STEM Club

Globally, almost two thirds of the students are deprived of learning programming, the reason for which is computers and INTERNET connections are not budget friendly. Which is a problem, because for learning to program it is very necessary to have a computer.To not let such problems be a hindrance to learning we have made Edublock. Using Edublock, robotic tools students can easily learn programming and robotics in offline (also online) through a SmartPhone, adding to these online resources and books are also available. We are creating a hybrid support channel for STEM-based education system through sensory integration bot that enables people to learn programming in Bengali, English and others local languages. Our solution is to equip students and teachers with STEM tools to deploy hands-on activities, which are made from locally-available materials and aligned to the national curriculum.

In Bangladesh alone, more than 40 millions of students do not have access to learn basic Logic, Programming, and STEM education and in Southeast Asian Countries students, hobbyists, enthusiastic children residing in rural areas also do not have access to learn basic Programming education. Most of them are unable to afford a computer. There is no facility to learn STEM education which involves computing with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics and to increase their participation in real life problems. 

According to World Bank, in Bangladesh for one teacher is for 30 students. But for the ICT or technology the scenario is more worst, most of the teachers are not understand the ICT and programming basic due to lack of training. A large number of these students grow without the knowledge of basic Science and Programming, ultimately which will hamper the future economic growth of Asia as well as world and the availability of skilled worker. Also, there is no bridge between higher education level and primary education level, students seem lacking the knowledge of what they will need ahead to learn more about technology and programming.

Our team is getting involved with this issue from 2016, when I was started my undergraduate degree, I meet my existing founding members and started programming training to school students around our university campus. We also visit some rural area those time. Those training we do from our social responsibility and we got some help from our university club. But we got those problem, students are capable to learn programming with out computer, sometimes for language. 

People of all ages can learn programming and basic technology solutions. Most of the cases Bangladeshi students are learning programming at Undergraduate level. Our solution is focusing on building a logical and programming based strong generation who will lead and compete in the next decades representing Bangladesh. By allowing children to use our products, it will be an adamant practice from them, teaching them an extra language to English and Bangla.    

Our solution is focusing on from eight years old child to undergraduate level students. As this point we are getting enveloped with schools, college and university to trained their students and teachers also. We are trying to collaborate with academic institutions. 

Our solution has: 

• Support Channel for learning STEM, Robotics and Programming.   
• Community to trained teachers, and producing trainer 

A hybrid support channel for creating STEM-based education system through sensory integration bot that enables people to learn programming in both English and local language.The robotics kit is used to simulate the real-time programming simulation and many projects can be done with it because this computation does not require any computer, only a smartphone is sufficient. These STEM based learning robots are fully designed and manufactured locally in Bangladesh to create an impact on industry expansion. This tools are designed for people of all ages but especially for novice learners to connect the gap of the textbooks to reality. Educating the rural areas students of Bangladesh is our ultimate goal. Also, there is an offline platform which is available for basic support to the students and teachers, where the internet is not available. 

The technology behind the project is properly planned and use nanotech engineering concept. The unique design of the bot is fully developed and designed by our team using basic embedded system technology. The software is built with “Blockley” open source library of Google to build the script.The backend of application is made with javascript and no need to active network to operate. 

Our approach is innovative in five ways: 

1) Relevant and low-cost curricula: Simply we are reducing the costing of the requirement of learning programming and ICT and introduce STEM based tools for children to increase their participation in solving real life problems. We are uniquely addressing the problem and give this product as cheaper than any other competitor. We can make it cheap, Due to the design and development process is done in Bangladesh. Most importantly others solutions are needed active network connections or computer, but our solutions need only a single smart phone to do coding.

2) Learning their own local language: Our another unique solution is providing learning application, materials and tutorial in their local language and also in English. So anyone can learn programming using their own languages.

3) Sustainable training model: Creating a sustainable community bridge between higher education level and primary education level.Using this huge number of science undergraduate students we trained local students about STEM and Programming. 

4) Scalable model: Leveraging our partner’s live, we are going to connect the nearest trainer with students or students club using our application to faster the learning process.

5) National Curriculum based robotics linked: In Bangladesh Education system Programming teach from grade 12 and basic ICT is teach from grade 8. But most of the students are not capable to understand the application of ICT. We are building our robotics mobile application according to national curriculum to simulate the application using our robotics tools in STEM method 

The technology behind the project is properly planned and use nano-tech engineering concept.The technology solution comes with three parts:

Hardware Technology:

1)Programmable Hardware:  We have designed some low cost, multi usable hardware robotic kits which is fully developed and designed by our team using basic embedded system technology. Kits are integrated with microprocessors to let them program. All hardware are supported by Arduino. This bot can be customized according to the user as they can change the core code also.  

2)Non-Programmable Hardware: We have also designed millions of DIY Electronics kits to better learning the STEM. This hardware are made with locally available tools like, plastic bottles, cardboard, LED, Battery etc. We use here basic science technology to build.      

