“Adopt a Kampung” is a program organised by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Razak team to facilitate learning for students from various schools in Malaysia. The team which was fully funded by its industry partner, Acre Works Sdn. Bhd. had successfully established its 5th STREAM Fun Learning Toy Library in Johor. The school chosen was SMK LKTP Ayer Hitam, Kluang . In September 2018, students from year 5 and 6 were given the privilege of having a toy library in each of their classroom. The team conducted their initial school visit in March 2018 for a feasibility study. The effectiveness of the STREAM Fun Learning Toy Library program and its impact on the Felda Ayer Hitam community were closely monitored. On the 12th of March 2019, “Adopt a Kampung” team headed by the Research Chair visited the school to monitor and collect data to study the outcome of the project. This trip was part of the efforts taken by the team to ensure that the team’s community work and Acre Works Sdn. Bhd. investment yield positive outcomes to the targeted community.
Similar projects carried out previously in Kelantan schools had so far revealed that the toy library projects have had high impact on the community of the rural and remote areas. The team’s effort was highly recognized when their projects received a 5-star rating for two consecutive years, besides securing a silver medal in the NALI 2018 poster competition. Being the first of its kind, and STREAM Fun Learning Toy Library unique features have also attracted the attention of several NGOs, private companies, The Institution of Engineers Malaysia, Academy Sains Malaysia, previous Education Minister 1, Kelantan and Johor Education Departments, and more recently the National Library of Malaysia. The team work is also relevant when their effort addresses the STEM education global issues as it inculcates STEM interest in children at a very young age.
Positive feedback from the teachers, parents, students of the pre-school classes who are currently in Primary 1 in the year 2019 is very encouraging. The pictures included here show some of the activities and participants involved in this program. As this is an ongoing project, the team will continue to collect and analyze all related data for publication purposes in the future. In addition, a comparative study on the STREAM Fun Learning Toy Library will also be conducted between the schools in Kelantan and Johor. In the previous year, 2018, a seminar paper based on this program was presented at an international conference for Women in Science and Technology (WiSET 2018) at KL Convention Centre. The article has been published in IOP Journal this year.
