Think about all the inventions made by the most outstanding scientists and innovators. What would our world be without them?
The contribution of science to humanity is immense, and as a result, STEM literacy has been found crucial to the development of Africa and the whole world.
Through different programs such as the Teacher Training Program (TTP) and the AIMS School Enrichment Centre (AIMSSEC), AIMS champions STEM in Africa by revolutionizing mathematics teaching in Africa. Additionally, through our Next Einstein Initiative, we strive to put Africa on the global scientific stage and connect science to humanity.
Training Teachers on How to Effectively Teach Mathematics at Secondary Schools and Beyond
Generally, African teachers, especially mathematics and science teachers, face different challenges. For example, English is the instruction language in many African countries; however, sometimes teachers have less English proficiency, which is a big challenge as students don’t learn the right way. Additionally, according to myths such as ‘mathematics is difficult,’ some students are not naturally passionate about sciences. Due to this narrative, several girls are convinced that they cannot have a successful career in STEM-related fields.
However, it has been tested and proven that mathematics isn’t complex over the years. If used as a tool for young Africans to solve pressing problems, it becomes fun.
Unfortunately, schoolgirls have increasingly dropped out of careers in STEM. According to the United Nations, 56% of out-of-school children in 2015 were girls.
Through our TTP and AIMSSEC, we strive to train teachers on the practical way of teaching mathematics and increase the number of boys and girls who take STEM-related courses under their tertiary education.
Through TTP, we have reached out to more than 4000 teachers and established 14 smart classrooms in Rwanda to enable teachers to access resources easily. Undoubtedly, COVID 19 disrupted many AIMS programs, and they have since readapted to fit the new way of life. For TTP, training was conducted online, and over 1000 teachers in Rwanda have received training in English Proficiency since the pandemic’s start.
For AIMSSEC, teachers get trained on the suitable teaching method by focusing on what students learn rather than memorizing the content.
“We want to give the teachers the coordinates that they can follow to be successful teachers, and the strategy that we use is to help them focus on learning,” Sinobia Kenny, Senior Program Coordinator & Lecturer at AIMSSEC.
Putting Africa On the Global Scientific Stage
AIMS firmly believes that the next Einstein, a person who will make the subsequent significant discovery, one that will change our understanding of how nature works, will be Africa. Consequently, apart from training young Africans to become the next generation of leaders through the Next Einstein Forum (NEF), we are making Africa a global hub for science and technology.
Africa has already given the world so much; in music, art, and sport. It also is home to brilliant young scientists whose work needs to be on the global scientific stage. Through its various platforms, NEF leverages science for human development globally by connecting science, society, and policy in Africa and the rest of the world.
As Africa’s first and most extensive network of Centres of Excellence for innovative post-graduate training in mathematical sciences, AIMS remains committed to increasing STEM literacy. We believe that STEM is an excellent foundation for the sustainability of Africa’s socio-economic development.