Makongo JSS Story

Makongo JSS Students Experience Digital Transformation at Ukia CIC Hub in Kenya

by CodingDigital Literacy & SkillsICTKenya
Makongo JSS Story

This November and December, students from Makongo Junior Secondary School (JSS) in Kenya had the exciting opportunity to engage in hands-on digital learning at the Ukia CIC Hub, located just 11 kilometres from their school. Under the guidance of their teacher, Madam Joyce Musyoki, the students participated in a dynamic programme designed to equip them with essential digital skills and ignite a passion for technology.

The Ukia CIC Hub, which was equipped with computers through the STEM STEPS Project, is part of a collaborative initiative between Camara Education and Dell Technologies. The STEM STEPS Project aims to bring cutting-edge STEM resources to underserved communities in Kenya, opening up access to critical tools and training for the next generation of learners.

Building essential digital skills for the future

The programme provided a comprehensive introduction to technology, covering a variety of key concepts designed to foster both digital literacy and responsible technology use. Students participated in:

  • Computer Basics and Typing Skills: Learning the fundamentals of using computers and developing typing proficiency.
  • Digital Creativity using Paint Tools: Exploring creative expression through digital design.
  • Scratch Programming for Basic Coding: An introduction to coding with Scratch, fostering problem-solving and logical thinking.
  • Online Safety and Responsible Technology Use: Educating students on how to stay safe online and use technology responsibly.
  • E-Waste Management and Environmental Responsibility: Teaching students the importance of responsible disposal and recycling of electronic waste.

The program provided not only technical knowledge but also an understanding of how technology can be harnessed to address pressing global issues like environmental sustainability.

Teacher’s perspective: A major advancement for students

Madam Joyce Musyoki, the teacher leading the students, was deeply impressed with the positive impact of the programme. Reflecting on the experience, she emphasised the importance of exposing students to technology at an early age to equip them for the future.

“The STEM STEPS Project is a game-changer,” she said. “It has provided opportunities that will inspire and empower these young learners for years to come. The Ukia CIC Hub is a vital resource for our community, offering access to tools and training that are crucial for preparing our students for the future.”

As the students wrapped up their learning sessions, Madam Joyce made a commitment to continue bringing her students to the Ukia CIC Hub regularly. “The foundation has been laid for continued growth in technology and education,” she noted. “We are preparing our students to thrive in an increasingly digital world.”

Looking Ahead: Transforming communities through education

The success of the Ukia CIC Hub demonstrates how targeted investments in education can create transformative change in underserved communities. By providing students with the digital tools and skills they need, programmes like the STEM STEPS Project are laying the groundwork for brighter futures. As the students return to Makongo JSS, the lessons learned and the skills acquired are certain to have a lasting impact on their educational journey.

This initiative is just one example of how Camara Education’s partnership with Dell Technologies is bringing meaningful change to communities across Kenya. Through access to modern technology and a focus on digital education, the path is being paved for the next generation of tech-savvy learners who will shape the future.

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Hack to the Future

by CamaraCoding

A team of students from Asco Secondary School in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, reached the final of the Finastra “Hack to the Future” youth hackathon, competing against hundreds of projects from around the world. Their entry, Project YOKE, was designed to solve the financial problems facing farmers in rural areas of Ethiopia by providing weather and agri-tech information, and facilitating mobile-based financial services, including money transfers and information on the market price of products.

Brainstorming the project with a trainer

Three teams of students from Asco School, which had an e-Learning centre installed by Camara in 2019, participated in the hackathon. Each team had between 5 and 7 members: mentors from Finastra were assigned to each team and guided them through three Microsoft Teams sessions. Each session lasted two hours and was facilitated on-site by a Camara trainer (one for each team) with remote tech support from Camara. Support the trainers provided included ensuring fast Internet connection to make sure the calls went smoothly, translating concepts into Amharic, and providing support in the recording and submission of videos. You can check out the other two submissons here – Smart Gulit and Agro-Market by Unique.

