Chennai: Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Tuesday presented certificates to around 2,500 students from 10 government schools in North Chennai who completed two real-world projects under a CSR-backed project-based learning (PBL) initiative.

The programme is supported by Kamarajar Port Limited and implemented by Rhapsody Music Foundation, with mentorship from experts of IIT Madras, Syracuse University, Illinois Tech and KREA University.

Students completed projects in energy management and “creativity in engineering — foldable house”. In the energy module, mentored by Dr Natarajan Gautam of Syracuse University, students analysed consumption patterns and proposed waste-reduction plans. In the engineering project, guided by Prof Ashwin Mahalingam of IIT Madras, they built functional foldable house prototypes for low-income and disaster-prone communities.

A midline assessment showed an average 7.1-point improvement across schools, with some recording gains above 20 points.

The year-long programme, delivered in Tamil and aligned with NEP goals, will continue with more STEM and civic problem-solving modules, culminating in a final showcase and scholarships for top performers.