b"Soroptimist InternationalReport for the High-Level Political Forum INDIA Educate to Change: STEM for RootsLocated in India, SI Pune Metro East (SIPME) initiated the Educate to Change: STEM for Roots project in response to classroom closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The project addresses women's and girls unequal access to education, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Partnering with Smiles Wellness Foundation and Horizon and drawing on the scientific expertise and leadership skills of Soroptimist club members, SIPME developed an outdoorlearningprogrammeusingacreativelydevelopedmobilelaboratory.Ratherthan meeting indoors, or in a virtual space, students were invited to attend live science experiments in the open air, and subsequently taught how to conduct their own experiments. To challenge the educational and digital divide facedprogress in scientific understanding. The heuristic bystudentsfromlowersocio-economiclearningmethodbenefittedthestudentsasthey backgrounds,SIPunecreatedanundertheskywere able to gain a more thorough understanding mobilelaboratorywhichcouldbeusedinopenof key concepts, while videos were shown to explain spaces.Thislaboratorywouldallowstudentstofurther technical details. The adaptation to an open-conduct experiments themselves using a student- airclassroom,ratherthanavirtualclassroom, ledapproach,cultivatingtheircuriosityandreconnectedthestudentstoacademic supporting their engagement with science. opportunities,broadenedtheirknowledgeand increased their confidence.In the initial phase of the programme, SI Pune Metro Eastconductedapriorknowledgesurvey,withAccesstohigh-qualityeducationandtraining questions relating to ten scientific experiments thatthroughoutthelifecoursetransformslivesand would follow. The students were invited to performcommunities.Thecross-cuttingbenefitsof thesetenexperimentsforthemselves,andtheeducationonsustainabledevelopment,andthe survey was repeated afterwards. Student progressfundamentalroleitplaysintheachievementof charts,maintainedthroughouttheprogramme,genderequalityisrecognisedgloballyby revealthateachparticipantmadesignificantSustainable Development Goal 4. Educating women ACHIEVING SDG4: Eliminating gender disparities in education and ensuring equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations (Target 4.5). Building and upgrading education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all (Target 4a). 9"