By: Ishmael Barfi
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has acknowledged the vital role of partners in driving the growth of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in the country.
At the 5th Annual Impact Roundtable and Robotics Competition (AirTad 2025), Director of STEM Education at GES, Mrs. Olivia Sewa Opare, emphasized that collaborative efforts are essential to achieving the government’s ambitious STEM agenda.
“The government alone cannot do it; we need strong partnerships to drive innovation and community engagement,” she stressed. Mrs. Opare highlighted the impact of initiatives like the Yomoransa Model Labs project, which has introduced practical learning environments in selected schools, boosting technical competencies and innovation among students and teachers.
The project has facilitated specialized training for teachers, empowering them to serve as trainers in their regions. This capacity-building effort is expected to have a ripple effect, enabling the GES to tap into the expertise of these trained teachers when implementing future edtech programs.
Mrs. Opare commended AirTad 2025 for its contribution to STEM education, noting that community engagement has enhanced project ownership and sustainability. The establishment of Yomoransa Model Labs aligns with the national curriculum and is expected to improve student learning outcomes.
The labs provide a dual project, combining technological activities with practical hands-on experiments, giving students and teachers the opportunity to engage with cutting-edge technology.
GES plans to cascade the skills and knowledge gained from the partnership to schools nationwide, with the aim of promoting STEM education and equipping young Ghanaians with future-ready skills. “We intend to tap into the expertise of our trained teachers and cascade the knowledge and skills acquired through the partnership to schools nationwide,” Mrs. Opare said.
The competition organised by the Helping Africa Foundation and the Yamoransa Model, it serves as a platform to foster public-private partnerships for education and also brought together students from underserved areas in Ghana, Gambia, and Liberia to participate in a rigorous, high-level technical environment.
It features a robotics competition (using Lego Mindstorms/Arduino), roundtable discussions on education policy, and exhibitions of creative solutions to community challenges.
The event directly supports the integration of robotics, coding, and AI into the Ghanaian school curriculum.
The 2025 edition marked the 4th, continuing the initiative’s focus on empowering young minds in tech.
The Annual Impact Roundtable and Robotics Competition (AIRTAD 2025), held Feb 25–26, 2025, at the University of Ghana, is a premier STEM event in West Africa that showcases youth innovation from Yamoransa Model Labs, uniting educators, policymakers, and industry leaders to promote sustainable STEAM education and digital literacy.
Overall, the AirTad 2025 event highlighted the importance of collaboration in promoting STEM education and empowering young people with the skills required for the future. The GES and its partners are committed to continuing their efforts to drive innovation and growth in STEM education in Ghana.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
