KUALA TERENGGANU: The school holiday break brought families together at the Terengganu Science, Technology, Innovation and Mathematics (STEMT) Festival, with 1,538 participants taking part in a 2.8km glow-in-the-dark fun run at Pusat Sains & Kreativiti Terengganu (PSKT) last weekend.
The night run attracted participants of all ages, including parents and guardians who brought their children along for an evening of outdoor activity.
For 46-year-old Nik Azuraida Nik Jusoh, taking part with her children was a different experience, giving the family an opportunity to enjoy a fun run together at night.
“The excitement is definitely there. A night run was a new experience for our family. Programmes like this should be continued in future editions,” she said.
“Distance and medals were not the reason we came. It was more about having the opportunity to spend time together as a family in a safe environment.”
Tengku Aminuddin Tengku Sulong, who works in the capital, took the opportunity to join the event with friends while returning to his hometown during the school holidays.
“I happened to be back home and found out about the programme, so I came along with some friends. I was quite excited because I did not expect to find an event like this being organised away from the city,” he said.
PSKT chief executive officer Mohd Huzairil Nizam Ibrahim said the encouraging response to the fun run showed that informal activities could help bring STEM education closer to the community.
“Although the run was only a small-scale activity held as part of the STEMT Festival, the positive feedback, particularly from parents and guardians who came with their children, has been encouraging,” he said.
“We are open to organising a better event in the next edition. It can also add value to our efforts to bridge the gap in science education.”
The STEMT Festival featured various activities centred on science, technology, innovation and mathematics, with participation from various industry players.