Science Fuse

Do you know which living creature first went into Space? It wasn't a human, neither was it a dog! Join me & my dog scientist Rusty today at 3 pm PKT (11 am BST) to learn about the animals who went all the way up into the cosmos - often at great personal cost. Science Fuse is doing a LIVE storytelling session on https://lnkd.in/eExPrbt5 - so bring your grandparents, children, nieces & nephews. We're celebrating this year's Space Week by exploring the theme 'Animals in Space' to nurture empathy towards living things from a very young age.

I've been receiving messages here on LinkedIn congratulating me on completing 5 years at ChangemakerXchange. Frankly these messages are a bit annoying because they're like the forwarded Eid Mubarak messages that one has to delete or they remain unopened on WhatsApp. But they took me back to that time when I was selected to participate in a wonderful week-long program in Thailand by the ChangemakerXchange where I met some incredible Changemakers from around the world. That program left a deep impact on me. I was reluctant to go but thanks to the support by a member of this wonderful community - Azeem Hamid - I decided to participate. I came back with an understanding of how important it was for me to take responsibility for my well-being, how to hold myself accountable for my actions & felt a renewed sense of purpose and strength to continue with my work at Science Fuse. This year I made sure that my colleague Waqas Nasir gets a chance to participate in the Changemakers for Education Program by ChangemakerXchange. This program brought together young social entrepreneurs from across Asia who're bringing equity to education in their respective countries. Get to know this wonderful cohort of 25 problem-solvers here: https://lnkd.in/eHWMr7Xj This is how Science Fuse defines leadership. It's kind, generous & up-lifting. Science Fuse stands out because we invest in the growth of our team & community members so that they can access the same opportunities that I experienced before them. Over a decade my path has crossed with some very kind people in Pakistan who opened these doors for me. I had to work hard & hustle to create these opportunities. I'm so happy that today Science Fuse has evolved into a platform that is providing opportunities to young people in our team to become leaders in the field of Education in Pakistan & beyond. I'm sharing a few glimpses from both my program & Waqas' program in Malaysia here. It has been a source of joy & pride to bear witness to his evolution from a volunteer at Science Fuse to a confident leader in his own right!

If you're a Science Teacher, an aspiring Science Communicator or even a parent looking to acquire skills within STEM Education then check out our 2-day online workshop in collaboration with LUMSx. LUMSx is the center for online learning and professional development at Lahore University of Management Sciences's. This workshop will help you make teaching science a joyful, relevant, hands-on & inquiry-based experience for children aged 7 - 14 years. We've been working on refining our teacher training & science communication programs for the last 3 years now. These trainings have been offered to almost 200 fellows at Science Fuse as well as 71 Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training teachers under the STEAM Pakistan project. We've also worked extensively with almost 150 fellows from Teach For Pakistan in the last 3 years & more recently with 110 teachers at Pehli Kiran Schools and 37 teachers from diverse schools under the Catholic Board Commission. Learn more about this 2-day online course and register using the link below: https://lnkd.in/eT3Mxqbz A heartfelt thank you to Zain Murtaza Maken for making this project & collaboration a reality. Thank you for having faith in us & for catalysing this partnership between LUMSx & Science Fuse.

Heroes Are Made, Not Born After Arshad Nadeem's historic win at the Olympics, there’s been much talk about how his hard work and dedication can inspire young people to put their heads down and strive for greatness. While well-intentioned, this message is deeply problematic. It's crucial to tell our youth that success doesn't look the same for everyone. Not everyone will win a gold medal or a Nobel Prize, and that's okay. Aiming high is important, but it’s equally important to recognize and celebrate the diverse achievements of young people across Pakistan, many of whom are doing extraordinary work in various fields despite immense challenges and limited resources. These everyday heroes deserve our encouragement, recognition, and, most importantly, tangible tools and resources to help them excel. Moreover, the state and other powerful stakeholders must be held accountable for their role in supporting our youth. In a country where 22 million children are out of school, how can we expect young people to demonstrate grit and excel without access to quality education, safe environments, and opportunities for growth? It’s unjust to place the burden of success solely on their shoulders when the basic infrastructure needed to support them is lacking. Young people shouldn't be told to simply work harder—they need to be supported. And right now, that’s not what Pakistan’s youth is receiving. At Science Fuse, this Independence Day, we asked our audience to reflect on these issues, unveiling a series of posters celebrating individuals who have excelled in Arts, Science, and Sports. These posters are more than just decorations—they are a call to action. They serve as a reminder that nurturing talent is a collective responsibility. We encourage you to donate these posters to your childhood school or an underserved school because if kids can see it, they can be it. But let’s be clear—posters alone won’t be enough to ensure our children build lives of dignity and purpose. This is just one piece of the puzzle. They need to see role models from their country, hear their stories, and dream big. But they also deserve better—they need more, and the government can no longer shrink away from its responsibilities. The time to act is now.

Here’s a throwback to Science Fuse's exciting workshop in Tando Jam for young people aged 16-19 years. We engaged these students in hands-on science experiments to foster a love for inquiry and discovery. They designed balloon rockets in small groups and explored the fascinating properties of hydrophobic and hydrophilic fluids. What do young people gain when they engage with science through play and experimentation? These activities ignite creativity and innovation, teaching students to tackle challenges with curiosity and perseverance—skills that are transferable to any problem they might face in life or the profession they choose to pursue. Collaborating on experiments enhances teamwork and communication skills, while the thrill of discovery can inspire a lifelong passion for science. Such workshops build confidence and cultivate a positive attitude towards experimentation and inquiry, empowering young minds to explore the world with enthusiasm and curiosity. Schools or organizations working with young people can contact us at info@sciencefuse.com for a partnership to explore how we can build problem-solving skills in their students. Thank you Ajay Pinjani for facilitating this engagement! I have wonderful memories from this trip. So many of these students kept writing to me even after a year had passed.