Akunini Global, the alumni association of Kumasi Academy, has commended its alma mater for emerging as the 2022 National Champion of the first-ever STEMnnovation contest in Ghana.
The competition, which is a Free SHS Secretariat of the Ministry of Education’s STEM Project, is designed to challenge students’ creative ability while modelling innovative products that have the potency of driving socio-economic development.
Kumasi Academy, the Ashanti Regional Champions of the contest faced stiff competition from 21 equally good schools across Ghana, for the national championship.
The school won against Archbishop Potter Girls’ SHS in the quarter-finals, outclassed PRESEC Legon, St. James SHS, and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in the semi-final contest, before crushing Pope John’s SHS and Worawora SHS in the final contest to emerge as victors.
Speaking on behalf of the National Executive Committee, National Council, NSMQ committee, the STEM project team and all Akunini following the contest, the National President of Akunini Global, Okunini Kwabena Dapaah-Siakwan emphasized that the school’s ultramodern science lab built and furnished with the essential equipment including robotics by past students is a key contributing factor in attainment of this historic feat.
“Definitely, this success didn’t come out of nothing, but was due to the new ultramodern Science Lab the Past students built and donated to our school and in particular, the inclusion of robotics in the course work of the laboratory,” he divulges in a statement.
“I take the opportunity to congratulate the students who ably represented us and their teachers and not forgetting the headmaster and his team who supported us in deed and in spirit to bring us this far. This success should influence the students to study hard to maintain the standards that their forebears have set up,” he reiterated.
In his remarks following the grand finale, the Minister of Education Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum also noted “I’ve seen the lab that has been built by the old [past] students. And you are truly telling the past boys and girls of KUMACA that you are putting the lab to a very good use.”
The national STEM competition, STEMnnovation was first launched in Ghana by the sector Ministry in September 2022.