STEM Initiative Scouts Ghana For Brightest Young Scientists

Management of WeGo Innovate, Ghanaian and Nigerian-Based Media Organisation, has launched The JUNEOS Challenge to improve provision of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in Ghana and across sub-Saharan Africa.

The JUNEOS Challenge, which is a national science initiative, also feeds into one of Ghana’s United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to increase the number of science students in the country’s technical institutions by a minimum of 60 per cent. 

Mr Charles Agbemashior, Founder of WeGo Innovate, speaking at the launch said, “Boosting STEM education is important for the growth of any nation, because it provides relevant and real-world exposure to important math, science, technology and engineering concepts, while preparing children for the future needs our society.”

He said teachers in Ghana were one of the key conduits through, which the next generation learns and feels inspired to use that knowledge to make a difference in their world.

He said everyone remembers the teacher that inspired them, and WeGo Innovate wants to build on that empowering influence by giving teachers the tools, training and resources to get the very best out of their students. 

Mr Agbemashior said this was why the JUNEOS Challenge was building on the existing work of Associations like the Ghana Association of Science Teachers (GAST), the Ghana STEM Network, GhScientific, and The Exploratory, to harness more practical ways of teaching that incorporate video technology and enhance classroom interactivity.

Dr Thomas Amatey Tagoe, Co-founder of GhScientific said, “Now within education, it is well known that if you challenge a motivated student, they will surprise you every single time.”

He said this was what the JUNEOS Challenge was doing to motivate and challenge students, adding that, “At GhScientific, we love it when students surprise us and that is why we are proud partners of this exciting initiative.”

Dr Connie Chow, Founder and Director of The Exploratory, said: “The Exploratory is thrilled to join the JUNEOS Challenge to showcase the ingenuity of students and teachers to provide social proof that STEM teaching and learning can be interesting and relevant, and to break the myth about who can do, talk and belong in STEM.”

Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, Channel Manager at Joy Prime, Multimedia Group Limited, said for Television to stay relevant to the needs of its audience, it must be aligned to the people’s visions.

“We must be 100 per cent responsive to the call to support impactful projects such as the JUNEOS Challenge, which thrives on a vision to simplify STEM to younger generations and JOY PRIME is here to steer this course,” she said. 

The process of participating in the JUNEOS Challenge is simple, where schools share experiments conducted in their classroom based on the national science curriculum and send their experiments either as photographs or a one-minute video.

After the September 14 deadline, shortlisted experiments will undergo a second round of judging process in which the experiments are filmed.

These videos will be aired on some selected TV stations at the end of October for the public to watch their favourite experiments and vote. 

Winners will receive cash rewards and science equipment designed to support innovation in the classroom.

Credit: GNA