What is the name of your organization?
Ukwenza VR
What is the name of your solution?
Science for All
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Science for All is a gamified lab to improve science learning in low-income communities, underserved schools, or for learners with disabilities.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Kiambu, Kenya
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
Kenya
What type of organization is your solution team?
Hybrid of for-profit and nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
Science education in Kenya is in a crisis: failure in the sciences is at 80%, and 90% of Junior Secondary schools lack science labs. Most labs are also underequipped and lack accommodations for students with disabilities. This affects students from low-income schools, underserved schools, and learners with disabilities, limiting their higher education prospects, which affects their ability to get out of poverty. Additionally, teachers are overwhelmed and have little time or resources to help make the delivery of science exciting.
This problem is reflected across most parts of Africa and other countries with similar economies. This means students lack the foundational skills and competencies required to pursue competitive science and IT-based fields. It also denies students the foundational qualifications needed by most universities and higher learning institutions.
What is your solution?
Our solution, Science for All, gamefies learning and makes virtual labs accessible to learners. Our virtual labs are curated to fit different curricula, are available on mobile and desktop and are available to use offline. For students who have access to school computer labs, community centres or phones, our labs bring science to them. In areas such as refugee camps where students may not be allowed to access chemicals or have access to qualified teachers, the labs offer self-directed learning and provide an opportunity for them to practice the concepts. Learners with disabilities also get to enjoy science subjects without the need for additional supervision or the risk of spilling chemicals as they work. Science for All is about equity, accessibility and tailoring science learning to play-based learning, a native language to all children.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Our solution serves teachers and learners between 11 and 19 years of age in Junior Secondary school, high school, or senior secondary. When choosing schools to engage, we will focus on low-income schools, rural schools, schools with STEM programs focused on female students, and schools for learners with disabilities.
Our project will give young people a chance to immerse themselves in the sciences fully, make the sciences fun and boost their performance in the sciences. This will improve their outcomes and open them up to higher education and post-high school opportunities. It will also lighten the burden for teachers, especially in schools with a shortage of teachers.
