KHARKHORIN’S ESEL STUDENTS RUN THE RADIO ELECTRONICS PROJECT TO SUPPORT FUTURE ENGINEERS 

This time, we present the activities and good experience of the "Radio Electronics" project of Kharkhorin Soum Secondary School No. 2, Uvurkhangai province. The high school students who completed the ESEL training program of the project "Entrepreneurship-Focused Socio-Emotional Skills for the Most Vulnerable Youth in Rural Mongolia” successfully participated in its "Entrepreneur Seeds" small scale funding competition or Pitch 3 event held in May 2022 and received its initial funding for their innovative project.  

RADIO ELECTRONICS PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP STUDENTS' TECHNICAL MINDSET

Kharkhorin Soum, situated 430 kilometers away from Ulaanbaatar city, is a vibrant tourist destination with well-established social and economic services. The area serves as a central hub for communication and transportation, hosting four secondary education schools with an approximate student population of 3,000. Given the region's unique characteristics such as frequent migration, diverse communication channels, robust infrastructure development, and widespread technology usage, children today face the need for comprehensive development. Acknowledging the significance of nurturing children in this technologically advanced era, the "Radio Electronics" project is led by O. Temuujin, S. Gombodorj, and S. Altantsetseg, members of the "Elite team." The project aims to establish a foundation for cultivating future creative engineers. Through this initiative, young entrepreneurs strive to foster a technical mindset among students and provide them with opportunities to engage in creative and productive activities in the field of radio electronics. The project team receives guidance from D. Myagmarsuren, an ESEL teacher/counselor, and methodological support from Tsendeekhuu, the technology teacher.

THE ROBOT ASSEMBLY COURSE IS INNOVATIVE AND EFFECTIVE

The existing secondary school curriculum includes elements aimed at fostering students' creativity. However, the depth of learning in this area is limited due to the high cost and limited availability of technical materials in rural areas. Furthermore, there were no other student clubs focusing on radio electronics, making the project unique and innovative. The project team strives to be flexible and efficient in order to achieve the project's primary goals and meet customer expectations.

The ELITE TEAM offers the following services to its customers:

• Methodology training: This includes teaching various methods and techniques for assembling electronic toys.
• Practical training: Students are provided with hands-on experience by combining the assembly of electronic toys with conducting experiments. By the end of the training, each student will have created their own toy.

After receiving initial funding and procuring the necessary materials in September 2022, the "Radio Electronics" project officially launched in October 2022. O. Temujin and Sh. Gombodorj are responsible for the main training activities, E. Undrakh oversees curriculum development and scheduling, and S. Altantsetseg manages marketing and advertising.

Since its launch, the project has attracted 42 students across three classes, benefiting both the project team members and participants significantly.

The project's success has garnered the attention of technology teachers from other high schools, who have expressed interest in collaboration and have been invited as guest teachers, thereby expanding the learning opportunities for all involved.

THEY PRIORITIZE MUTUAL LEARNING AND VALUE THE CHANCE TO DEVELOP ALONGSIDE THEIR PEERS

The comments and enthusiasm from beneficiaries and interested parties of the "Radio Electronics" project play a crucial role in evaluating the results and progress of the initiative. Here are some statements highlighting their appreciation:

D. Dolgormaa, Head of the Project Soum Council said, "I am incredibly proud to witness the remarkable level of growth and engagement demonstrated by all the students involved in the project."

O. Javkhlan, a student who participated in the training, expressed, "Prior to joining the project, I had limited options for developing my interests. I either had to travel to the city for trainings or spend hours watching YouTube videos. However, now it's wonderful to have my hobby accessible and within reach."

Oyunbold, the father of Temuujin, a member of the project team, expressed his immense pride in his son's accomplishments. He shared, "I am incredibly proud of my son who dedicated his time to project development and spent long hours at school. He has achieved something unimaginable. I used to believe that creating robots required exceptional technical skills and specialized education. But seeing my son involved in this project brings me great joy. In the future, I will provide unwavering support to my son and his team in any way I can."

SUSTAINED, ADVANCED-LEVEL DEVELOPMENT HOLDS SIGNIFICANT IMPORTANCE

In addition to the main training task, the project team plans the project activities, allocates the time schedule very precisely, prepares the materials needed for the training in advance, organizes the training and marketing activities at a high level, etc. All of them are developing in a multifaceted manner by increasing their skills to be productive, evaluate student progress, explore interesting methods, collaborate with others, and share their experiences. The project funding has enabled the purchase of educational materials necessary for assembling robot toys, providing students with innovative learning resources within the school environment.

The project has become a point of pride not only for the school but also for the Soum and Uvurkhangai province. The students recognize the responsibility that comes with this recognition and are motivated to continue striving for excellence.

O. Temuujin, the leader of the project team, represented his school successfully in the provincial technology Olympiad with his work, earning an invitation to enroll in the School of Fine Arts and Technology at Mongolian National University of Education. This accomplishment further exemplifies the positive impact and achievements of the small-scale projects implemented in target rural areas as part of the project "Entrepreneurship-Focused Socio-Emotional Skills for the Most Vulnerable Youth in Rural Mongolia".