Finastra has teamed up with Camara Education to process their retired laptops and other IT equipment, generating funds to bring ICT resources and skills to those who need it most in the developing world. Finastra is the largest pure-play software vendor that serves the entire financial services industry; Camara offers a safe, secure and reliable logistics chain for the collection of retired equipment from multiple global Finastra locations. Our partnership proivdes technology and education to thousands of children in Africa, and supports Finastra in its goal to become carbon neutral by 2030.

The Importance of Teaching Coding

by CamaraCodingYouth Skills & Development

With the advent of the upcoming Africa Code Week (ACW) which is going to be rolling out across the African continent, we wanted to give you a glimpse of the reasons why Camara Education Ethiopia is keen on its implementation within Ethiopia and how it‘s partnering with ACW to make that a reality and impactful within the learners community in Ethiopia.

According to ACW, the movement to teach coding to young learners started with the idea to bridge the digital skill gap that will be present in the next 25 years within the African continent. This means that as the population growth booms, the digital technical knowhow that these generations have will feature a large gap between those who have access and those who don’t.  This movement thus partnered up with leading technology companies to teach coding to young learners across the African continent on a yearly basis. This is done through the use of open source visual coding software called Scratch that young learners can use to have an understanding of coding and build small applications through it.

As Camara Education Ethiopia is working to improve access to more streamlined education through the use of technology, it was the perfect initiative to be part of.  We, as an organisation, are working on building better stocked and efficient e-learning centers across schools in Ethiopia. Until now, 460,790 learners in 1054 schools across 5 regions were able to take advantage of the integration of technology into the classroom. Overall, 7242 educators and school leaders were able to take part in our capacity building training as part of delivering 25,918 computers into these schools.

Our partnership with ACW started 3 years ago when we were an organising partner for East Africa. We have organised Africa Code Week events in Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania and Ethiopia. In the last two years, Camara Education was able to train over 25,000 learners across Ethiopia.

This year we are also gearing up to reach more schools and engage more learners across the country and thus expose young learners to coding. Over the next 2 weeks, we will be conducting Teach-the-Trainer sessions for 28 educators from 11 schools in Robe, Bale Zone (Oromia), for 15 educators from 4 schools in Fitche Zone (Oromia), 23 educators from 10 schools in Oromia Special Zone, 21 trainees in 6 schools  in Ensaro Zone (Amhara), 44 educators from 20 schools in Addis Ababa, 43 educators in 20 schools in Silte Zone (SNNPR), 43 educators in 20 schools in Gurage Zone (SNNPR), and 43 educators in 20 schools in Wolayta Zone (SNNPR). In total, we will train 260 trainees in 111 schools.

These trained educators will be conducting their own coding sessions in their respective schools during the actual live continent wide Coding session from October 17 – October 25. During this week, we expect 333 coding sessions in 111 schools through which 50,000 learners will be training in basic coding.

Our activities are already rolling out with our work in training educators across the regions in preparation for the actual Africa Code Week event which will be from October 17 – October 25.

For more information on our related activities within this month check out our social media platforms on Twitter, Vimeo, Instagram and Facebook. For more information on the Africa Code Week check their website here. To check out the software that’s used for teaching coding you can check out their website here which comes bundled with all the computers that Camara Education Ethiopia provides to schools within its intervention areas.      

Coding and creativity collide

by CamaraCoding

Coding and creativity collide:
Young people to take on robotics, electronics and the arts in major new nationwide initiative.

National Youth Council, Camara Education Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland join forces to bring STEM skills to young people all over Ireland.

National Youth Council, Camara Education Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland join forces to bring STEM skills to young people all over Ireland.

The ambitious new ‘Maker Project’ will inspire thousands of young people across Ireland to make, create and invent with confidence and curiosity, and increase engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). That’s the message from Camara’s Patron and Ireland’s Digital Champion, David Puttnam, CBE, launching the programme today (04.04.17).

 

Youth groups nationwide will be trained to work through technology-enhanced activities spanning electronics, robotics and coding to music, arts and crafts as part of this major new initiative. The Maker Project is a partnership between the National Youth Council of Ireland, which represents youth organisations working with over 380,000 young people, and TechSpace, a leading creative technology network powered by the social enterprise Camara Education Ireland. The two year project is funded by Science Foundation Ireland.

Mary Cunningham, Director of the NCYI said: “The youth sector is embarking on a groundbreaking journey to inspire young people and those working with them to embrace STEM, 21st century skills and digital literacy in a creative way. This programme is significant – and it is just the first step. Ultimately, all young people in Ireland should have access to STEM and maker activities in an after-school setting, giving them skills and confidence that will be vital to their future lives.”

Addressing a need

Steven Daly, Camara Ireland Manager, explained: “9 out of 10 agree that young people’s interest in STEM is essential for Ireland’s future prosperity*. But a significant number of those working with young people feel they lack the skills or confidence to work on areas of STEM, with 76% citing a lack of training as an issue.** Together with the fact that lower socioeconomic groups generally tend to be less engaged with STEM*, the Maker Project will combat these issues by introducing youth workers to Maker activities in a fun and engaging way through TechSpace, which is already being delivered in over 65 educational sites nationally and is set to further expand its creative technology network.”

In 2017 and 2018, the project will see 320 youth workers from 70 organisations complete a training course on how to run Maker activities with young people. They, in turn, will work with thousands of young people through technology-enhanced activities in workshops and projects building their skills in areas including electronics, robotics and coding as well as music, arts and crafts.

“This project impacts a sector of the education system – the youth work sector – that is often underestimated for its reach and size. With nearly 400,000 young people, 40,000 volunteers, and 1,400 professional youth workers engaged***, the youth work sector can play a significant role in realising the mission of SFI’s Discover Programme.  We want to catalyse, inspire and guide the best in STEM education, outreach and public engagement, which is why we are delighted to announce this capacity-building partnership with the NYCI and Camara Education Ireland,” said Dr Ruth Freeman, Director of Strategy and Communications at Science Foundation Ireland.

 

According to Chris O’Callaghan, CEO of Inver and a funder of the TechSpace programme, “the Maker Project is a wonderful progression of TechSpace’s ability to inspire young people to actively engage with technology. Inver has sponsored 8 TechSpaces since 2016 and I am delighted to extend our sponsorship to this exciting new initiative”.

For Pat O’Doherty, CEO of ESB, another funder of the TechSpace programme, “as a company that depends on having a very technical and highly skilled workforce, we need to find ways of encouraging the next generation to develop skills in STEM”.

Tech Fest: Ireland’s largest creative-tech festival for young people

Over 200 young people each year will also have the opportunity to celebrate and showcase their Maker and STEM skills at the Creative Tech Fest, TechSpace’s flagship event and Ireland’s largest celebration of youth-led creative technology activities.

Register your interest here: http://www.youth.ie/stem


ENDS
Notes

National Youth Council of Ireland

NYCI is a membership-led umbrella organisation that represents and supports the interests voluntary youth organisations and uses its collective experience to act on issues that impact on young people.

www.youth.ie

Camara Education Ireland

Camara Education Ireland is an education non-profit working with schools, community and youth organisations to help them integrate technology as a learning tool.

www.camaraireland.ie

TechSpace

TechSpace is a national movement that aims to change the lives of young people in Ireland by becoming Ireland’s leading creative technology network for outcome focused youth development.

www.techspace.ie

About Science Foundation Ireland

Science Foundation Ireland funds oriented basic and applied research in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) which promotes and assists the development and competitiveness of industry, enterprise and employment in Ireland. The Foundation also promotes and supports the study of, and engagement with STEM and promotes an awareness and understanding of the value of STEM to society. The Foundation’s #BelieveInScience campaign promotes the potential that science and discovery offer Ireland, today and in tomorrow’s world, and to improve understanding of the ability of STEM to create positive change in the world and to drive a sustainable economy in Ireland. Visit www.ScienceFoundationIreland.ie for more information.

Sources:

* Barometer of Science in Ireland:
http://www.sfi.ie/discover-science-engineering-dse/guidance-and-best-practice/publications/science-foundation-ireland-science-in-ireland-barometer.html

** Screenagers International Research Project – National Report of The Republic of Ireland:
http://www.youth.ie/sites/youth.ie/files/Screenagers%20Report%20-%20Republic%20of%20Ireland_FINAL.pdf

*** Indecon Report: Assessment of the Economic Value of Youth Work:
http://www.youth.ie/economic_value