Professor Courage Kosi Setsoafia Saba with the participants
The Saba Innovation Hub in Tamale, has launched its maiden Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Bootcamp for basic schools in northern Ghana.
More than 80 pupils from rural basic schools in the Tolon and Kumbungu districts, Sagnarigu Municipality and the Tamale Metropolis took part.
The participants were selected as the top male and female STEM pupils from over 30 basic schools in the area.
The Innovation Hub also operates a STEAM/STEM on Wheels van that visits mainly underserved rural schools to teach practical, hands on STEM lessons.
The lack of investment in STEM education has left many African countries behind global peers. In Ghana, children in underprivileged communities, some schooling under trees and lacking chairs, adequate teachers and teaching materials are particularly disadvantaged compared with pupils in private and urban schools.
The bootcamp began with an introduction to STEM and innovation, including practical demonstrations such as how biogas can be generated from cow dung as well as participants watching videos on how the so called Asian Tigers advanced through investment in STEM education and profiles of innovators such as Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Elon Musk.
On the second day, learners attended sessions on robotics, coding, artificial intelligence and related technologies and had the opportunity to build and operate robots using the Hub’s robotic and coding kits to prepare them to tackle global challenges with these tools.
Day three focused on science experiments aligned with the pupils’ chemistry, physics and biology syllabi to help them better appreciate scientific concepts. Engineering and mathematics practical followed, introducing children to vehicle engines and basic calculations of areas, volumes and other measurements.
The final day was dedicated to creative arts with experienced professionals taught creative techniques and supervised an exhibition of student prototypes and three best prototypes created by learners received prizes to encourage continued innovation.
Professor Courage Kosi Setsoafia Saba, CEO of the Saba Innovation Hub and a Professor at the University for Development Studies (UDS), took participants through STEM and innovation sessions.
He called on the government, NGOs, companies and philanthropists to support the Hub’s efforts to expand practical STEM teaching in rural schools across Northern Ghana.
Professor Saba said the Hub has supported and nurtured five startups at various stages of development and appealed for funding, noting that the Hub currently relies heavily on loans, the CEO’s salary and the benevolence of a few friends.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale