Ahafoman Senior High School(SHS) was on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, crowned winners of the 2023 STEMNNOVATION.
Ahafoman SHS emerged victorious after exhibiting their supremacy in innovation and technological knowhow in Accra.
The competition drew participants from 24 SHSs including Technical and Vocational education Training Institutions (TVETS) nationwide.
The all female team from Ahafoman won the competition with 164 points with a project on Flexible Use of Electricity.
The team generated electricity through a locally modified generator and accumulator connected to a solar panel to power a plant-based incubator.
For their prize, the three contestants and their coaches secured a week sponsored trip to Japan, where they would participate in an international STEM competition next year.
In addition, they have been granted a four year full scholarship in any Engineering University in Ghana and GH₵50,000 cash from the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP).
They were also presented with desktop computers by Omega Computers, GH₵20,000 life insurance cover from GLICO Insurance company, medals, and STEM textbooks.
The team also won the “Girls Team Award” of GH₵5,000 from Bountiful Technologies while their coaches were presented with mobile phones from Motorola.
Wesley Grammar SHS who came second with 150 points received GH₵ 30,000 cash prize, a laptop and a printer; whereas, third-placed Bosomtwe Girls’ with 143 points had GH₵20,000 cash prize, a laptop and a printer.
The team from both schools also received insurance covers, trophy and textbooks as well as other souvenirs.
The Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, who was excited at the performance of the students expressed his gratitude to the judges and coaches for their guidance, headmasters and headmistresses for encouraging the children to participate in the completion.
He acknowledged that ,the skills and innovation exhibited by the various schools attest to the fact that the nation’s education reforms was yielding great results.
Dr Adutwum said the government would continue to put in more effort towards engaging various stakeholders in the country towards revamping the nation’s economy through prudent education policies that stand the chance of making the nation a hub for the African continent.
He congratulated all the competitors and urged the students to continue working hard towards becoming what they aspire to achieve in life.
Dr Adutwum pledged to build a new science laboratory for the Ahafoman SHS who won the competition without one in the school.
The Deputy Coordinator of the Free SHS Secretariat, Nana Afrah praised all the sponsors and institutions for their various roles towards the second edition of the competition.
She stated that, her office would continue to work extra hard to ensure an improvement in the subsequent editions of the competition to help enhance the teaching and learning of science in the schools across the country.
For special project awards in Urban Gardening, Wesley Grammar booked first place, Bosomtwe Girls came second while Dabokpa Technical institute placed third.
With the Clean Water Project, the winners were Swedru SHS, Akuse Methodist and Bosomtwe STEM Academy.
In the Effective Use of Electricity project, Ahafoman SHS came first while St Louis came second.
Also, the applied technology institute core values award went to Kpando technical while the engineering award went to Suntreso SHTS.
Dabokpa technical institute was awarded with the best presentation and Wesley Grammar got an award as the best stem project.
Background
The competition organised by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Plan (NEIP) provides a platform for the students to showcase STEM projects they have developed to solve societal problems.
This year’s projects was grouped under three categories, namely Urban Gardening, Clean Water and Effective Use of Electricity.