The Pakistani school revolutionising interactive STEM education for rural children with a mobile science lab
Beaconhouse College Programme, Juniper Campus, Quetta, a secondary international school in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan, is breaking the barriers to STEM education for children in underprivileged rural areas by giving them access to interactive, real-world science education with Science Gaari, a fully equipped and student-led mobile science lab. The lab delivers hands-on experiments and demonstrations to remote students, many of whom have never seen a microscope or performed a simple chemistry experiment before. Balochistan, one of the largest provinces in Pakistan, is also one of the most deprived in terms of education. With close to three million out-of-school children in the region, BCP Juniper Campus was determined to address the province's education emergency.
The collaborative effort, launched in partnership with UNICEF to ignite a movement for equitable science education, saw the entire BCP Juniper Campus community contribute, with active participation from students, teachers, and school leaders. Student volunteers, trained by science teachers to give them sound application knowledge, took the lead in designing experiments and conducting demonstrations as science ambassadors, making science relatable and inspiring. The school leadership handled more complex logistics, outreach, and coordination with rural schools to ensure student ideas could become fully realised.
The student-led mobile science lab has provided hands-on science education to more than 150 underserved schools, increasing science engagement by 35% and improving test scores by 20%. Interaction with lab equipment has ignited a greater passion for STEM, meaning that more students are now considering careers in science and technology, and rural teachers have been empowered through access to new and interactive resources, driving them to develop reimagined teaching lessons. For BPC Juniper Campus students involved in the initiative, the development of leadership, communication and mentoring skills has given them the confidence to believe that their voices matter and will be heard, setting them up as proud agents of change with the power to make a meaningful difference within their own communities.
With Science Gaari, BCP Juniper Campus has proven that when student ideas are fully supported by school leaders who give them access to hands-on education, educational gaps can be bridged to ensure that no child is left behind, no matter their circumstances.
