Tools for West African STEM teachers to provide hands-on learning experiences
Team Leader
Heather Beem
Practical Education Network equips African STEM teachers to employ inquiry-based pedagogies in their classrooms, utilizing locally-available materials.
Hear the Pitch
The Problem
In Ghana, STEM teachers often lack the resources needed to provide interactive learning experiences. Less than 10 percent of schools have any lab equipment, and less than 3 percent of STEM teachers attend relevant training. Instead, students are taught to memorize facts, regurgitate them on exams, and then promptly move onto new subjects.
The Solution
The Practical Education Network (PEN) platform provides teachers with the training and materials needed to provide hands-on learning experiences to unleash their students’ potential. PEN’s teacher-training program is unique because it contains lesson materials that are relevant to teachers’ local environments.
PEN’s teaching manuals contain hundreds of cleverly designed activities that use low-cost materials. These activities are aligned with the national curriculum, and PEN provides practical methods for teaching all required STEM subjects. PEN is also developing an app to engage and support teachers in their training program.
By empowering teachers, rather than bypassing them, PEN applies a sustainable and human capital-building approach to improving education.
Market Opportunity
Many teacher-training programs exist, but few contain relevant material for teachers’ local environments, making it hard to apply learned methodologies.
There are approximately 70 million students in West Africa learning STEM subjects.
A controlled trial showed a 22 percent increase in student enjoyment of STEM learning and up to an 18 percent increase in national exam scores after PEN’s intervention.
Organization Highlights
Operating in all 16 districts of Greater Accra and several other districts around Ghana
Grew its reach three years in a row, starting from a pilot with 24 teachers and government officials in 2014 to more than 3,000 teachers as of 2017
Featured speaker: Ghana Association of Science Teachers (GAST) Annual General Meeting, Ministry of Education’s Regional STMIE Camps
Award: Solve Teachers & Educators Prize
Existing Partnerships
PEN currently partners with several organizations to reach its broader goals, such as:
Ghana Education Service to provide access to public schools
Ghana Association of Science Teachers to provide introductions to officials and co-facilitate trainings
Varkey Foundation (Ghana) to deploy a broadcast of PEN’s STEM teacher training
Edify to provide access to private schools
Organization Goals
PEN seeks to achieve the following goals:
Expand to additional countries in West Africa (Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone)
Build staff capacity to lead and cultivate leaders within the organization
Complete development of gamified app as a tool for teacher training and engagement
Become a thoughtleader in STEM education in West Africa
Partnership Goals
To reach the goals mentioned above, PEN seeks partners to:
Develop an app for teacher engagement and encouragement
Advise on hiring talent and cultivating leaders
Advise on how to best communicate impact
Devise innovative strategies to bring services to more clients
Grow exposure in West Africa and around the globe
Provide financial support
What is the name of your organization?
Practical Education Network
What is the name of your solution?
Practical Education Network
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Practical Education Network equips African STEM teachers to employ inquiry-based pedagogies in their classrooms, utilizing locally-available materials.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
North Legon, Accra
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
Ghana
What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
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What specific problem are you solving?
In Ghana, STEM teachers often lack the resources needed to provide interactive learning experiences. Less than 10% of schools have any lab equipment, and less than 3% of STEM teachers attend relevant training. Instead, students are taught to memorize facts and regurgitate them on exams.
What is your solution?
The Practical Education Network (PEN) platform provides teachers with the training and materials needed to provide hands-on learning experiences to unleash their students' potential. PEN's teacher-training program is unique because it contains lesson materials that are relevant to teachers' local environments. PEN's teaching manuals contain hundreds of cleverly designed activities that use low-cost materials. These activities are aligned with the national curriculum, and PEN provides practical methods for teaching all required STEM subjects. PEN is also developing an app to engage and support teachers in their training program.
By empowering teachers, rather than bypassing them, PEN applies a sustainable and human capital-building approach to improving education.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
No info
Stats
PEN has reached 3,300 teachers and impacted 500,000 students.
82 percent of students in Ghana who engaged with PEN had a positive experience.
