Prepare Your Space

Begin by identifying and preparing a dedicated classroom or space within your school that will house the STEM & Robotics Lab. This room should be secure, accessible to students across grades 6–10, and equipped with basic infrastructure like electricity, adequate lighting, and furniture that can accommodate hands-on activities and group work. Assess what modifications might be needed—workbenches for building projects, storage for equipment and kits, wall space for displaying student work, and power points for computers and charging devices. Engage school leadership, teachers, and facilities staff to ensure everyone understands the lab's purpose and is committed to supporting it. Conduct an initial needs assessment to understand which STEM subjects students struggle with most, what gaps exist in current science education, and what excites students about technology. This groundwork ensures the lab is designed to address real educational needs in your school context and sets the foundation for successful implementation.

Install Lab Infrastructure

Work with Nirmaan Organization to install the complete STEM lab infrastructure, including robotics kits that allow students to build and programme functional machines, coding tools and computers for learning programming fundamentals, scientific apparatus for hands-on experiments that bring textbook concepts to life, and introductory AI learning modules that demystify artificial intelligence. Nirmaan provides the equipment selection guidance, ensures all materials are age-appropriate and curriculum-aligned, and oversees the physical setup to create an engaging, functional learning environment. The installation process involves arranging workstations for collaborative projects, organising storage systems so materials are accessible and maintained, setting up computers with necessary software for coding and simulation, and creating displays that showcase student work and inspire creativity. During this phase, involve teachers who will use the lab so they become familiar with the space and equipment before formal training begins. A well-organised, inspiring physical environment is crucial for both teacher confidence and student excitement about STEM learning.

Train Your Teachers

Engage teachers in comprehensive capacity-building that goes beyond basic equipment operation to develop genuine confidence and pedagogical skills for facilitating experiential STEM learning. Nirmaan provides structured teacher training covering how to use each piece of equipment safely and effectively, how to guide students through project-based learning rather than lecturing, how to integrate the lab into existing curriculum rather than treating it as separate, and how to encourage girls and first-generation learners who may initially lack confidence with technology. Teachers learn to facilitate discovery rather than direct instruction—asking guiding questions, allowing productive struggle, and helping students learn from failures as well as successes. The training includes hands-on practice with robotics projects, coding exercises, and AI modules so teachers experience the learning process from a student perspective. Ongoing support continues beyond initial training, with regular check-ins, troubleshooting assistance, and opportunities for teachers to share successes and challenges with peers. Building teacher capacity is the most critical factor in ensuring the lab becomes actively used and integrated into school culture rather than sitting unused after the initial excitement fades.

Launch Student Programmes

Begin delivering structured STEM programmes to students in Grades 6–10, starting with introductory sessions that build excitement and confidence before progressing to more complex projects. Implement Nirmaan's curriculum covering science fundamentals through hands-on experiments that make abstract concepts tangible, coding basics where students write actual programmes and see immediate results, robotics projects where they build and programme functioning machines, and introductory AI modules that demystify how artificial intelligence works. Use project-based challenges that require students to apply multiple concepts together—designing a robot to solve a specific problem, coding a game that incorporates mathematical principles, or conducting experiments that test scientific hypotheses. Create an inclusive environment that particularly encourages girls and first-generation learners, who may need extra encouragement to see themselves as capable in STEM subjects. Schedule regular lab sessions so all students get consistent access, not just occasional special activities. Track student participation, monitor their project progress, and celebrate both individual achievements and collaborative successes to build a culture where STEM learning is valued and exciting throughout the school.

Sustain and Expand Impact

Focus on sustaining active lab utilisation and measuring educational impact to demonstrate value and inspire continuous improvement. Track key indicators including student enrolment and attendance in lab sessions (are students consistently engaged or does participation drop off?), learning assessment scores showing conceptual improvements (typically 2–3x gains in understanding), teacher adoption patterns and frequency of lab integration into regular teaching (is it becoming part of school culture or remaining a special event?), and student participation in external competitions, science fairs, and STEM challenges. Monitor particularly whether girls are participating equally and developing STEM career aspirations—this is often one of the most powerful outcomes. Create opportunities for students to showcase their projects to parents, local community members, and education officials, building broader support for STEM education. Document success stories and challenges to share with Nirmaan and other schools implementing similar labs. Address any issues promptly—equipment maintenance, teacher support needs, or student engagement concerns. Consider how to expand impact by connecting your lab with other schools, hosting visiting student groups, or creating peer mentorship where older students guide younger ones. A well-maintained, actively used STEM lab can transform educational culture in a school, opening new possibilities for an entire generation of students who might otherwise never have encountered hands-on technology education.