Young Scientists of Guatemala
Donation protected
My name is Salman Chughtai and I am an 11th grade student from Montgomery, New Jersey. I’m involved in Mock Trial, working towards becoming an Eagle Scout, and will be receiving a pilot’s license in December. I’m fluent in Spanish, and I’ve spent time in Costa Rica and Guatemala immersing myself in the language and culture. In my free time, I like reading about science and technology, and I plan to study aerospace engineering in college.
While I’ve always loved science and had the resources to learn more about it, there are so many children out there who aren’t as fortunate. Schools in Guatemala have neither the funds nor the resources to educate students at the same level as the U.S.. Because there aren’t enough teachers, students are forced to learn through lecturing, even if this might not suit the learning styles of the students. Additionally, many schools can’t afford to purchase new and updated textbooks, so it’s not uncommon for students to learn from outdated material. As a result of these problems, statistics show that only 18% of all Guatemalan kids attend college.
Through Young Scientists of Guatemala, I hope to improve the education of at least a few students by partnering with el Colegio Cristiano Guatemalteco. In the first phase of our plan, I will stay in Guatemala for a month. During this time, I’ll visit the school daily to conduct experiments with 4th to 6th grade students and teach them about different science topics like electricity, sound and waves, air pressure, and earth science. By doing this, I hope to help students learn science in a more interactive way and encourage development of a passion for science. YSG will provide all necessary materials so that the already underfunded school doesn’t need to shoulder any additional financial burdens. The second phase of this project is to ensure that I can continue to make an impact on students in the future. To do so, YSG will provide el Colegio Cristiano Guatemalteco with laptops and a monthly internet plan, which will be supplemented by online resources in order to allow students to pursue the topics that interest them the most. YSG will also aim to provide the school a TV, so that future lessons and experiments can be conducted through video calls and consistent interaction with the students can be maintained. Ultimately, the goal of YSG is to improve science education and instill a love for science for the children of Guatemala; encouraging the youth to believe in the future of Guatemala through STEM.
Please check out our website for more information!
https://goo.gl/bCIvz3
While I’ve always loved science and had the resources to learn more about it, there are so many children out there who aren’t as fortunate. Schools in Guatemala have neither the funds nor the resources to educate students at the same level as the U.S.. Because there aren’t enough teachers, students are forced to learn through lecturing, even if this might not suit the learning styles of the students. Additionally, many schools can’t afford to purchase new and updated textbooks, so it’s not uncommon for students to learn from outdated material. As a result of these problems, statistics show that only 18% of all Guatemalan kids attend college.
Through Young Scientists of Guatemala, I hope to improve the education of at least a few students by partnering with el Colegio Cristiano Guatemalteco. In the first phase of our plan, I will stay in Guatemala for a month. During this time, I’ll visit the school daily to conduct experiments with 4th to 6th grade students and teach them about different science topics like electricity, sound and waves, air pressure, and earth science. By doing this, I hope to help students learn science in a more interactive way and encourage development of a passion for science. YSG will provide all necessary materials so that the already underfunded school doesn’t need to shoulder any additional financial burdens. The second phase of this project is to ensure that I can continue to make an impact on students in the future. To do so, YSG will provide el Colegio Cristiano Guatemalteco with laptops and a monthly internet plan, which will be supplemented by online resources in order to allow students to pursue the topics that interest them the most. YSG will also aim to provide the school a TV, so that future lessons and experiments can be conducted through video calls and consistent interaction with the students can be maintained. Ultimately, the goal of YSG is to improve science education and instill a love for science for the children of Guatemala; encouraging the youth to believe in the future of Guatemala through STEM.
Please check out our website for more information!
https://goo.gl/bCIvz3
Organizer
Zeeshan Chughtai
Organizer
Belle Mead, NJ
