STREAM 2025 – Inspiring Young Minds Through Science Outreach
Overview
STREAM 2025 was the annual outreach event conducted by IISER Berhampur to engage with school children from diverse age groups and backgrounds. The event brought together all the science clubs on campus to showcase engaging, interactive, and entertaining projects aimed at inspiring curiosity about science. Its purpose was not only to excite young minds, but also to demonstrate how science touches everyday life and can solve real-world problems.
Our participation in STREAM was anchored in one of the most pressing challenges of our time: metal contamination in water. We saw this as an opportunity to raise awareness among children—the next generation of scientists, innovators, and informed citizens—about the risks of unsafe water and the need for sustainable solutions like our project, POSEIDON.
Our Contribution
As part of the event, our team designed an outreach module that combined clear explanations, a hands-on demonstration, and space for dialogue with the children. The module had two layers of purpose: first, to explain the scientific challenge of heavy metal contamination, and second, to empower the students with a sense of ownership and imagination in thinking about solutions.
We prepared an engaging presentation that simplified the science behind POSEIDON. By using visuals, analogies, and storytelling, we explained how metals such as mercury, aluminium, and chromium can enter water sources and harm both humans and ecosystems. This was framed not as a distant problem, but as one that could affect local ponds, rivers, and wells. The emphasis was on helping children connect global challenges with their immediate environment.
The DIY Filter Demonstration
The highlight of our booth was a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) water filter—a simple yet powerful teaching tool. This filter was constructed using traditional materials layered inside a transparent column: gravel, pebbles, sand, charcoal, and cotton. We demonstrated how dirty water containing mud, twigs, and visible waste could be poured into the column and come out significantly cleaner.
Children were fascinated to watch the transformation of murky water into clear water through these layers. This visual change reinforced the basic concept of filtration as a process of removing impurities. However, the story did not end there. We emphasized that while such filters can remove dirt and larger particles, they cannot capture extremely small metal ions.
This was the bridge to introducing POSEIDON. We explained that just as we upgraded the DIY filter to handle bigger impurities, scientists like us are now working on sustainable technologies to capture invisible toxins such as heavy metals. This transition helped children understand the value of both traditional practices and modern scientific innovation.
The DIY filter was more than a prop—it was an educational metaphor.
- It connected to the everyday experiences of children who may have seen or used basic filters in their homes.
- It offered a hands-on, relatable way to demonstrate how science solves problems step by step.
- It became a springboard to explain more advanced concepts like selective binding of metal ions in sustainable filters.
Communication Strategy
Outreach is most effective when it is inclusive. For this reason, we used a tri-lingual mode of communication—English, Hindi, and Odia. This ensured that no student was left behind due to language barriers. Complex scientific terms were simplified into local expressions, and interactive questioning allowed children to answer in the language they were most comfortable with.
This tri-lingual approach not only improved understanding but also created a sense of belonging. Students could see that science was not restricted to textbooks or English classrooms; it was accessible, relatable, and part of their own cultural and linguistic context.
Children’s Responses
Perhaps the most rewarding part of STREAM was the way children responded. Their eyes lit up as the dirty water became clear. They eagerly asked questions: "Can we add more layers to catch metals?", "What if we use magnets to clean water?", "Could plants help in filtering?" Such questions showed not only curiosity but also creativity—children were actively thinking of new ways to solve the problem.
This engagement was more than academic. It reflected a sense of empowerment: children were no longer passive recipients of information but participants in problem-solving. They began to imagine themselves as contributors to the future of clean water technology.
Teachers’ Feedback
The teachers who accompanied the children also interacted with us. They appreciated both the simplicity of the DIY filter demonstration and the seriousness of the issue it represented. Several noted that such outreach was essential to bridge the gap between classroom teaching and real-world challenges. By demonstrating both traditional methods and modern scientific vision, the session modeled how innovation can be both sustainable and socially responsible.
Their encouragement reinforced the importance of STREAM as not just a science fair, but as a catalyst for community-driven education.
Broader Impact
STREAM 2025 reminded us that awareness must begin early. By engaging with school children, we are planting seeds of scientific curiosity, responsibility, and creativity. These children are not just future scientists or engineers—they are future decision-makers, community leaders, and guardians of the environment.
Through STREAM, POSEIDON became more than a lab project. It became a story told in simple language, a hands-on experiment with gravel and sand, and a dialogue between generations. The event reinforced our belief that inclusivity in communication is as important as inclusivity in design.
By aligning with education and humanpractices, STREAM 2025 demonstrates how scientific outreach can translate cutting-edge research into accessible, memorable, and impactful experiences for society.
Looking Forward
The enthusiastic participation of children and the positive feedback from teachers inspire us to think beyond single events. We envision STREAM as a model to expand across more schools, with greater emphasis on interactive workshops and locally relevant science challenges.
For us, STREAM 2025 was not just about presenting POSEIDON; it was about co-creating curiosity, inviting young people to dream, and showing them that science is not distant or abstract, but a tool they can use to change their world.