Ghana Science and Tech Explorer Prize: How to achieve positive systemic change

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Ghana Science and Tech Explorer Prize: How to achieve positive systemic change

4 October 2021

How can an education programme achieve positive systemic change and long-term impact in a lower-middle income country? In this blog, I share my reflections, based on our initial experiences running the Ghana Science and Tech Explorer Prize.

The Ghana Science and Tech Explorer Prize (GSTEP) aims to inspire and empower the next generation of inventors, industry leaders and entrepreneurs in Ghana, by placing practical learning, entrepreneurship and Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) at the heart of their education. Over a three-year period, we are designing and running a series of challenge prizes, which will challenge over 20,000 Junior High School (JHS) students aged 11 to 16 to come up with ideas to solve problems in their local communities.

Why are we running GSTEP?

The programme has been set up to tackle the digital skills gap that the country is facing. Although the youth literacy rate is now over 80%, young Ghanaians are facing obstacles to employment, with many leaving education without the skills needed for in-demand jobs in the new economy, such as STEM subjects, ICT and entrepreneurship.

Many young people in Ghana also lack the necessary soft skills, such as problem-solving, design thinking and networking.

What have we learnt so far?

We are now six months into the design and engagement phase of the programme. Although we certainly don’t claim to have all the answers, here are some initial reflections on what it takes to achieve both positive systemic change and long-term impact in a lower-middle income country…

Our learnings

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So, what’s next? How can we strengthen the impact of GSTEP in Ghana further? Where else in the African continent and beyond could we use education programmes to achieve positive systemic change and long-term impact?

Does this resonate with your own experiences?

If you’re interested in collaborating with us, either on GSTEP or a different programme, we’d love to hear from you.

Get in touch

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