118 girls learn about robotics
13 December 2024118 young girls from senior and junior high schools across various regions of Ghana took part in a robotics session and learned about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.<br>
The training was part of Plan International Ghana’s “She Leads” project and took place during a 5-day boot camp, which focused on leadership, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), as well as courtesy behaviours, among other skills.
Gabriella a final-year senior high school student and a participant commented that, “From this boot camp I have learned how to build my confidence and overcome shyness. In the STEM Session I have also learnt how to connect electrical tools to create robots and do some programming. From the skills acquired, I aspire to become a mechanical engineer and I will learn harder to achieve my dreams.’
Deborah, another final year student added that the platform has allowed her to boost her confidence and would enable her to be a role model for others to see and learn from me. “I have learned how to be a star for the people in my community to learn some positive conduct from me. Such conducts include keeping myself clean all the time, focusing on my books and achieving my aim” she stated.
The initiative also served to commemorate this year’s UN International Day for the Girl Child. Ms. Joyce Obenewaa Darko, the Project Manager for Plan International Ghana’s She Leads Project, said that their initiative, themed “Inspiring Girls in STEM Leadership,” aims to ignite girls’ interest in STEM fields.
“Over the years, we have noticed girls are running away from STEM-related courses into the arts so we want to whip up their interest, and by supporting them with hands-on experiences, we believe it would motivate them to start something when they go to their respective schools, knowing the possible areas they could excel in STEM,” she said.
Female STEM mentors
The training also offered a platform for influential women in STEM fields to mentor the girls and inform them about online resources available for their studies, helping to support their learning after the boot camp. Ms Lydia Owusua Agyakwa, Country Network Coordinator for the She Leads Project at Défense for Children, noted that the boot camp also allowed the girls to learn best practices from their peers in other regions. “Most of the girls have the notion that STEM is for boys and not girls, so I am happy their perceptions are being transformed to embrace the STEM field.”
Gabriella, a final-year high school student and a participant in the boot camp, shared, “From this boot camp, I have learned how to build my confidence and overcome shyness.”
Plan International Ghana organised the camp in collaboration with its implementing partners and the She Leads Consortium, which includes Defence for Children and FEMNET, as well as civil society organisations such as Songtaba in the Upper West Region, Erudite Women Empowerment Foundation and Rights and Responsibilities Initiatives in the Ashanti Region, Hope for Future Generations in the Volta Region, and the Women Aspire Network in the Central Region.
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