watching the drone fly and were keen to understand how it worked. Many of them were excited to try flying it on their own, and they thoroughly enjoyed experimenting and playing while learning the basics of drone operation.

Mathematics with Materials and Polypad

The Math session, conducted by Preethi P., focused on learning through hands-on materials and Polypad. Students actively engaged with the activities and explored concepts on their own. It was wonderful to visibly see their sense of wonder as they visualized mathematical ideas, making learning more concrete and meaningful through visual and tactile experiences.

Art Session

The Art session, led by Preethi R., allowed students to explore creativity through folding and coloring activities. They were allowed to take home the things they created, which made the experience even more special. The students were amazed at how simple folding techniques could produce beautiful and varied patterns, helping them learn through creative expression.

Games Session

The Games session, handled by Vaishnavi K., gave students the opportunity to play and understand a few selected games. While not all games could be played, students had the chance to observe them, understand their purpose, and learn where such materials could be purchased. The session sparked curiosity and interest in learning through games.

RTL Session

The RTL session was taken by Sanjeev Anna. Although the students were initially distracted, he skillfully brought their attention back. This itself became a valuable learning moment for us observing how attention can be regained with patience and engagement. The students participated actively, asked many questions, and found the session interesting. Each student also got a chance to share their learning, making the session reflective and meaningful.

Overall, the visit was a joyful and enriching experience for both the students and the facilitators. The students learned through exploration, hands-on activities, play, and reflection. Their curiosity, questions, and enthusiasm reminded us of the power of experiential learning and reinforced the purpose of STEM Land as a space where learning truly comes alive.

Reflection:

My name is Vaishnavi.K I stand for Kindness and Respect for myself and others.  While handling the games session, I personally enjoyed the experience a lot, as the students were deeply engaged throughout. Many of the games were completely new to them, and their curiosity showed in the questions they asked, especially about where they could buy the games and how they could continue exploring them. What stood out to me was how naturally the students began exploring other games on their own, driven purely by interest and joy. This session helped me realize that even small things can spark curiosity, bring joy, and create meaningful learning experiences. Simple games, when placed in the right environment, can open up new ways of thinking and learning. It was a gentle reminder that growth does not always come from complex setups sometimes, it begins with simple tools that invite exploration and play.

My name is Preethi. I stand for courage and kindness for myself and others. While guiding the Rishi Valley students with the kirigami table, I realized that learning becomes powerful when students create with their own hands. Teaching them simple folds showed me how curiosity grows when we give space to explore and make mistakes. This experience reminded me that my role is to inspire confidence and joy in learning, not just to explain steps. This visit helped me reflect that teaching is not only about sharing knowledge, but about creating experiences that stay with students even after they leave STEM Land.

Students reflection:

The sessions at STEM Land were very interesting and enjoyable. We liked the art session, robotics, drones, maths, and games. There were many different games available, and we were curious to try all of them. The RTL session was a little difficult, but it helped us learn more about ourselves, which we found meaningful.Through the session, we came to understand our universal values and realized that many fears given by society do not have real value. We learned that universal values guide us on the right path and help us make better choices in life. Overall, the experience at STEM Land was quite different and exciting. We really enjoyed our time there and would love to visit again. In fact, we felt that spending just a few hours was not enough. We wished we could have spent an entire day there.