Discover STEM

An Immersive Residential Program

@ IIT Madras Zanzibar Campus

Jul 28 - Aug 9 2024

Astrophysics, Engineering Design...
...and the culture and sights of Zanzibar

The 'Discover STEM’ Program at IIT Madras-Zanzibar is a residential program for students entering grades 10, 11 or 12 (Form 4, 5 or 6) and will give students a rich exposure to STEM from world-class mentors.

Gifted World is excited to partner with the prestigious IIT Madras at its new Zanzibar campus for this program.

Enjoy wonderful sessions conducted by the experienced mentors at GenWise, a leader in programs for gifted students. GenWise is a founding member of www.giftedworld.org, a platform for talent development, along with the Center for Talent Development at Northwestern University and Educational Initiatives.

Program Benefits

Discover your strengths and interests
Use this program experience to make informed career choices
Develop socio-emotional and critical thinking skills
Add to your community of like-minded peers and world-class mentors
Gain a much better appreciation of STEM, including programs IITM- Zanzibar offers

Program Details

Target Audience : Students completing grade 10, 11, or 12 in 2024
Dates : July 28- Aug 9, 2024 (students leave by noon on Aug 9)
Courses : Intro to Astrophysics and Intro to Engineering Design
Venue : IIT Madras Zanzibar Campus, Tanzania
Program Fee : US$ 1190 (means-based financial assistance available); Early Bird Price of US$ 990 valid for payments by June 26, 2024
Eligibility :
- School Exam scores/ School Leaving Exam scores
- Teacher recommendation may be requested in some cases
- Direct Admission to students who have scored at or above the 85th percentile in the ASSET (or equivalent) test (Grade 8/9/10 level) in the last 3 years (https://ei.study/ei-asset)
Dietary and Religious needs: Halal Food, facilities and breaks for prayers are provided. Feel free to reach out to enquire if there are are any other special accommodations needed. Most dietary preferences can be accommodated on request.

Apart from academic enrichment, the camp also offers an opportunity to unwind and have fun, experience the IITM-Zanzibar campus and enjoy the beauty of the island of Zanzibar. Check out what students and parents say about their experiences in a past program in this short film.

To register for the program, fill this form - https://bit.ly/STEM_IITMZ_Registration

Payment details will be shared on acceptance into the program.

For more details, email IITMZ@giftedworld.org.

You can also call Vishnu Agnihotri at +919342247734 on Whatsapp.

webinar

Meet our Mentors

About IITM- Zanzibar and Gifted World

IITM Zanzibar (IITM-Z) is the offshore campus of India’s top-ranked Educational Institute, the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. Since its launch in 2023, the Zanzibar campus has not only attracted students from India and Africa but has also created a buzz among engineering aspirants across the globe. The Institute aims to make an impact in the educational landscape of the region and also bring young minds from different parts of the world together in their quest for skill-based education.

Gifted World is an online platform that aims to enable gifted students, their parents and educators to help students reach their potential. The founding members of Gifted World are the Center for Talent Development @Northwestern University (CTD), Educational Initiatives (Ei), and GenWise. Sage is a strategic partner in the UAE with over 15 years of experience in supporting schools in the region to enhance their learning outcomes. CTD is a leader in identification and nurturing opportunities, Ei is a leader in e-learning, assessment and gifted identification, and GenWise is a pioneer in India/ Middle East in supporting gifted children via residential summer programs, asynchronous programs, as well as Teacher Mentoring programs.

Course Descriptions

Each course will run for 5 days (one after the other). There will be a break day between the 2 courses.

Introduction to Astrophysics

Astronomy is often referred to as the oldest science. Interestingly it is still one of the most

exciting fields of science and it captures the imagination of scientists as well as young students. In this course, we will explore topics that allow students to gather deep insight into the subject without extensive prior knowledge of advanced Physics and Mathematics.

Specifically, we will focus on the following:

Stars and Galaxies in our Universe -
- How do we know about them, their distances, the amount of light that they emit and so on?
- We will discuss in detail the life cycle of stars; how stars form, how stars die, and discuss the main sequence stars using tools such as the Hertzsprung–Russell (H-R) diagram.
- We will introduce the night sky, the major Constellations,and the most important stars using software.
Discuss some aspects of blackholes and recent experimental observations regarding blackholes. Given these are areas of active research and every aspect of the topic may not be accessible to high school students, we will only discuss those aspects of black holes that can be made accessible to the students.
Introduction to Cosmology -Did the universe have a beginning? Why Big Bang Theory? How may the universe end? Why do we talk about dark matter and dark energy?
We will also include in the workshop some fun estimates and wild open questions like- How many planets are out there with life forms? Is there more than one universe?

We intend to make this a fun-filled and yet scientifically mature introduction to Astronomy & Astrophysics for the young learners. Along the way, students will also learn about the nature of the scientific process and the kind of work scientists do.

Introduction to Engineering Design

Engineers make all kinds of cool things which make our lives better - from everyday objects like bicycles and smartphones, to racing cars, hyperloops, and spaceships! Using paper and other easily available materials, students will design and build prototypes, test and refine their designs, thereby getting an appreciation of various aspects of engineering and design involved in making great products. They will appreciate that different elements are involved- science, creativity, design and tinkering.

Students will engage in 3-4 projects like designing and building-

An ‘egg-drop box’ that keeps eggs safe when dropped from a height
Bridges of different types using materials like paper and popsicle sticks
Mechanisms that replicate the demonstrated input and output behaviour whose details are hidden.

In this process, students will also explore concepts related to strength through questions such as ‘Why are some things stronger than the others? What do we actually mean by strength? What gives an object its strength – the material or the structure? What role does geometry play in structural strength?

Outside the Classroom

Apart from the academic enrichment work, students will engage in a host of activities that broadens their horizons, enhances their socio-emotional development and allows them to make connections with their peers and mentors, and have fun (in a device-free environment).