10 schools in Lalitpur Metropolitan City

Direct:

• 200 students (Grades 6–8, ~20/school).
• 30 teachers trained as focal points.
• Indirect: School communities, future STEM cohorts.

Nepal’s public education system faces significant challenges in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education, particularly in underserved communities. The dominance of rote learning over hands-on, practical approaches limits students' ability to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Additionally, the digital divide remains a major barrier, preventing students from marginalized backgrounds from accessing technology-driven learning tools. Addressing these gaps, the robotics project aims to equip students with essential 21st-century skills, fostering logical reasoning, creativity, and problem-solving. By focusing on government schools, the project seeks to bridge the quality gap between private and public education while preparing students for Nepal’s expanding tech and engineering sectors.

The initiative aligns with key national and organizational strategies. At the national level, it supports the School Education Sector Plan (SESP) by integrating ICT and vocational skills into the curriculum, while also advancing Nepal’s National Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy (2019), which promotes STEM education for economic growth. Organizationally, the project resonates with OLE Nepal’s mission of "Quality education through technology" and builds on its prior successes, such as E-Paath (digital learning) and E-Pustakalaya (digital library), making it a scalable and cost-effective solution for public schools. Locally, the project aligns with Lalitpur Metropolitan City’s Education Master Plan, which advocates for innovative teaching methodologies and provides students with skills relevant to the city's emerging IT sector.

Beyond national and local strategies, the robotics project directly contributes to global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It supports SDG 4 (Quality Education) by ensuring inclusive and equitable STEM learning, while SDG 5 (Gender Equality) is addressed by engaging girls’ schools, such as Adarsha Kanya Niketan. Furthermore, it advances SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by developing foundational tech skills, and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by specifically targeting underprivileged students in public schools.

Robotics is a highly effective educational tool because it transforms abstract STEM concepts into tangible, interactive learning experiences. The modular nature of kits like ARTEK ensures scalability and reusability across grades and schools, making the project both cost-efficient and impactful. More importantly, it prepares students for careers in AI, automation, and engineering—fields that are crucial for Nepal’s future economic and technological growth.

In conclusion, this robotics project strategically aligns with Nepal’s educational goals, OLE Nepal’s mission, and global SDGs, while addressing critical gaps in STEM access. By combining hands-on robotics learning with comprehensive teacher training, the project establishes a sustainable model for enhancing Nepal’s public education system. It not only empowers students with essential skills for the future but also strengthens local education frameworks and contributes to the broader STEM ecosystem in Nepal.

Primary Goals:

Enhance STEM Education

• Introduce hands-on robotics learning to bridge the gap in practical STEM education in government schools
• Develop students' skills in programming, logical thinking, and problem-solving

Teacher Capacity Building

• Train teachers as robotics instructors to ensure sustainable implementation
• Empower educators to independently conduct robotics classes

Student Skill Development

• Foster creativity and innovation through project-based learning
• Build technical competencies applicable to future careers

Secondary Goals:

Promote Inclusivity

• Make robotics education accessible to students from diverse backgrounds
• Encourage equal participation of girls in STEM activities

Establish Institutional Framework

• Create permanent robotics clubs in schools for continued learning
• Integrate robotics concepts into regular school curriculum

Community Engagement

• Showcase student achievements through public exhibitions
• Build partnerships between schools, local government, and tech organizations

Long-term Aspirations:

Policy Influence

• Demonstrate model for scalable STEM education in public schools
• Provide evidence to support integration of robotics in national curriculum

The project was designed to achieve both immediate educational outcomes and long-term systemic impact in Nepal's public education system.

The Robotics Project, implemented by OLE Nepal from May 2024 to February 2025, followed a carefully structured timeline of activities designed to maximize impact. The project launched in May 2024 with initial setup activities, including finalizing partnerships with the KDDI Foundation and Lalitpur Metropolitan City, procuring ARTEK Robotics Kits, and assigning trainers to each of the 12 participating government schools. This foundational phase ensured all necessary resources were in place before commencing educational activities.

From June to July 2024, the project conducted crucial Training of Trainers (TOT) workshops, equipping 30 teachers (three from each of 10 participating schools) with essential robotics knowledge and teaching methodologies. These intensive two-day sessions focused on robot assembly, Studuino programming, and troubleshooting techniques, empowering teachers to support students independently.

