FeSTEM

STEM plays a vital role in the growth and development of nations. However, research has proven that there is a higher record of males who enrol in STEM subjects than females. There have been several efforts to bridge this gap,while some are still evolving.

To contribute to these, CCSI will develop an app that will inspire young women in secondary schools to adopt STEM subjects. Tablets and other necessary gadgets will be provided at take-off to encourage initial adoption. There will be more widespread use as benefits become obvious. As a complementary measure, CCSI proposes the development of structured science cafes in both private and public secondary schools In Nigeria to promote STEM adoption through coaches and mentors. Alumni networks will be initiated across the schools to aid learning.

Through the foregoing, CCSI will improve girls' adoption of STEM thus enhancing their STEM skills.  

In recent past Nigerian women made up only 23% and 26% of students in technology and science courses respectively in tertiary institutions and constitute only 17% of all science researchers. The figures lend credence to the fact that a deliberate and targeted efforts still need to be put in for the girls of school age to embrace STEM as courses of choice at lower levels of the education system. Globally there has been a debate between ‘nature and nurture schools of thought’ as to the reason for this disparity!

In the case of Nigera, the reasons for this have been classified into, sociocultural beliefs and practices that are biased against the girl child, which in extreme cases impact on the self-confidence in the girls to cope with the perceived difficulties that have been associated with STEM career path. Also included in the odds against the girl child are some prejudiced classroom practices in the school system which are embedded in the, interactions with curriculum, teachers and peers that are gender biased.

 An innovative platform is being created that will make the classroom practices unbiased to the aspiring girls and debunk the myths around the identified biased socio-cultural practices.

CCSI provides a platform for identified school age girls to overcome most of the known prejudices, initiating science café, a form of STEM club for girls in selected private and public secondary schools across Nigeria. The aim of the intervention is to promote STEM culture by inspiring girls to participate in STEM via mentoring and coaching, creation of a supportive alumni network to improve confidence, leadership skills, entrepreneurship skills and employability skills of girls.

Female coaches with cognate knowledge and experience of STEM will be recruited to impact girls on the intervention. (They may include volunteers or notable females who have a proven track record of achievements in the Field of STEM)

Also, the FeSTEM mobile application which enables coaches interact with the girls, through this interface girls share their progress reports, worksheets, and innovations with their coaches. This application allows girls to access their coaches even from their homes, which makes it crucial in this time of the covid-19 pandemic.

Coaches will interact and impact girls based on a workbook that will be carefully developed with contents on ICT, STEM, life skills and competency skills embedded with experiential learning.

The beneficiaries are girls between the ages of  12-20 years in private and public secondary schools in Nigeria, with no prior exposure to STEM.

With both computing and coding skills, these girls stand a better chance to get higher paying jobs, and compete favorably with their male counterparts, they also stand a chance of bringing themselves and their families out of a circle of poverty and illiteracy. This learning opportunity may prevent majority of these girls from being given out as child brides, as the financial burden of training these girls in school may have been taken off the shoulders of their parents. 

The solution increases the access and chances of girls in obtaining quality hands on training STEM to become leaders, employable and contribute to the development of Nigeria, through a structured process of building their confidence to excel and providing a more appealing learning atmosphere.

Its sustainability due to the alumni network, which allows the cycle of learning to continue and replicability, it can be easily adapted in other countries/communities.

OVERVIEW

 By designing a good mobile e-learning application and website FeSTEM using thematic activities, it is possible to increase female students’ interests and achievements in related disciplines.  The FeSTEM e-learning app and website is multidisciplinary a STEM course.We propose use of mobile devices as teaching tools to guide students in autonomous exploration through mobile phones or tablet and computers.

FEATURES

• Provide rich interactive visual learning content through a refined syllabus which will include fun facts and interesting stats to retain the learner’s interest.
• Offers a section where mock tests and quizzes are added, based on various topics and subjects.
• Offline mode: capable of offering an offline mode, wherein students can download the modules. This can keep their interest alive in your app, and they’ll visit the app whenever needed, to seek information offline as well
• Push notifications to users about deadlines and updates
• Interactive Session with Tutors with live tutorials and streams
• Easy to login profile with dashboard facility
• Video and practical-oriented learning
• Effective and flawless communication with the teachers through a chat feature
• provide information on STEM topics and areas of interest
• Provide a platform for female engagement on other educative issues
• Provide directions on where to access resources
• It helps the stakeholders in connecting with the female STEM community while they are on the go.
• Enables collation of a digital record of all the members and generated content.
• It allows messages, pictures, or videos to be shared with the community easily

If girls with little or nor prior to STEM are identified, learning curriculum and FeSTEM app developed which connects coaches to girls, and if the barriers preventing girls from accessing science and technology based subjects are removed, and if science cafés are created and equipped with laptops where young girls can be taught ICT and STEM subjects coupled with continuous mentorship for young girls, they will be an increased number and access of young girls (ages 12-20) that will enroll and learn science and technology based subjects, reduced illiteracy levels amongst girls, and these girls will be better equipped and prepared to get better job opportunities which will stop the cycle of poverty, early child marriages and teenage pregnancies, giving them a voice and empowering them becoming advocates for girl child education in their communities. 

To scale up the Programme across the country

Since the solution involves working with girls in secondary schools and the permission of schools are required, some schools may take a long period before accepting to be part of the intervention

The CCSI team will begin to initiate conversations with schools not currently on any STEM intervention across the country