TECHNOVATION FOR GIRLS PROGRAMME

Cummins Botswana whose aim is to improve economic prospects for individuals as well as the communities in which they operate selected Gaborone Senior Secondary School (GSS) as their pilot school in their partnership with Dare To Dream. Their role towards GSS was to assist in improving the students’ academic performance and steering them towards their desired careers. The pilot project was targeted at impacting 30 form 4 girls from the school with interest in pursuing STEM related careers.

The week-long project encompassed an in-depth introduction to what the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) is and what it stands for as well as setting of expectations for the students as first-time participants of the program. Although all of them were new to the FLL they had an idea of what programming was and were only eager to put their brilliant minds to work and explore all the different faces of the FLL.

The initiative was designed to encourage and advance young girls to seek professions in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The goal of the program was to empower young girls by teaching them the significance of STEM in a global context and equipping them with the abilities of critical and creative thought, inquiry, engineering-design, and cooperation. By introducing young girls to STEM programs at a young age, we are igniting their love and interest in STEM fields, cultivating the skills they will need in a global competitive job, eliminating the gender education gap, and teaching them how to use STEM tools in practical settings.The research project, the robot game, the FIRST Lego League core values and the donation of robotics kits made up the five-day program.