3) Software Technology:

The software is built with “Blockley” open source library of Google to build the script. One of the biggest uniquenesses is the script will be both Bengali, English or other local languages. We are adding more local language due to the easy understanding of programming.The backend of application is made with javascript and no need to active network to operate. Anyone can add sensors or do any customization. We have also developing offline and online desktop and web application.

Learn or practice programming, one must need a computer. But in most of the country has very less amount have the ability to buy a computer. Smartphones are available all over The world and even rural people are widely using it. Our solutions for the students is to learn to programming using the smartphone that a household has. And smartphone or learning tab are comparatively low cost and affordable.

Lack of appropriate technological education support or tools that meet industry requirements, our solutions activities is Relevant curriculum & teaching material that will help to teach. After that output comes with Teachers are capable of teach and innovate the students and with outcomes is, Teachers can be moderate and advise in sustainable learning. After all of those Impact will be, Building the STEM-based education trend for learning basic techniques of technology as well as strong technological capacitive manpower to move with sustainable patterns of consumption and production. 

For learning programming, one at least needs a computer which is still costly for rural people, our inputs against that barrier is, supporting educational STEM tools, mobile applications, books, tutorials that are available with affordable for rural people. The outcome will be the rural students will involve more with real-life problem-solving project using Science and Technology, and output is Children are growing up with tech-education. Young manpower with Stong technological knowledge will be the Impact.   

The better understanding please have a look at our IMPACT VALUE CHAIN mapping. 

(link:http://bit.ly/2NwW37Q  )   

we are currently serving with our solutions: 

As we are just started the pilot stage of our solution we have some partnership with academic institutes and volunteer organizations though our community development training program. We have our community at 04 Universities, 03 Colleges and 01 primary schools, through this channel more than 18,000 students received training of programming and robotics using STEM method. 

The impact of that training is becoming blast out in their progress of individuals in learning STEM and more than 55% of students are understanding the ICT educations and involving practical solving projects.

we will be serving with our solution in the 01 years and the next 5 years:

As our progress seems working as our target plan. In 01 year, we expect to be serving 10 millions of students ( grade 1 - grade 10, undergraduates) with 1000 teachers with Bangladesh along with 7 Cities (rural area). 

In 5 years, we expect to operate in all over 64 dristics of Bangladesh and start in 2 countries, Nepal and Tanzania (as our one of the partner is from Africa ). Overall in Bangladesh expect 40 Millions of students will benefit from our solutions and all schools teachers as like 10,000 teachers will be trained for STEM education in next years. 

Over the next year, we will be focused to collect data from our pilot program, as over 50,000 students and 1000 teachers create the impact vision of our solutions address to the problem. Connect with the undergraduate students for training advance level of Robotics and Programming for career and involve our community training program. Our goal is to create a support channel for STEM learning through robotics and programming in Bangladesh within 16 months and make a strong data flow of our target to serve next 40 millions of students.

Our next 5 years vision is to unlock the potential of over 30 Million students of Bangladesh as well as start working for Nepal and Tanzania’s student. Edubot is implement their vision though:  

1. Growing the number of Partnership of Academic Institutes and organizations

2. Partnership with the Ministry of Education, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to sustain our program in government schools. 

3. Activities to increase the involvement of Parents, Teachers, and students with our STEM maker Fair. 

4. Produce more low-cost tools to support the students in learning STEM and supporting to creating the small-scale industries locally. 

Overall the final picture will be creating individual STEM school lab and infrastructure and highly trained qualified teachers, providing fertile grounds for our initiative to take off. 

Over the past two years we are struggling with financial seed funding and almost we draw a strict line of expanse balance. Most of the Southeast Asian country are provided only class lesson which is not connected with practical learning and DIY culture. We are going to break this using STEM education system. Almost all of the schools are following the old teaching method of class room. Teachers are not enough capable to learn digital solutions or programming. This barrier is become our major concern. 

Another one can arise after our market release that production capability. At this stage our local production partner company can produce 100 pcs product monthly. But as our estimated demand calculation it should be around 300 pcs per month. So it will be a major barrier after 1 year. 

As all organizations are facing some funding issue. We are also ready with our strong bonded team to face some financial issue by next two years

Using our team networks, friends and family we fixed our issue of seed funding. We also funded from our Government small research fund. So now we are doing the piloting with the fund. The problem of seed funding issue is becoming solved by getting involved in the market. We already got 45 pre-order. 

The culture or method of teaching can be minimized by STEM education. Bangladesh government and southeast asian country are focusing on ICT education from secondary stage. Our plan is utilizing this vision to established a practical problem solving culture. We create millions of content, example of solving real problems using programming, books, video tutorials and science DIY projects for both teachers and students in their local language as well as in English also.        

About the limitation of production, our team is try to contract with another production partner in Bangladesh. But due to bangladesh has not enough vendor in this special area, we are going to training and collaborate with some local electronics company to accelerate our production as well as economy.        

And for the issue of next financial issue. Web designing and generating our reports of impacts and growth for getting fund venture capital as well as other funding organizations. 

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04 full-time staff and 08 part-time staff, we have also some volunteer staff. Our team is all about 16 staff members.

