In partnership with SODEWS (Society for the Development of Economically Weaker Sections), Meritus AI, a prominent STEM and AI education organisation, successfully held the “Winter Robotics & STEM Innovation Camp for Rural Students – 2025” from December 24 to 28, 2025, at the SODEWS Student Residential Campus, Mullai Village, Tamil Nadu.

Over 100 government school students in Grades 6 through 12 benefited from the five-day intensive learning camp, which gave them their first practical introduction to robotics, engineering, and STEM principles through 100% screen-free, activity-based learning.

The camp, which was created as part of Meritus AI’s CSR and Rural Outreach Initiative, sought to close the educational gap between rural and urban areas by providing underprivileged populations with access to top-notch STEM instruction. Using actual robotics kits and organised tasks, students investigated important ideas including mechanical design, sequencing, logical reasoning, cooperation, and problem-solving. The program’s usage of RoboRobo Robotics Kits, which allowed students to construct actual working models, test out mechanisms, and comprehend how machines work, was one of its main highlights. Even kids with restricted digital access were able to participate and perform well thanks to the screen-free format.

A qualified Meritus AI trainer oversaw the whole curriculum, daily lesson plans, and student participation while leading the camp. The SODEWS coordinators and teachers offered excellent on-the-ground assistance, guaranteeing order, security, and seamless programme implementation.

Many of the students successfully completed engineering tasks and built their first robotic models, demonstrating their extraordinary ingenuity and excitement. Along with improving their technical proficiency, the camp helped them develop a growth mindset, curiosity, confidence, and teamwork—all of which are essential for success in the twenty-first century. Speaking about the programme, executives from SODEWS and Meritus AI stressed the importance of such programmes in developing rural talent and preparing students for professions in innovation, technology, and engineering.

An important step towards empowering government school pupils in rural Tamil Nadu is the Winter Robotics & STEM Innovation Camp 2025, which demonstrates that any child can become an innovator given the correct resources and direction.