KUCHING: A community-driven education initiative by Swinburne Sarawak has impacted nearly 2,000 rural students across Serian, Padawan and Bau — an effort that has now won the university two prestigious awards.
The STREAM (science, technology, research, engineering, arts and mathematics) Team, an interdisciplinary group of academics, uses interactive STEAM-based learning to narrow the education gap in indigenous-majority rural areas.
Its work also equips teachers through dedicated Train the Teachers workshops, ensuring long-term sustainability in rural schools.
For its efforts, the team was recently awarded the Highly Commended recognition in Swinburne’s Vice-Chancellor’s Future-Focused Award, which honours excellence across all Swinburne campuses globally.
In addition, the STREAM research project ‘From STEM to STEAM to STREAM: Bridging Rural Sarawak’s Learning Divide’ secured the Silver Award under the Community Engagement category at the Borneo International Technology Expo 2025 (Borneo InTEX25).
Project founder Shella Georgina Beatrice described the recognition as a milestone after seven years of perseverance.
“Our success is a testament to unwavering commitment despite challenges like the haze and the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It inspires us to continue empowering younger generations from rural areas to explore and pursue careers in STEM,” she said.
Co-leader Su Sueh Ing said the achievement reflects the tangible impact of STREAM on rural learners.
“These two recognitions show how our work resonates with communities across Sarawak, embodying Swinburne’s values of being future-focused, innovative, impactful and proactive,” she said.
She added that the team’s priority now is to sustain its momentum and create long-term positive change through STEAM education.
