STEM Education: Students exhibit their talents in Volta Region

A non-governmental research and training centre, Opportunity and Risk Management Institute (ORMI) based in Accra has organised a two-day science, technology, and engineering fair at Abor Senior High School in the Keta municipality of the Volta Region for some senior and junior high schools.

The fair was themed "Inventions for community development" and solely sponsored by ORMI. This was the second edition of the fair.

Speaking at a durbar held on Saturday, April 1 2023 to climax the fair, founder and managing director of ORMI, Stella Attakpah said the main objective of the fair is to encourage students to unearth their innate potentials, give both students and teachers the platform to leverage teaching and learning experiences.

She added that, the fair is also to encourage students to identify problems in their environment and develop solutions and contribute to the building and developing of their communities' human capital in the face of changing global market trends; and encourage the youth to become self-reliant.

Stella Attakpah bemoaned that "The educational system as it currently is has produced a population of unemployed degree holders in our country, however, ORMI is to Bridge the gap between theoretical studies and practical creative solutions for our communities".

Headmaster for the host school, Abor senior high school, Felix Joseph Darkey in his speech said, "Science and technology hold key to the progress of every nation. They play fundamental role in the wealth creation, improvement of the quality of life, real economic growth and transformation".

He appealed to industry players to help the 58-year-old school with infrastructure, especially a modern science laboratory, dining hall, classrooms and desks.

On his part, Keta municipal education director, Gerhard Kwasi Avudzivi expressed his heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to ORMI for the fair and asked for more support students in the area of STEM.

A total of 134 students from various schools participated in the fair and invented products such as wind electricity generation, biogas generation, smoke absorber, cough syrup, filtration plant, smart walking stick, electric mower and making of combustible fuel and gas from waste rubbers.

Nineteen schools participated in the fair including, Abor SHS, Adidome SHS, Sogakope, Keta and Volta senior high school.

The students were awarded certificate of participation, first prize winners received a laptop, second and third place won a Samsung galaxy tablet.