STEMnovation: The Ghana Report Jobs Fair Births Transformative Solutions
Day 13 of The Ghana Report Jobs and Entrepreneurship Fair provided the platform for a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) exhibition for some selected schools in Ghana.
The event, dubbed ‘Stemnovation’, brought together nine schools from basic, second cycle, and tertiary levels to showcase various innovative problem-solving projects.
The one-day event was held on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at the Independence Square in Accra in collaboration with various prominent partners, including the Youth Employment Agency (YEA).
The participating schools included: Kukurantumi Roman Catholic Junior High School, Bosomtwe STEM Senior High School, St. Louis Senior High School, Afua Kobi Ampem Girls’ Senior High, and Adako Jachie Technical Institute.
Others were: St. Mary’s Senior High School, Accra High Senior High School, St. Thomas Aquinas Senior School, and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
Students displayed magnificent creativity and potential solutions to challenges confronting their immediate communities that could benefit the country.
Some of the projects displayed were the production of a Wastewater Treatment Plant, an Electric Power Generation System, a LEGO Demonstration (ROBOTICS), a Smart Energy Meter, a Smart Aqua Grow System and a Crop lens.
Others were Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Civil and Military), Autonomous Search and Rescue Marine Vessel, the production of biogas, the Recycling of plastic waste into pavement blocks and a Visiomark (An AI-powered multiple-choice Sheet Grading System).
Ms Rashida Saani, the CEO of The Ghana Report and I-ZAR Group, is the champion of The Ghana Report Jobs and Entrepreneurship Fair aimed at solutions and job creation.
Speaking on her behalf, Adib Saani, the Coordinator of The Ghana Report Jobs and Entrepreneurship Fair, said The Ghana Report believes in the intrinsic value of the Ghanaian youth, hence the initiative.
He added that this stems from Ms. Saani’s constant priority on youth empowerment and development.
Kofi Baah Agyepong, the Chief Executive Officer of the YEA; Alphonsus Doamekpor, Senior Systems and Process Engineer of ATG Europe; and Prof Patience Aseweh Abor, Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of Ghana encouraged the youth to embrace science as a solution to the countries problems.
Other guests who graced the occasion were HRM Vickylextar Okang-Sowah, Queen of the Omanye Kingdom; Franklin Owusu Karikari, NEIP Director of Business; and Ibrahim Mustapha, CEO of Me for Africa.
Organised by The Ghana Report, a subsidiary of I-ZAR Group and winner of the Best News Portal of the Year and the Best Portal in Corporate Social Responsibilities at the 25th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards, The Ghana Report Jobs & Entrepreneurship Fair is an innovative and life-changing programme designed to connect job seekers with employers and empower aspiring entrepreneurs with the tools, knowledge, and networks needed to succeed.
Participants at The Ghana Report Jobs & Entrepreneurship Fair are expected to benefit from direct employment, training, entrepreneurship development, and networking opportunities.
The two-week fair, taking place at the Independence Square, commenced on Thursday, September 19 and is expected to end on Saturday, October 5, 2024.
Below are the schools and their projects.
Kukurantumi Roman Catholic Junior High School
Students from Kukurantumi Roman Catholic JHS introduced an innovation in the construction industry that will help Ghana solve its plastic waste menace and create jobs for hundreds of unemployed youth.
Their project was pavement blocks made from plastic.
Using shredded plastic waste and sand, the students produced 12-inch square pavement blocks suitable for residential and commercial structures.
The team also developed a concept for repairing damaged LED bulbs.
Bosomtwe STEM, St. Mary’s and Accra High Senior High School
Students from Bosomtwe STEM, St. Mary’s and Accra High SHS embarked on separate projects with the common objective of treating wastewater.
The focus was on water pollution, specifically addressing the devastating impact of galamsey activities on water sources.
Through innovative scientific approaches, students designed and built water treatment systems to remove harmful substances from polluted water before being released into the environment.
St. Louis Senior High School
The participants from St. Louis SHS built a Smart Energy Meter, a Smart Aqua Grow System and a Crop lens that detects plant diseases to provide appropriate solutions.
Afua Kobi Ampem Girls’ Senior High
Students of Afua Kobi Ampem Girls’ SHS in the Ashanti Region developed an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Civil and Military), Autonomous Search and Rescue Marine Vessel to aid data collection during maritime security and surveillance.
The mounting of sensors and cameras on the model aircraft allows for security activities including search and rescue, accident and disaster response.
The team used materials such as styrofoam, electronic motors, plywood, carbon fibre, stickers, and speed controllers to aid in the completion of the model.
Adako Jachie Technical Institute
The Adako Jachie Technical Institute team’s innovative approach involved generating electricity through a car engine generator.
The project known as the Adatech Power Generator, produces energy without the need for any traditional fuel.
The generator is capable of producing power for a house, factory, school, community and other large-scale establishments.
It is environment-friendly and smokeless reducing carbon and other forms of pollution.
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) students developed a Visiomark which is an AI-powered multiple-choice Sheet Grading System.
This system aims to address the limitations of traditional grading methods by leveraging advanced AI and machine learning technologies.
The Stemnovation forms part of the fair’s opportunity to provide business incubation platforms and financial support under a 3-tier funding scheme for research projects with a promising outcome.