NON-PROFIT organisation CMS Digital Academy is setting up its first resource centre for students, with the hope of building talents and sparking the interest of children in STEM.
The organisation wished to set up their first resource centre in Jalan Kedah by the second quarter of next year.
CMS Digital Academy deputy chairman Mohd Zafir Abd Aleem said the 1,200sq ft resource centre would be set up on the third floor of the Persatuan Hidayatul Islam building in Jalan Kedah.
“We hope to have a digital library corner, a workshop space and a collaborative space in the resource centre.
“We want to bridge the gap between the people, and science and technology.
“We hope deliver as many educational programmes and activities to the students, especially to the B40 children.
“Children in the B40 category might not have the same privilege as other children in terms of education. We want to provide them the opportunity to learn STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), guide them to be holistic individuals and develop their leadership skills,” Mohd Zafir told Buletin Mutiara recently.
The CMS Digital Academy was set up last year (2018).
Mohd Zafir said the digital academy was established under the umbrella of Central Muslim Society (CMS).
“CMS consists of five organisations, namely, the United Muslim Association, Anjuman Himayatul Islam, Persatuan Muslim Kadayanallur, Persatuan Hidayatul Islam and Persatuan Nurul Islam.
“CMS was established in 1953 when four founding organisations came together to set up CMS. Persatuan Nurul Islam became part of CMS early this year (2019),” he added.
CMS Digital Academy education strategist Aznan Nagor said the academy currently has 19 volunteers and eight advisors.
“The academy currently exposes children to STEM education on a project basis. We hope that we can promote STEM more effectively when the resource centre is set up.
“We have engaged with children and youth, aged seven to 17, in our previous activities,” Aznan said.
The academy had organised programmes on robotics, space exploration and Google Drive for children in the past.
The academy’s STEM project coordinator Syed Nasir Mohamed said the CMS had set up a Tabung Sosio Ekonomi to help the social economy of the underprivileged (especially the B40 community) at large.
“A portion of the collection is used to support the setting up of the academy’s resource centre.
“We hope that the public can donate generously to support our cause,” he said.
Those who wish to support the academy can contact the academy’s president Tajuddin Mashood at 019-5511377 or secretary Salleh Gani at 019-4703690.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Law Suun Ting and Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis