GWADAR: The first ever Science Festival for schoolchildren in Gwadar district was held at Government Model High School here on Saturday to promote interest in science and discovery among students in the region.

The festival was inaugurated by Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court Muhammad Noor Meskanzai, Chairman of Gwadar Port Mir Dostain Khan Jamaldini, Commissioner of Makran Muhammad Ayaz Mandokhel, National Party leader Ashraf Hussain and Deputy Commander of 440 Brigade Col Abdul Rasheed.

The festival attracted a massive attendance of over 3,500 students from more than 28 government and private schools of Gwadar district. Teachers, entrepreneurs, government officials and political activists visited the festival where students exhibited more than 100 science models, displaying their passion for science and technology, and introduced innovative concepts to the visitors.

Interactive displays and live experiments, some of which involved robotics, hydraulics, earthquake detectors, web and app development and environment-based projects, were conducted by the students and members of four science organisations from different areas of the country — Ejaad Tech, Stemmers, Pakistan Science Club and Sabaq.

Two students displayed a hydraulic bridge for a proposed expressway in Gwadar to allow fishing boats to pass underneath it. Similarly, many students had chosen local issues and problems facing their communities to create their science models. Some of them had done so on their own without having science teachers in their schools.

Chief Justice Meskanzai also participated in the hands-on activity with children to encourage them.

The festival was jointly organised by Deputy Comm­issioner of Gwadar Dawood Ahmad Khilji, the education department and the district government of Gwadar, Bamsaar, an NGO, the Gwadar Association of Professionals and the Pakistan Alliance for Maths and Science.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2018