By Kodjo Adams
Accra, Sept. 5, GNA – The Government has started “stemnnovation” competition for Senior High Schools (SHS), and Technical. Vocational and Education Training (TVET) schools across the country to develop their creative abilities.
The competition will provide opportunity for the students to design innovative projects based on three areas-recycling, solar energy and artificial intelligence and find smart solutions to problems in their communities.
It is being organised by the free SHS Secretariat in collaboration with Cocktail Media, a youth media organisation.
Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, the Deputy Minister of Education explained that “stemnnovation” was a national Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) based project competition that challenges SHS, Senior High Technical Schools and TVET to innovate for socioeconomic development.
The Deputy Minister said the vision for the competition was to see young scientists being able to find practical solutions to local and global problems and cultivate innovative potential of young Ghanaians through international partnerships and provide a platform for their ideas and projects.
The competition is to shed light on the practical nature of the Government’s vision of demystifying STEM education.
“There are many ideas and innovations that we have inculcated in our learners at the free SHS and TVET level and this is the time for them to practice what they have learnt through the competition,” the Deputy Minister said.
The competition, he stated, would provide the students with an opportunity to come out with inventions and devise solutions to invent machines and design practical solutions to address some of the complex problems in the country and beyond.
“The opportunity has been availed beyond the theoretical knowledge that we have imparted into the students for 200 SHS and TVET schools to participate, and so far, 94 proposals have been received for the competition,” he noted.
He said the competition would be a major platform where the students with the support of their teachers would bring to bear what they had been taught in their laboratories, and classrooms to solve practical solutions in society.
Rev Fordjour said the first part would be at the zonal level with winners going to the national level for the grand finale with amazing prizes for the winners.
“Beyond being the competition, we want to be able to make a point that the Ghanaian child has solutions to some of the complex problems the world has today, and that opportunity must be given to them to display their talents.”
Mr William Darkwah, the free SHS Coordinator, said the competition would shortlist schools to determine regional champions and a national showdown for the overall champion in October.
GNA