Bhawisya 2074: Nepal’s First and Largest School Level STEAM Competition

On 14^th February 2018, the largest and the first-ever school level science competition and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) challenge: ‘Bhawisya 2074’ was conducted at the Army Physical Training and Sports center, Lagankhel.

The program was organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology, in collaboration with organizations such as Robotics Association of Nepal (RAN), Karkhana, and Nepal Innovation Lab (NIL).

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Why it matters:

• This challenge aimed to promote scientific thinking and problem-solving skills in school level children.
• It gave the students the opportunity to work on a prototype solution for a real-world problem focusing on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

What they are saying:

• The organizers said, “The event was named Bhawisya, as the name clearly depicts middle-school students imagining a better future empowered by concepts of STEAM.”
• Adding, “We believe that this will allow them to understand that learning comes from going beyond one’s comfort zone. The main goal is to encourage learning and growth rather than a culture of competition.”

The details:

• The challenge saw the participation of 89 teams of students, both junior and senior level included from 69 schools within the valley and also from the neighboring districts: Kavre and Sindhupalchowk.
• A total of around 350 students worked in teams with support from their superintendents and volunteers.
• There were over 40 jury members for the challenge comprising of scientists, social science experts, teachers, entrepreneurs, education innovators, engineers, and art educators.
• Mr. Sanjay Sharma, Secretary and Mr. Surendra Subedi, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology were also present at the venue.