Igniting curiosity with hands on STEM workshops at Chung Ling High School

UTAR STEM Outreach and the Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology (FEGT) organised a series of STEM workshops for the students of Chung Ling High School on 7 August 2024. The event took place in conjunction with the Science Carnival held at Chung Ling High School.  A total of 97 students participated in the event.

Second from left: UTAR STEM Outreach Head Dr Ong Kiah Ju presented with a token of appreciation

The workshop “Preparation of Nylon via Condensation Polymerisation” was led by Dr Yeoh Wei Ming from FEGT. He introduced students to the fascinating world of polymer chemistry, explaining the concept of polymerisation and how small molecules combine to form polymers. Dr Yeoh also demonstrated how nylon is produced through the process of polymerisation, ensuring the students understood each step of the experiment before they proceeded to do it. The workshop highlighted the various applications of nylon, including in clothing, carpet fibres, and engine components like timing belts.

Dr Yeoh giving a demonstration on how nylon is produced

Students enjoying the experiments at the workshops

The “Arduino Workshop” was conducted by FEGT academic Ts Dr Lee Han Kee. Dr Lee introduced students to Arduino, an open-source electronics platform based on convenient hardware and software. The students were given a first-hand experience as each of them received an Arduino board to work on, giving them a chance to stimulate their creativity to complete the workshop. Dr Lee also discussed the practical applications of Arduino, such as in robotics and signal processing.

Dr Lee guiding a student at the workshop

Students carefully working on their Arduino boards

The workshops provided a fun and unforgettable learning experience for the students thanks to the hands-on approach that differed from traditional classroom methods. The sessions aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Quality Education (SDG4) and Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG9), by not only teaching students about chemistry and physics but also demonstrating their industrial applications.

At the end of the workshop, Ms Chai Li Xin from the Division of Programme Promotion (DPP) provided information about UTAR, encouraging students to consider it as a future educational option after completing secondary school.

Ms Chai sharing information about UTAR