“IoT Ignite 2.0: Stem Workshop” - IEEE TryEngineering STEM Workshop

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“IoT Ignite 2.0: STEM Workshop” is a pre-university STEM outreach initiative organized by the IEEE Communications Society Kerala Chapter, building upon the successful “IoT Ignite: Spark the Future” program conducted in 2025. The initiative aims to introduce school students aged 11–14 to the fundamentals of the Internet of Things (IoT), wireless communication, programming, and smart sensing through engaging, hands-on learning experiences.

This two-day hands-on STEM workshop was held at Sree Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering (SCTCE), Thiruvananthapuram, on 10th & 11th October 2026. A total of 50 students from grades 8 and 9 of Govt. Higher Secondary School, Neyyattinkara and Govt. High School, Kalady and 4 accompanying teachers participated actively. 10 active volunteers from IEEE ComSoc KC, IEEE SCT SB & IEEE ComSoc SCT SBC were also actively engaged in helping students in building IoT prototypes.

The workshop introduced students to IoT concepts, wireless communication, the ESP32 microcontroller, sensors, actuators, and circuit building using breadboards. The practical learning content included digital input/output operations, LED control, pushbutton interfacing, analog sensor measurements, light-dependent automatic control, PWM-based LED brightness control, OLED interfacing, Wi-Fi scanning, wireless messaging using ESP32, and web-based LED control through Wi-Fi. Dr. Lakshmi V S, Chair, IEEE ComSoc Kerala Chapter, handled the sessions with the help of IEEE Volunteers.

By connecting fundamental engineering concepts with familiar applications such as smart lighting, environmental monitoring, and wireless communication, the workshop aimed to strengthen students' technical understanding, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and interest in pursuing STEM education and engineering careers.

Key activities included:

• Interactive sessions on IoT fundamentals, communication principles, and ESP32 programming.

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  Hands-on experiments involving sensors, actuators, and wireless communication.

• Student-built IoT prototype ESP32 projects such as:

1. Wireless Messaging System
2. Web-based LED control through Wi-Fi.
3. Environmental Monitoring Station
4. Smart Wireless Door Controller

• Conducted pre and post-assessment tests to evaluate learning outcomes.
• Feedback and reflection sessions to encourage STEM engagement and teamwork.
• Printed training course material and kits were handed over to teachers from both schools for continued STEM learning.

The workshop also aligned with TryEngineering’s hands-on learning approach, utilizing IEEE educational resources such as “Internet of Things (IoT)” and “IoT with a Soft Touch”.

Students completed pre- and post-assessment tests designed to measure their conceptual understanding of IoT, communication technologies, and hands-on programming skills.

• Pre-assessment: 40% of students scored above 50%.
• Post-assessment: 80% of students scored above 50%, indicating a 100% improvement in conceptual understanding and problem-solving ability.

Teacher feedback praised the workshop’s hands-on learning model, highlighting that it “workshop helped students develop curiosity, confidence, teamwork, and problem-solving skills..”

Participant quotes:

1. “I was excited to see an LED turn ON using my own program. It made me realize that I can also create interesting electronic projects.”
2. “I enjoyed learning how sensors can detect changes in our surroundings and how we can use them to build smart systems. I would love to become an engineer in the future.”

Impact and highlights:

• 90% of students expressed increased interest in pursuing engineering or technology-related studies.
• 100% improvement in post-assessment results demonstrated effective conceptual learning.
• Students gained practical skills in ESP32 programming and IoT system design.
• Teachers expressed commitment to continue STEM learning using the donated ESP32 kits and course materials.
   

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Workshop Topics

• IoT fundamentals, communication principles, and ESP32 programming.

• Hands-on experiments involving sensors, actuators, and wireless communication.

• Student-built IoT prototype ESP32 projects such as:

1. Wireless Messaging System
2. Web-based LED control through Wi-Fi.
3. Environmental Monitoring Station
4. Smart Wireless Door Controller

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Practical_Session_1		199.46 KiB
Practical_Session_2		152.92 KiB
Session_Photo_2		2.60 MiB
ESp32_based_Smart_Door_Controller		1.14 MiB
Group_Photo_2		1.71 MiB
Certificate_2		800.46 KiB

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