Sorong, 17 November 2025 - PT Bank Central Asia Tbk (BCA) reaffirmed its commitment to advancing education in Indonesia by supporting the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Festival at SDN 35 Sorong, Southwest Papua, on Monday (17/11). Along with the theme dubbed “Excellence in Character and Science Literacy”, the event engaged students through a variety of STEM exhibitions showcasing projects they developed throughout the year.
SDN 35 Sorong is one of the partner schools under the Sekolah Bakti BCA program. Managed by Bakti Pendidikan under the umbrella of Bakti BCA, the program aims to holistically develop and empower school communities. The initiative is expected to produce high-quality, competitive human resources, particularly in character, science, and technology.
The STEM Festival was attended by Acting Head of Sorong Education Office, Yuliana Kirihio, principals and teachers from several elementary schools in Sorong, as well as BCA management representatives.
Hera F. Haryn, EVP of Corporate Communications & Social Responsibility at BCA stated, “We are truly grateful for the opportunity to be among educators and students in Sorong through this STEM Festival. This initiative reflects Bakti BCA’s ongoing commitment to our brothers and sisters in Papua, supporting teachers, students, and parents in building a creative and inclusive learning ecosystem. The STEM Festival in Sorong also demonstrates how strong collaboration between schools, communities, and the business sector can nurture a generation that is intelligent, innovative, and strong in character.”
The STEM Festival at SDN 35 Sorong marked the second year of STEM learning implementation under the Bakti BCA School program. Through exhibitions, students were given space to present ideas, inventions, and projects developed to address real-world challenges in their environment.
One of the featured student projects was a 60 m² nutrition garden containing fruit trees, vegetables, and medicinal plants. The garden serves as a living laboratory, a STEM project site for automatic plant watering systems, and a recreational area for children.
Other student projects included Smart Eco Hydroponic 35, an automatic flood alarm, electricity-free fans, a simple composter, and eco-friendly solutions to address murky water problems. Meanwhile, four exhibitions from the 2025 Bakti School Program showcased initiatives such as Character Development in Schools, Fun Learning Media in Classrooms, Teacher Creative Works, and School Digitalization Programs.
The festival also featured workshops and in-depth sessions on curriculum design, STEM project planning, and classroom implementation strategies. Teachers and principals were provided with practical examples, module templates, and best practices from other schools to develop structured, sustainable, and context-appropriate STEM programs. This year, Bakti BCA-trained teachers are expected to disseminate their expertise to 100 other teachers across Sorong.
On this occasion, Bakti BCA also inaugurated a Learning Resource Room to support digital learning implementation at SDN 35 Sorong. As part of its infrastructure support, Bakti BCA donated 15 laptops to the school.
As of September 2025, in addition to Sorong, BCA has fostered 11 other Bakti Schools in Bengkulu, East Kalimantan, and East Nusa Tenggara. By early 2025, BCA had handed back 20 Bakti Schools in Lampung, Serang, Gunung Kidul, and Banyuwangi to their respective local Education Offices. Based on Bakti BCA’s assessments aligned with National Assessment indicators, these schools achieved commendable results.
In line with its commitment to improving education quality and strengthening collaboration with local stakeholders, Bakti BCA continues to implement initiatives under the Bakti Pendidikan pillar. Beyond the Bakti School program, inclusive initiatives include the Bakti BCA Scholarship, BCA Knowledge Sharing, Bakti BCA Deaf Make-up Artist (MUA) program, Financial Literacy Education, as well as scholarships for Banking Business Education and Information Technology Education programs.
“The STEM Festival organized by Bakti BCA Schools is expected to equip students with relevant skills such as problem-solving, collaboration, digital literacy, and critical and innovative thinking. We are optimistic that this activity will create a positive impact that inspires and empowers future generations,” Hera concluded.
Image Information 1:
Bakti BCA Supports Elementary Education Development in Sorong through STEM Festival – VP CSR of PT Bank Central Asia Tbk (BCA) Krisbiakto Cahyo Adi (right) pictured with Acting Head of Sorong Education Office Yuliana Kirihio (center) and Principal of SDN 35 Sorong Natsir Wael (left) during the opening of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Festival at SDN 35 Sorong, Southwest Papua, on Monday (17/11). Through the Bakti Pendidikan pillar under Bakti BCA, the STEM Festival aims to holistically develop and empower school communities. On this occasion, Bakti BCA also inaugurated a Learning Resource Room and donated 15 laptops to SDN 35 Sorong.
Images Information 2, 3, and 4:
Strengthening Character and Science Literacy, Sorong STEM Festival Showcases Innovative Student Projects – With the theme “Excellence in Character and Science Literacy”, the event engaged students through exhibitions of STEM projects developed throughout the year. Students presented ideas, inventions, and projects addressing real-world challenges in their communities. Featured projects included a 60 m² nutrition garden serving as a living laboratory, Smart Eco Hydroponic 35, automatic flood alarms, electricity-free fans, simple composters, and eco-friendly solutions to tackle murky water problems.
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About PT Bank Central Asia Tbk (as of 30 September 2025)
BCA is one of Indonesia's leading banks that focuses on transaction banking and provides credit facilities and financial solutions for corporate, commercial, SME, and consumer segments. At the end of September 2025, BCA served more than 43 million customer accounts, supported by 1,264 branch offices, 20,008 ATMs, as well as internet & mobile banking services and Halo BCA contact center that can be accessed 24 hours. BCA’s presence is supported by a number of subsidiaries that focus on vehicle financing, sharia banking, securities, general and life insurance, digital banking, remittances, and venture capital. BCA is committed to building long-term relationships with customers, prioritizing mutual interests, and creating a positive impact on society at large. With more than 27,000 employees, BCA’s vision is to be the bank of choice for the people and an important pillar of the Indonesian economy.
PT BANK CENTRAL ASIA TBK
Group Corporate Communication and Social Responsibility - CSR
Corporate Communication
Address : Jl. MH Thamrin No. 1
Menara BCA Lt. 22
Jakarta Pusat 10310
Telephone : (021) 2358-8000
Fax : (021) 2358-8339
E-mail : corcom_bca@bca.co.id
