September 10, 2023
25 finalist teams selected to participate in the 2023 Ghana Science & Tech Explorer Prize (GSTEP) Challenge gathered at the Kumasi Anglican Senior High School on Thursday, 27th July 2023 to be inducted into the programme. The event brought together teachers, mentors, coaches and officials of the Ghana Education Service (GES).
The finalist teams participated in a series of activities and workshops that were focused on developing their interest in STEM, introducing them to the GSTEP Challenge and adequately preparing them to participate in the programme. The students engaged in fun STEM activities to develop their problem solving skills. They also participated in a team building workshop to help deepen their understanding of working in a team. An introductory workshop session into prototyping led the teams to think critically about their projects for the Challenge and begin to figure out how they will be implementing it.
Coaches and mentors at the event also participated in an introductory workshop session that gave them insights into the GSTEP Challenge and what the programme seeks to achieve. They also had a one on one session with their assigned teams. The session provided the mentors and coaches an opportunity to introduce themselves to their team, understand their assigned team’s projects and the support the team will need. The session also enabled them to engage the teams and their teachers to identify the best meeting times for the team’s mentoring and coaching sessions.
Teachers and STEM coordinators were also engaged in a series of workshops to prepare them for the Challenge. They were provided with resources that will guide them through the programme. They were also informed of the expectations from themselves and their teams to ensure a smooth and successful participation in the programme.
This year,the programme is offering more students from the Ashanti region the opportunity to build their knowledge and skills in STEM and also develop critical 21st century skills. The teams are participating in their mentoring and coaching sessions that are geared towards building their knowledge and skills and supporting them to complete their projects. In November, they will participate in industry visits to STEM related institutions where they will experience practical applications of STEM.