100 school girls finish IIT-Delhi’s STEM mentorship programme

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, has successfully concluded the fourth edition of its flagship outreach initiative, Manasvi, STEM Mentorship Programme for High School Girls, with nearly 100 students completing the intensive programme that ran from May to December.

The event was attended by Prof Somnath Baidya Roy, Dean (Planning), IIT-Delhi, who motivated the young participants. Addressing the cohort, he said, “Talent is never the barrier, belief is. You have the ability to build, innovate and lead in STEM. With confidence and perseverance, there is no limit to how far you can go. IIT-Delhi will always support your journey.”

The event was structured across three phases, summer, autumn and winter, designed to offer exposure, hands on learning and guided mentorship in STEM disciplines.

The summer phase included lectures from faculty members, researchers and women leaders, along with hands-on sessions at the makerspace where students built solar lamps.

The autumn and winter stages focused on experimentation and project work, including physics activities, chemistry demonstrations, drone learning sessions and student mentor discussions. In the final phase, participants presented innovative solutions aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, guided by IIT-Delhi students.

For many participants, the experience was transformative. Laxmi, a Class IX student from KV Paschim Vihar, said, “This programme opened up the worlds of physics, chemistry, biology and maths for me. The IIT-Delhi faculty showed me what higher studies really look like. Most importantly, it gave me the confidence to belong in STEM.”

Another participant, Priyanshi from Class XI, KV Sector-5, Dwarka, said, “The programme has helped me see a side of science and technology that I could never have explored if this opportunity had not been given to me. The ecstatic feeling of making solar lamps and doing things with our hands cannot be described in words.” The ceremony concluded with certificates being awarded by Prof Shilpi Sharma, Associate Dean, Academics (outreach and new initiatives).

IIT-Delhi announced that applications for the fifth edition would open in February and March.