Digi Tech Academy initiative expanded
The Telecel DigiTech Academy has expanded to 13 schools in five regions across the country.
This is part of efforts at promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education from basic schools.
The programme, which runs alongside the standard school curriculum, is designed to practically immerse students into the world of digital technology, with a special focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI), coding and programming.
Pilot, expansion
Sponsored by the Telecel Ghana Foundation, the programme combines weekly in-person instruction and virtual learning in the schools’ computer labs while providing students with hands-on experience in fields such as coding, AI, and data science.
With its focus on hands-on learning, innovation and real-world skills, Telecel’s Digitech Academy aims to equip students with the digital skills to compete globally and excel in an increasingly technology-driven world.
Last academic year, the initiative was piloted at the St. Cecilia Roman Catholic Junior High School, Ho in the Volta Region.
It earned strong positive feedback from both students and educators, leading to its expansion.
The launch of the official roll-out event of the extended programme took place at the Tema Community 8 No. 3 Primary and Junior High School.
It brought together the Tema Metropolitan Education Director, pupils from the participating schools, School Improvement Support Officers (SISO), teachers and implementing partner, Mingo Foundation.
At the launch, Telecel Foundation handed over cutting-edge coding and robotics kits to all the participating schools for the programme.
Also at the programme, some of the students joined an introductory lesson on AI in the computer lab of Archbishop Andoh Roman Catholic School in Tema, with an instructor demonstrating how digital tools and resources would be integrated into the DigiTech Academy learning experience.
Level playing field
The Head of Foundation, Sustainability and External Communications at Telecel Ghana, Rita Agyeiwaa Rockson, said the purpose of Digitech Academy was to level the playing field by equipping pupils with STEM skills and digital capabilities to compete with their counterparts globally on an equal scale.
“With the expanded DigiTech programme, we are giving these young students the resources and knowledge to become the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers.
The 13 schools were selected from five regions in consultation with the various municipal education directorates with support from the National STEM Centre. Our goal is to impact pupils across the 16 regions of Ghana with this programme,” she said.
Game-changer
The Tema Metropolitan Director of Education, Bernice Ofori, said the DigiTech Academy was a game-changer for STEM education and a bold step that fed into the vision of the city to become a hub of innovation.
“The practical delivery of the Telecel Digitech Academy will bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and its real-life application.
“I encourage every pupil benefiting from this learning opportunity to embrace it with enthusiasm, and dedication and most importantly, apply these skills to solve problems and thrive in the digital economy in future,” Mrs Ofori stated.