Anaji (W/R)-Ghana, Dec. 10, GNA – PM STEAM Educational Centre, a non-governmental organization (NGO), has organized a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) Festival for selected basic school pupils to whip up their interest in critical thinking and innovation.
The second edition of the STEAMFest, held with support from SLB, a Technology and Energy Innovation firm, at Anaji in the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipality of the Western Region, was on the theme: “Preparing for the Future of Work”.
It was attended by pupils selected from eight basic schools in the Municipality to get them exposed to the emerging opportunities in the STEAM branch of education.
They received guidance and mentorship on career opportunities in the STEAM sector, hands-on test training in robotics, coding, animation and some vocational skills among others.
Madam Ohemaa Adjei Andoh, the Founder of PM STEAM Educational Centre, speaking at the event, said the time had come for young people to embrace STEAM education since it had become an important aspect of accelerating industrialization and digitalization towards national development.
She said: “STEAM is not career limited because it is in everything that we do currently. You have to think critically, be innovative and well knowledgeable in technology before you can thrive in this 21st century. So STEAM education for our young ones is very important.”
She noted that the festival was, therefore, meant to persuade the pupils to develop keen interest in STEAM education at younger ages so that it could shape their future career paths and imbibe in them critical thinking and innovative skills.
Madam Andoh indicated that as stakeholders, they were interested in nurturing the mind-sets of the children to develop skills that would help them become productive citizens and contribute their quota to grow the country.
“Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics education is an approach to learning that keeps students engaged and also encourages them to think creatively, critically, work in teams and improve their communication skills so it is important to teach these young ones very early in their development stages,” she said.
She called on parents to encourage their children to embrace STEAM education, while appealing to teachers to also accept the new practical way of teaching the pupils so they could develop problem-solving skills.
Mrs Catherine Biney, the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Director of Education, commended organizers of the festival for complementing the efforts of the Ghana Education Service (GES) in promoting STEAM education in the country.
She said the government through the GES was taking steps to inculcate STEAM education in schools’ curriculum so that pupils would move away from theoretical way of learning to a more practical approach to help them acquire skills needed to spur socio-economic growth.
“I have learnt from this festival that GES is not deviating, and that society is embracing STEAM education and this is what the nation desires. So our teachers must be up to the task of moulding these children so that they will be unique in their chosen field of interest”, she added.
