Participants working on their project
Fifty teams from across the country are expected to showcase their innovative science and technology projects at the 2025 edition of the Ghana Science and Tech Explorer Prize (GSTEP) Exhibition and Awards Ceremony.
The two-day event which is set to take place from July 16 to 17, 2025, at the National Theatre in Accra, will celebrate young innovators who are using science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to bring about positive change in their communities.
Organised by the GSTEP Consortium, this year’s event brings together 50 finalist teams of junior high school pupils from the Greater Accra, Eastern, and Ashanti regions, who have spent months developing real-world solutions to local challenges.
The finalists who are between the ages of 11 and 16 were selected from over 1,500 applicants and mentored by business and technical coaches to build STEM projects that tackle issues ranging from water purification and waste recycling to traffic safety and smart agriculture.
The challenge is designed to develop not only technical know-how but also communication, collaboration, business planning, and innovation skills.
The Exhibition and Awards Ceremony is under the theme, ‘STEM Education and Its Role in Addressing Disparities in Education and Infrastructure Access in Ghana.’
It marks the final stage of the GSTEP Challenge, providing students with a platform to showcase their innovations to a national audience of educators, policymakers, STEM professionals, private sector leaders, international development partners and the general public.
In addition, the awards ceremony hosted on day two will honour standout teams and individuals with awards in various categories such as the Top 3 winners, Excellence in Applied Science, Most Innovative Idea, Best in Material Use, Outstanding Teacher, Founder’s Choice and more.
Two teams from the GSTEP Perseverance Awards Programme will also be recognised for their continued work on their prototypes after not qualifying for the finalist stage.
Founder of the GSTEP Challenge, Constance Agyemang, indicated in a press release that the Challenge is a launchpad for innovation, problem-solving, and confidence-building in the next generation of Ghanaian changemakers.
“Year after year, we are inspired by the brilliance and creativity of these young minds. The inventions we’ve seen this year reflect the power of STEM education when it is practical, inclusive, and community-driven. We can’t wait to showcase their hard work to the nation and celebrate their extraordinary achievements,” she added.
The Ghana Science & Tech Explorer Prize Challenge is funded by Fondation Botnar and implemented by a consortium of Ghanaian organisations including DreamOval Foundation, Partnership Bureau, Shulem Lake, and the Practical Education Network (PEN), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service (GES).
BY Gibril Abdul Razak