Student mentors of IEEE Curtin Malaysia Student Branch empower rural schools through Tech-on-Wheels Programme

Miri – 28 August 2023 – In an effort to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in secondary schools in Sarawak, the student members of the IEEE Student Branch of Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) took its impactful initiative called Tech-on-Wheels to Limbang.

The programme, conducted in partnership with Chumbaka Miri and All Abroad Young Leaders Centre (AAYLC), aims to bridge the digital divide and provide access to technological resources for students in underserved communities. Participating students are taught to use Arduino, an open-source platform used for building electronics projects consisting of a physical programmable circuit board and related software that is used to write and upload computer code to the board.

Five members of the IEEE Curtin Malaysia Student Branch (IEEE CMSB) Community Outreach team made its way to SMK Medamit in Limbang to conduct the Tech-on-Wheels programme for 50 students from three different schools there. The schools were SMK Medamit, SMK Seri Patiambun and SMK Limbang.

Limbang was the third location for the Tech-on-Wheels programme after Miri and Bintulu. In Miri, the programme was conducted at SMK St. Columba, SMK Chung Hua, SMK St. Joseph, SMK Pujut and SMK Luar Bandar, while in Bintulu it was held at SMK Kidurong.

The participating students in Limbang had the opportunity to delve into robotics, coding, and electronics, providing them with practical skills and fostering their interest in STEM fields. Their IEEE CMSB mentors guided them through the activities, encouraging them to think creatively and explore the possibilities within these fields.

IEEE CSMB President Alan Tiong Ka Wei said, “During the programme, the students were very enthusiastic and showed great interest in the modern technologies we showcased. It was a very fulfilling experience for both participants and mentors.” Joining Tiong as mentors for the programme in Limbang were IEEE CSMB members Alyaa Maisarah binti Abdul Hamid, Amber Kong Jianin, Mohamad Haziq bin Mohd. Daud, and Lai Yong Jun.

The Tech-On-Wheels programme is also being carried out to promote the Young Innovators Challenge (YIC), a competition where teams of two to three students from secondary schools compete to design microcontrollers such as Arduino or integrate applications according to the competition theme.

For this year’s YIC, the theme is ‘To Solve the World’s Problems, Start with One Person’. Students are required to build a prototype to help a hero in their community such as a teacher, parent or community leader to solve a problem with social impacts. All the schools that participate in the Tech-On-Wheels programme will compete in the YIC at the STEM Playground event to be held in Miri this October.

Nur Izzaitul Fitri binti Zambia, a teacher at SMK Medamit, thanked the IEEE CSMB for extending the Tech-on-Wheels programme all the way to Limbang. She said the participating students and teachers appreciated the mentor’s efforts to upskill the students in programming and embedded systems to be able to create innovative tech projects. “With the acquired knowledge and skills, our students are really excited to join the YIC and STEM Playground in October,” she said.

Meanwhile, advisor to the IEEE CMSB, Professor Garenth Lim, said “As the student branch advisor, I am proud of all that the leaders and members of the IEEE CMSB have done with the Tech-on-Wheels programme, venturing beyond Miri to engage with students throughout  Northern Sarawak.”

The IEEE Curtin Malaysia Student Branch (IEEE CMSB), a student-run organisation affiliated with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), believes that everyone should have equal opportunities to explore and engage with STEM subjects. By bringing technology directly to both urban and rural schools, the Tech-on-Wheels programme aims to inspire and cultivate the next generation of innovators and problem solvers.

The Tech-on-Wheels programme is only the beginning of a broader initiative by the IEEE CMSB to reach out to more rural secondary schools in Sarawak. By leveraging technology and fostering a passion for STEM education, they aim to empower students for a future that relies increasingly on technological advancements.

For more information on the IEEE CMSB, email ieee.curtinsarawak@gmail.com or visit ewh.ieee.org/sb/malaysia/curtinsarawak. One can also visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CurtinSarawak.IEEE.

Participants learn to use Arduino with the help of IEEE CMSB mentors

Participants were given a problem statement and asked to pitch their solutions

An IEEE CMSB mentor receiving a token of gratitude from SMK Medamit

All the participants from SMK Medamit, SMK Limbang and SMK Seri Patiambun