Super 100: A lifeline for young dreamers in STEM | Fusion - WeRIndia

A strong support system can change a child’s future. For many students in Thiruvananthapuram, the Super 100 scheme is doing just that.

Launched in 2023 by then district collector Geromic George, Super 100 empowers young girls from marginalised backgrounds.

Initially, the project focused on 100 girls from coastal and tribal communities.

Now, it includes students from the Scheduled Castes and economically weaker sections.

District Collector Anu Kumari said the aim is a long-term impact. Only Class 9 students are admitted, ensuring four years of support. Selection involves a test, group discussion, and interview.

The initiative, under the Union government’s ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’, is executed by Kanal Innovations Charitable Trust.

It supports students aiming for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

The training blends curriculum-based learning with early academic bridging.

Unlike typical tuition, the programme also focuses on social uplift. Volunteers visit homes and assess student needs.

Many families face challenges such as poverty, alcohol abuse, or trauma, and some students require counselling or therapy. The team tries to implement both academic and social interventions.

Students participate in regular sessions and go on educational visits to leading institutions, including ISRO.

These exposure trips help broaden their career aspirations and encourage them to aim higher.

Trainees receive academic support to strengthen their fundamentals, and their progress is monitored through regular assessments. That means they do not focus solely on marks, but rather on building a strong foundation.

Parents are also engaged in the process, and many have described the programme as transformative.

Some parents expressed that the opportunity was beyond what they had ever imagined. Others observed that the sessions had significantly increased their children’s confidence.

The scheme offers more than education. It gives hope. It shows children from disadvantaged families that they can dream big and achieve.

With continued support, these students could well become India’s future scientists, engineers, and innovators.

Super 100 proves that meaningful change begins with just one opportunity. And sometimes, that opportunity is all it takes.

Image Credit: Rasis RS, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Image Reference: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:View_of_East_Fort_in_Thiruvananthapuram.jpg