-- National Instruments (NI) announces support for Sunflower
Mission, a non-profit organisation that provides educational
assistance to children in rural Vietnam.
-- Forty-one volunteers joined the 10th annual Sunflower Mission
work camp in Hue province.
-- NI engineers facilitate a two-day robotics class for the
children to inculcate engineering concepts.
SINGAPORE, June 14,
2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- National Instruments
announced its partnership with Sunflower Mission, a non-profit
organisation that provides educational assistance programmes in
rural communities in Vietnam. Forty-one
volunteers joined the 10th annual Sunflower Mission work camp
in Hue province.
The volunteer team visited school sites in the Quang Loi
and Phong Thu districts and helped
complete schools, distributed medicine, interacted with local
students, and contributed towards making quality education
accessible to Vietnam's under-served communities. For the first
time, NI engineers also conducted a two-day robotics workshop to
inculcate engineering concepts through fun and interactive
activities.
Using the LEGO Education WeDo robotics sets, students experienced
hands-on learning with building using LEGOs bricks, fiddling with
motors and sensors and then learning about programming to reinforce
mechanical, electrical and software engineering concepts.
"Sunflower Mission is committed to improve the future
of Vietnam, one student at a time. With
the support of partners like National Instruments, we bring
teaching and learning materials to communities where resources are
scarce and education quality is poor," says Duy-Loan T. Le, member of the Board of Advisors of the
Sunflower Mission.
Since 2004, Sunflower Mission has built over 62 classrooms in
remote areas in Vietnam, and funded over
2,200 scholarship grants and subsidies to children across education
levels. "Poverty in rural Vietnam is widespread. Investing our energy, time
and resources in education is investing in the future
of Vietnam," Le adds.
Chandran Nair, Managing Director of National
Instruments in Southeast Asia, comments:
"Sunflower Mission has made a significant impact in the lives of
thousands of children inVietnam, and we are
grateful to have the opportunity to be a partner."
NI has a solid presence in Vietnam with a representative office
in Ho Chi Minh City, supporting the
country's research centres and booming technology sector. In
partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Science Centre Singapore, NI
also backs a regional training programme called the Science,
Technology and Engineering Exchange Laboratory (STEEL), under
which, Vietnam is one of three
priority countries.
"Sunflower Mission and the STEEL programme are anchored on the same
guiding principle: That if we raise the competencies of education
officials and students through curriculum development and
technology, and where needed, by augmenting national resources for
school buildings and facilities, we can all look toward a brighter
future and a more inclusively prosperous world," Nair
highlights.
About National Instruments
Since 1976, National Instruments (www.ni.com) has equipped
engineers and scientists with tools that accelerate productivity,
innovation and discovery. NI's graphical system design approach to
engineering provides an integrated software and hardware platform
that speeds the development of any system needing measurement and
control. The company's long-term vision and focus on improving
society through its technology supports the success of its
customers, employees, suppliers and shareholders.
Media Contact:
Jessie Lee
National Instruments
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +65 6226 5886
SOURCE National Instruments