The STEAM Fair 2023 was held recently by Kopkop students at their school here in NCD.
STEAM education is a teaching approach which combines Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics, and is designed to encourage discussion and problem solving amongst students.
Under the theme “Enhancing Innovative Learning through STEAM Education”, students were able to showcase a variety of projects ranging from soap-making, tie-dying, building, designing, electrification and painting.
Students were put into groups and had to work together as a class to create, design and build a project relating to all that they had learned in their lessons.
During the recent STEAM Fair, Department of Higher Education Research and Technology Minister Don Polye who was a guest there, spent time listening, observing, and discussing with the students on the different projects they had on display.
Minister Polye said that Kopkop College reflects a vibrant school environment that nurtures young minds and helps them develop practical life skills at an early age.
“I’m proud of Kopkop College, looking around I can see the methods that your teachers are teaching.”
“I can see confidence, I can see art, I can see innovation here, I can see the country here and I support STEAM. Let us all raise our young people to become better Papua New Guineans.”
“I commend Ms. Kopkop and her teachers for all they are doing to support STEAM education in PNG,” said Minister Polye.
Meanwhile, Primary School Principal, Mr. Satchell Ben, said that the passion shown by the students for a wide array of topics shows that Kopkop College has some of the most talented and intelligent students in class.
“This should challenge the students that we are fortunate to have embraced the STEAM program in a time when the world needs science to solve most of life’s problems.”
STEAM or science, technology, engineering, and math were initiated by the National Government in 2019.
This was followed by the implementation of a home-grown STEM curriculum taught in the six schools of excellence, which prepares selected students to become leaders in their respective fields internationally.
Its recent successor, STEAM, now incorporates art that allows students a wider opportunity.
Kopkop College Secondary School Principal, Mrs. Roddy Abad added, “Here at Kopkop College we do our best to bring out creative thinking in our students through innovative learning so that they can relate to real-life situations and are able to see and ask the right questions.”