Our team is a versatile group of engineers from the different expertise, educational major, the social and ethnic background which is our key strength. Our team member has a strong background in various sectors technology, volunteer and community development, teaching experience.  Our goal has always been to make education more accessible and we are thus addressing this issue with what we know the best technology.

Our Adviser is extreme knowledge about STEM education, Data Mining, and the engineering process. He is one of the top research faculty in Bangladesh with 1106 citations. 

Our founders are skilled and educational experience with a Directorial degree (on going). Founders already have professional experience in children and mass software development experience, rural education ecosystem, STEM education, robotics, and embedded systems, social impact development. Our team vastly built with professors, graduates, and undergraduates. Our team is already working on different models of the same system to be integrated into other stages of education systems. the motivation behind all these hard work is devotion and thirst of making this world a better place to live.

Our team is already working on different models of the same system to be integrated in other stages of education systems. EduBlock currently has two groups of partners for the community developing and piloting and research support. We have already had a partnership with several governments departments and organizations for developing our inisitatives.

Existing Partnerships

• Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh under Innovation Research Grants. This grant is for research on ICT and STEM products for creating an impact on Bangladesh (one-time grants).  

• Startup Bangladesh, a government agency under Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and DEA (Innovation, Design & Entrepreneurship Academy), to create acceleration and its accompanying eco-system. They just grant us for community development last June’19

• Entrepreneurship networks: Edward M. Kennedy Center, Entrepreneurship Depertment, Dhaka, Bangladesh, The U. S. Department of State’s Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST), Innovation Hub Bangladesh.   

• Academic Institutes/Organizations: 

  • United International University for training and developing STEM education in their permicis and exchange to sharing students projects on our website. 

  • SPRIHA, nonprofit organization for training their unprivileged students school to learn ICT thorugh STEM.

We are inspired by social business model. We strikes a balance between social mission and commercial enterprise, with mission of enlightening the students knowledge of science using programming and robotics basics and equip them with the tools required to interact, communicate and lead the field of technology. A large number of rural students grow without the knowledge of basic Programming, our solutions beat this. Students will be skilled with 21st century skills as programming & robotics and have ability to create impact using technology. The revenue comes from selling the STEM Tools and Advanced learning content. Our ideal customer is Academic Institutes, Government and individuals also the customer group. We have the opportunity to design STEM labs or deliver STEM tools to them where students are becoming benefitted. The training session in all government schools is to create a massive impact point due to the future career seeks those skills. Our tools is  for any age from 6years. The training sessions, syllabus, courses, books all service will be available for students and teachers at the certain level of free. The functional community ecosystem can be measure the impact. The impact can be visual by counting the number of students trained, number of partnership, the number of students are getting involved with real problem solving and of course the revenue will be tracked from the number of units sold. We serve the SDG’s 4 points that are quality education no#4 and others are 8, 9 and 12 points.

“The fee-for-service model of social enterprise commercialized its social services, and then sells them directly to the target populations”

The cost structure of the model is Research & Development cost, Production Cost and finally staff cost. In our business sustainable process we arising grants for Innovation in Technology and community development. The grants are strict used in R&D and production, to the prolongation of training program. We create a base customer using this grants and training program to the Institutes. So our ideal target market is create a financial flow for maintaining cost structure. From the fee-for-service model our hybrid financial sustainability comes with true. But in most cases students are getting it free from institutes. In the long term our revenue

We are looking forward to grow our in-house technology team i order to accelerate our community supports with Solve’s support. To accelerating our free training on Programming, robotics as well as STEM education, we need to partnership with academic organizations, mentors and such as Solve’s 

Networks to extend our impact target. Our process of working is, start with research, testing, using it with friends and family, successfully do research publication and start community building. Because we believe in Value and creating impact. So Solve would provide a priceless validation of EduBlock’s vision and would help us to achieve large scale community development on board and help to expand our research with theirs fund, networks and mentorship. 

We need to establish partnership with academic institutes, volunteer organizations focusing on child care and education and technology training organizations. We already do partnership with 04 Universities, 03 Colleges, and 01 primary schools, 03 social development organization and one government ministry.    

Specific target partnership organizations are UN, BRAC, MIT Solve Community, Bangladesh Education Ministry for next 2 years.

We are constantly deploying our community channel and research work. All our work is going to record and we do analysis on it to bring the result of our community driven. Our target partners are want the impact of our training and community process. So we can get partnership using our proven impact work and we are on it.

As we are providing tech knowledge through STEM education with community driven, so our solution serves GM Prize requirements.    

We plan on making this project sustainable by providing continuous support and upgrading the services with our technology. GM Prize will help a lot of further development of the EduBlock. It has so many impacts over the innovation. Using GM Prize we will go through the large scale production of robotic tools and providing training on programming, robotics and STEM education in rural schools free. GM Prize will help us to accomplish our software development target that compilation of the customized solutions get smooth and improve our impact area. Overall using GM Prize we can sustain our project, as we are giving free education support to deprived and we also provide support to financially capable students though some fees, it mostly in urban area. To cultivate and accelerate our community we need the GM Prize and Slove’s as a partner to create a better world.