The founder of Lagos-based foundation, WAAO Capacity Building Initiatives, Atinuke Owolabi, has advised pupils in public schools to show more interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Technology (STEM).
She gave the charge while speaking to journalists in Lagos, noting that the primary goal of STEM education is to nurture creativity and transform the minds of the youths.
Owolabi disclosed that the foundation has established a science laboratory for indigenous and vulnerable children attending public primary schools in Ifako-Ijaiye with a focus on providing STEM training, and emphasis on empowering about 70 per cent of girls and 30 per cent of boys.
Upon setting up the laboratory, she said, a club called the Wuraola Atinuke Owolabi STEM Club, with the aim of introducing underprivileged students to the world of technology was also established, adding that the pupils have since become enlightened and developed projects with potential economic value if given proper mentorship.
Some of their projects, she said, include crafting handbags using plastic bottle rings, designing wall clocks, constructing DC fans, car, race car and creating robot images.
Owolabi said: “The training programme is divided into three terms, aligned with the school calendar. The learners were introduced to coding, particularly programming using scratch, a beginner-friendly platform.
They were taught on the impact of STEM in our present-day world and importance of acquiring these skills from a young age. The basics of the scratch-programming platform were explained, covering concepts such as variables, functions, loops and conditional statements.
Through these lessons, critical thinking skills were emphasised, highlighting their relevance to creativity and innovation. The students also learned how to control sprites or objects using block-based codes. Additionally, the pupils were introduced to coding physical gadgets, such as drones, using block-based codes on the scratch platform. They were taught how to fly an educational drone by coding from laptops.”
She also said during the term, the learners delved into the world of robotics, understanding its implications in modern society and its significance to their generation.
“They learned about the different parts of robots, their history and various job opportunities available in the field of robotics. The benefits and relevance of robotics were discussed, sparking interest and exposing the students to potential career paths. These activities fostered a desire among participants to become engineers and make the world a better place through impactful innovations and indigenous ideas such as lighting up the robot, burglary alarms, robotic car, simple circuits, mini-fan and powering up with capacitors,” she said.
Owolabi further explained that the training started in 2022, and the first graduation ceremony and project exhibition will take place next month.
“We encourage everyone to support these young innovators by purchasing their products, including handbags made from plastic bottle rings, wall clocks, DC fans and robot images. Let us continue to shape and inspire the minds of the new generation, as the future lies in engineering,” she said.
