The STEM Festival is a celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), that seeks to promote the study of STEM in schools, educate Ghanaians on the diversity of careers in STEM, as well as allow Ghanaian youth to explore and showcase their innovative ideas. The STEM Festival constitutes the Mentorship Sessions and the Sci-Tech Fair, previously satellite events of the National Science & Maths Quiz (NSMQ) and Science Festival event, produced by Primetime Limited. The Mentorship Sessions and the Sci-Tech Fair were detached from the NSMQ in 2021 and rebranded as the STEM Festival, which was launched on July 15, 2021, at the GNAT Hall in Accra.
During the Sci-Tech Fair, students from both junior and senior high schools, as well as some tech start-ups had the opportunity to showcase already built projects for the viewing pleasure of the general public. When the time came for students to showcase their practical knowledge in the Sci-Tech Innovation Challenge, ten (10) selected schools put together projects, from scratch, based on the theme “Fighting COVID-19 with Innovative Tech Solutions.” Obuasi SHTS emerged winners of the maiden edition of the Sci-Tech Innovation Challenge, with their portable automated sanitisation station.
The 2022 edition of the STEM Festival will come off from September 1 – 24, 2022. There will be a total of 15 Mentorship Sessions, and as was done last year, these sessions will be held virtually on weekdays from 5:00 – 6:00 pm, on the theme “Nurturing Tomorrow’s Generation of STEM Leaders.” The first Session will take place at the launch of the STEM Festival on September 1, 2022, at the GNAT New Conference Hall, Accra. Viewers can watch these insightful sessions on the STEM Festival Facebook page, @stemfestgh.
The Sci-Tech Fair, which constitutes the Sci-Tech Exhibition and the Sci-Tech Innovation Challenge will span over three days, from September 22-24, 2022 at the Academic City University College campus. This year’s edition of the Sci-Tech Innovation Challenge will focus on recycling, with the theme “Recycling – Transforming Waste into Reusable Products.” Thus, competing schools will be required to come up with projects based on this theme and build this project within two (2) days. For the Exhibition, a total number of twenty (20) schools – ten (10) junior high schools and basic schools and ten (10) senior high schools will have the opportunity to display projects they have worked on. In addition to the schools, two (2) tech start-ups would also be given the platform to exhibit their innovations.
Winners of the Sci-Tech Innovation Challenge will be presented with GH₵20,000.00 to be shared among the team i.e., students and the teacher, and the school will also receive GH₵10,000 worth of science equipment. The team would be presented with a plaque, and gold medals for the three students and their team leader. Each of the students, together with their team leader, would also receive a laptop.
The second-place school will receive GH₵17,000.00 to be shared among the team, while the school receives GH₵8,000.00 worth of science equipment. The team would be presented with silver medals. Each of the students, together with their team leader, would receive a laptop, and the school would be presented with a plaque. The third-place school will receive GH₵15,000.00 to be shared among the team, and GH₵5000.00 worth of science equipment for the school. In addition to the cash prize, the team would be presented with bronze medals. Each of the students, together with their team leader, would receive a laptop, and the school would be presented with a plaque.
The 2022 edition of the STEM Festival is proudly produced by Primetime Limited, and sponsored by Absa Bank Ghana Limited, with support from Academic City University College, Joy News, Joy Prime, YFM and Woro Ghana Limited.