Curious Minds, Collaborating

Aug 17
2 min read

From Nano Chatfield, Co-Founder:

This June, thanks to your support, we conducted our first STEM workshop at The Girls Centre. Over the course of four days, we witnessed 40 students discover how science, technology, engineering and mathematics intersect with their lives through project-based learning and teamwork.

We collaborated with Projekt Inspire, a Tanzanian NGO, to provide a training around real-world challenges in WASH - water, access, sanitation and hygiene. Students collected and tested water samples from nearby rivers, used microscopes for the first time, and learned how to treat contaminated water.

They built an automated hand washing machine from scratch using a microcontroller, infrared sonic sensors, batteries, water pump, relay board, and jumper wires for the first time. They were introduced to Artificial Intelligence and learned how to create their own chatbot. They also practiced collecting data, storing data, and learning why statistics matter.

What can happen in a room of 10 students and two teachers? For many of our students, it was their first time in a classroom with teachers who encouraged them to ask questions, share their ideas and build on each other's thinking.

There was electricity in the air as girls connected science to everyday life, lighting up one by one as they learned that they were good at it. At the end of the workshop the girls spoke with authority about their group projects responding confidently to their peer’s questions.

Every hands-on learning experience like this tackles two things at once: it builds a community around our students, and it shows them a path forward.

We’d love for you to be a part of what comes next.