The Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has called for the extension of the Ghana Science and Tech Explorer Prize (GSTEP) challenge to other regions in the country.
He made this appeal at the public-private partnership conference of the 2023 GSTEP exhibition and awards ceremony held at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC).
Dr. Adutwum stressed that there are equally intelligent and talented students in all schools across Ghana and urged the organisers to scale the initiative to the rest of the country.
He commended the GSTEP consortium for reinforcing the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) initiative through the competition, encouraging students to create their own innovative projects to help solve societal problems.
The government has already commenced promoting STEM education at the senior high school level in some regions, with ongoing construction to accommodate students at the junior high school level as well. Additionally, the ministry has implemented a basic STEM programme for primary schools.
Dr. Adutwum expressed his appreciation for the innovation brought forth by the organisers of GSTEP and encouraged students, teachers, and private individuals to join the fight and change the history of the nation’s educational background.
The GSTEP Challenge encourages young people to think innovatively and creatively about addressing problems in their communities using STEM. It began last year with schools in the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions, and this year’s edition included the Eastern Region.
Notable dignitaries in attendance at the event included the Chief of Staff, Frema Opare, Swiss Ambassador in Ghana, Simone Giger, traditional leaders, and renowned STEM experts.
The programme supports the students in developing prototypes of ideas they have developed for the challenge while providing them with soft skills, including communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
The GSTEP initiative is being implemented by a consortium led by the DreamOval Foundation in partnership with MEST Africa, Foundervine, Challenge Works, and DEXT Technology, with Joy Prime as the media partner.
