Santosh Kumar Yadav: This man is promoting project-based learning at schools

Santosh Kumar Yadav is a civil engineer by profession. But beyond that, he organizes exhibitions for the school students across Nepal. His aim is to give students the much-needed exposure in the fields of arts and science through project-based learning, something he lacked during his school days. Yadav, 25, was born in Siraha district and spent most of his childhood there. After completing his high school, he wanted to study engineering and applied at the Institute of Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, in Lalitpur. Yadav was an exceptional student, so he managed to secure a spot in the college acceptance roster. It was during his college days that Yadav realized how little he knew about the subjects he was studying outside of the textbooks. In 2015, the students were asked to take part in a national exhibition, which caught Yadav by surprise. “I had no experience of taking part in extracurricular activities prior to the exhibition. I didn’t even know what the word ‘exhibition’ meant,” says Yadav. Not knowing how exhibitions work, preparing a project with his team was challenging for young Yadav. For him, everything was new and intimidating. He had to learn to conquer his fear of public speaking, conduct extensive research on the project the team was working on, and figure out a way to apply it in practice. “I thought to myself if I had a chance to participate in exhibitions during my school days, I would have been well prepared,” says Yadav. His fear and anxiety was only intensified when he learned that most of his team members knew what they needed to do. Yadav had gone to a school that didn’t have funds and resources to organize science exhibitions and competitions to encourage the students. He says participating in the national exhibition gave him the idea of organizing similar programs at the school level. He started from his own school in the town of Lahan, Siraha. Lahan Science and Arts Fair 2072 four categories: science, social, environment, and art. It was a success. More than 1,000 students visited the exhibition which saw participation from over 20 schools. “The preparation was hard and took nearly three months. It was a huge success which gave us the encouragement to organize a similar exhibition in other schools,” says Yadav. Two years later, Lahan Science and Arts Fair 2074 was held, which saw nearly 7,000 attendees. Another fair was held in Golbazar Municipality of Siraha, which also  saw the opening of a public library called ‘Aarambha’. “The purpose for all this was to give students that confidence and leg-up that I lacked when I was going to school,” says Yadav. Within the past seven years, Yadav says he has seen a lot of changes, in students as well as in schools. Following his initiative, many schools have started organizing intra-school exhibitions where students are exposed to project-based learning. Yadav says he feels most satisfied and happy when the students he met during exhibitions contact him to show their appreciation. “Sometimes students call me to let me know that they won the intra-school exhibition because of my feedback. That’s when I feel like I have indeed accomplished something,” says Yadav. He adds the attitude and confidence level of many students have also changed a lot, all because of the exhibitions. “Since the students have to explain their projects, they have gotten better at public speaking. They are no longer shy around strangers,” says Yadav. “Many students are now well aware of how to start a research project, work with a team, come up with new and innovative ideas, as well as learn how to present their ideas in a simple way to the audience.” Yadav believes that these were the skills he needed when he had to take part in the national exhibition. “I had no confidence at that time, I didn’t know how to do my research and give my idea a physical form, and most of all, I had a fear of speaking in public,” he says. Although Yadav could not get the needed exposure, he says that he is happy to see the school students of today getting prepared for the future. “They are getting to experience project-based learning,” he adds. Currently, Yadav works as the head of the Civics Department for Shree Namuna Secondary School in Udayapur district. He plans to organize exhibitions in every part of Nepal. “I have organized exhibitions in Madhesh and Koshi provinces, and Kathmandu. The plan is to take this program in all parts of Nepal,” he says. At the school where Yadav works, he tries to conduct as many extracurricular activities as he can to expose the students to new things, and to nurture their curiosities. “Every student is excited about the exhibitions. I feel satisfied when I see their enthusiasm,” says Yadav, “I know the students from other schools feel the same way. They just need to be given a chance to explore and experiment new ideas and concepts.”