The core learning phase ran from August through December 2024, featuring weekly 2.5-hour robotics classes at each school. During these sessions, approximately 200 students gained hands-on experience with basic robotics concepts, including sensor applications, actuator functions, and logical programming through the user-friendly Studuino interface. In a significant mid-program enhancement, ultrasonic sensors and LCD displays were introduced in late 2024, enabling more sophisticated projects and better preparing students for upcoming challenges.

To intensify preparation for the culminating events, a Robotics Winter Camp was held in January 2025 for 50 selected students (five from each of 10 schools). This camp provided focused training on advanced concepts like maze-solving algorithms and object-collection robotics, significantly boosting participants' technical capabilities. The project reached its climax on February 15, 2025, with major event: the Yala Mayors cup Robotics Challenge, where students from 9 schools demonstrated their skills in object-picking and maze-navigation tasks, and the Robotics Exhibition, which saw all 10 schools showcasing innovative projects ranging from transformer robots to functional lift systems and more. This structured yet flexible timeline ensured progressive skill development while accommodating school-specific participation patterns.

The Robotics Project achieved significant outcomes that demonstrated its success in enhancing STEM education across Lalitpur's government schools. Approximately 200 students from 12 schools gained hands-on experience in robotics, developing practical skills in problem-solving, logical reasoning, and creative thinking through weekly sessions and special workshops. The project's emphasis on interactive learning successfully transformed abstract STEM concepts into tangible experiences, as evidenced by students' ability to assemble, program, and troubleshoot various robotic configurations using the ARTEK kits.

A key outcome was the successful implementation of the Robotics Challenge, where the majority of participating students completed complex tasks including designing object-picking robots and maze-solving robots. These challenges not only tested their technical skills but also fostered teamwork and innovative thinking. The subsequent exhibition further highlighted students' creativity, with impressive projects ranging from transformer robots to functional lift systems and cable cars. This showcase of diverse applications proved the program's effectiveness in stimulating technical creativity and independent problem-solving among participants.

The project established important foundations for sustainability through its comprehensive teacher training component. Thirty teachers from ten schools received specialized Training of Trainers (TOT), equipping them with the knowledge and confidence to continue robotics education independently. This capacity-building aspect ensures the program's longevity and potential for expansion to more schools. While most schools fully participated, the absence of two schools from teacher training and one from the challenge revealed opportunities for improving engagement strategies in future iterations.

Beyond immediate educational benefits, the project created valuable linkages between schools, local government, and international partners like the KDDI Foundation. It demonstrated how targeted interventions can address educational disparities in public schools while aligning with national STEM objectives and global Sustainable Development Goals. The combination of student achievement, teacher empowerment, and institutional partnerships makes this project a replicable model for enhancing technical education in resource-constrained settings across Nepal.

Gender Inclusion

Engaged girls' schools (e.g., Adarsha Kanya Niketan) and ensured equal participation in all activities, also in other school a healthy mixed of gender participation is practiced.

Technology accesibility

Used visual, drag-and-drop programming (Studuino) for learners with diverse abilities.

Modular kit designs allowed adaptive configurations for physical participation.

Marginalized Community Access

Prioritized government schools serving underprivileged students.

Provided free kits/training, removing financial barriers.Offered Nepali-language instructions and locally relevant project examples.

Systemic Support

Trained teachers to address varied learning needs.

Exhibition platform celebrated all participants equally.

Gaps: Limited assistive technologies for severe disabilities.

The project created an inclusive foundation while highlighting areas for improvement in universal accessibility.

The Robotics Project ensured long-term sustainability through multiple approaches. It trained 30 teachers as in-house robotics experts, enabling schools to continue instruction independently. Permanent robotics clubs were established in each school, providing ongoing platforms for student engagement. The project's reusable ARTEK kits allow multiple student cohorts to benefit from the same equipment. Several schools have begun integrating robotics into their regular curricula, while peer mentorship between students fosters organic knowledge transfer. Partnerships with KDDI Foundation and local government create opportunities for future expansion. These measures collectively ensure the project's impact continues growing beyond its official timeline, with potential to influence Nepal's broader STEM education policies.

Lalitpur Metropolitan City