On August 6, 2023, the STEM Artsakh Exposition, titled "STEM Expo 2023: Science and Motivation," will take place in Martuni city, Artsakh. The primary objective of this event is to pique students' interest in the field of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) by providing them with an opportunity to explore the sectors of science, engineering, and information technology.

Problem

The teaching of STEM subjects in Artsakh schools has faced increased challenges after the "44-day" war. Through careful analysis, several issues and requirements have been identified:

1. STEM subjects are predominantly taught in a theoretical manner, with limited practical lessons.

2. There is insufficient allocation and ineffective utilization of resources.

3. Students exhibit a lack of interest and motivation towards STEM subjects, resulting in low-performance rates.

4. There is an absence of a connection between education and the labour market.

5. Students' dreams and aspirations for the future are often overshadowed by the compulsory need or the prevalent ideology of university acceptance.

6. There is an incomplete understanding of science and engineering, leading to an unclear vision of future specialization.

7. There is a lack of platforms for scientific and engineering work.

Solution

To address these challenges and requirements, the "Artsakh STEM Expo" was organized last year in Martakert, attracting nearly 400 participants from Armenia and Artsakh. Among them, 130 participants joined from Armenia, and 204 were aged between 15 and 25. The exhibition featured ten groups representing scientific, engineering, and technological projects. Each of the four contestant teams was assigned individual mentors who aided them in focusing on and developing their ideas. The Bitty team, the winner of the contest, raised $5,500 during and after the exhibition to further develop their concept.

Due to the imposed blockade, hosting guests from the diaspora and Armenia in the city of Martuni will not be possible. However, our orators from the diaspora and Armenia will be participating online.

The Artsakh STEM Expo 2023 consists of several components. During the exhibition, research products from scientists, students, and engineers will be displayed. Approximately 15 to 20 individuals or groups will showcase their works and products. The eligible groups for participation include scientific, engineering, and startup groups, as well as students.

In the scientific, engineering, and startup groups component, the main goal is to demonstrate the work of engineering teams in Artsakh and create a platform for potential partnerships and collaborations. Participants can join the exhibition free of charge by signing up, and their presentations should be submitted in advance.

In the student groups component, the primary aim is to develop the skills required to coordinate practical and research work among students in Artsakh. Three groups from the top 10 will be selected for additional financial and material support, as well as guidance from their mentors to fully develop their ideas.

STEM-TALKS - comprising two parts, will also be conducted during the event. The first part will feature a panel discussion on the topic of "STEM Motivation in Schools," where 3-4 invited speakers will answer questions from moderators and the audience. The second part will involve orators from the fields of science, engineering, technology, and business sharing their experiences and discussing their work.

To maximize the impact and success of the STEM Expo 2023, additional measures can be taken. These include developing a comprehensive marketing and publicity strategy, seeking opportunities for international collaboration, establishing mentorship programs, organizing interactive student engagement activities, offering continuous learning opportunities, recognizing research and innovation through awards, collecting feedback for evaluation and improvement, and conducting long-term impact assessments.

By implementing these measures, the STEM Expo 2023 can become a transformative platform that sparks students' interest in STEM, equips them with necessary skills, and drives innovation and socio-economic growth in Artsakh. Continuous improvement, collaboration, and a strong commitment to STEM education will pave the way for a brighter future in Artsakh.

Competition of scientific, technological, engineering ideas in Artsakh

The purpose of the idea contest is to stimulate the active work of initiative and active groups in Artsakh, to connect them with scientific, engineering, technological and IT companies of Armenia and the Diaspora, creating the opportunity for mentoring.

Artsakh schoolchildren, students, active scientific and engineering groups who have ideas of programs or startups and the purpose of their development can take part in the competition. The competition will be won by teams representing the three best ideas selected by the jury, who will be offered mentoring. The winners will be announced on August 6 at the closing ceremony of the EXPO. This year we expect 500 participants to take part only from Artsakh in the current situation. The main goal of the participants is middle and high school students, students and young people. We also plan to attract specialists, speakers, the total number of which will be 30-40 people.

We expect Increase interest and motivation among schoolchildren and students in STEM subjects, create an opportunity to get acquainted with scientific, engineering, IT fields. to create a connection between interested young people and relevant field specialists, organizations, scientific society and industry representatives for effective mutual cooperation. Contribute to the creation of STEM training centers in Martakert region and Artsakh. to raise the level of scientific awareness among the public.

The long-term expectations of the project from the point of view of community development are as follows.

• Improvement of STEM infrastructure,
• Increasing awareness of the region as a tourist destination,
• Job creation,
• Increase in labor supply,

What will the expo give to scientific and engineering groups?

• The opportunity to give public voice to research,
• New entrants to science and engineering who can become future professionals,
• To be part of the development plan of Martakert and Artsakh.

What will the expo offer to participants interested in science?

Familiarization with scientific, engineering, industrial, IT fields and groups,

The possibility of creating new connections and cooperation with the mentioned groups and organizations,

Opportunity to exchange experience,

Opportunity for professional orientation, creation of new connections with pupils and students interested in Science and technology of other Artsakh schools,

Creation of school-university-employer connection,

An opportunity to further invest the acquired knowledge and experience in own projects, competitions, programs,

Opportunity for personal growth,

Creation of individual ideas, projects due to taking ideas from events,

An opportunity for interesting study entertainment, informal education.

In order for all this to become a reality, we need certain resources: money, equipment, etc. You can find the project budget here.