Thirty students and out-of-school youth in Bumthang spent part of their summer holidays learning how technology and practical life skills can be used to address everyday social challenges.
The week-long summer engagement programme, organised by the RENEW Regional Centre, brought together young participants for sessions in digital innovation, coding, electronics, robotics, STEM education and comprehensive sexuality education.
Held at Gangrithang Primary School, the programme included children as young as eight. Rather than limiting learning to classroom instruction, facilitators encouraged participants to work in groups, test ideas and build practical prototypes.
Among the innovations developed during the programme were an emergency alert device connected to a mobile phone and a sensor-based sanitary pad dispenser. The projects were designed to respond to safety, health and accessibility needs within the community.
Sonam Yangchen Wangmo, a student of Jakar Higher Secondary School, said her group was working on an emergency device that could be incorporated into a watch.
“We are trying to make a slim watch which serves two purposes—to check the time and to send an emergency alert when a button is pressed,” she said. “The device we have today does not produce a sound, but we plan to install a buzzer next time.”
Participants said the process of designing and testing the devices taught them to remain patient and persistent when their ideas did not immediately work.
“In six days, we managed to make all these using STEM,” said Khenrab Wangchuk, a student of Wangduechhoeling Lower Secondary School. “We learned technical and scientific skills, but we also learned to keep trying even when things do not work.”
Alongside technology-based learning, the programme included discussions on children’s rights, equality, respect, responsibility and informed decision-making. Sessions were conducted through role plays, hands-on exercises and group discussions.
“We understood that where there is a right, there is also a responsibility,” said Tashi Yangzom, a student of Wangduechhoeling Lower Secondary School. “We also learned about children’s rights, respect, equality and making responsible decisions.”
Organisers said the activities were intended to strengthen confidence, teamwork, critical thinking and problem-solving skills while encouraging young people to become responsible and innovative members of their communities.
Five out-of-school youth also participated in the programme, learning alongside school-going children. Inspired by the prototypes developed during the sessions, they committed to producing sensor-based sanitary pad dispensers and exploring the possibility of turning the initiative into a sustainable social enterprise.
The organisers said providing young people with practical skills, guidance and opportunities to experiment could help generate meaningful social change and promote community-led development.
Funded by SOS Children’s Villages Germany, the programme also encouraged several participants to express interest in joining similar educational and community initiatives in the future.
By combining technology, life-skills education and social awareness, the summer programme demonstrated how young people can be encouraged to develop solutions for safer, healthier and more inclusive communities.
