Empower 200 Girls in Rivers State with STEM Skills

The “Empower 200 Girls in Rivers State with STEM Skills” project has now fully moved into active learning across participating public schools in Rivers State, Nigeria, marking an important step in expanding digital inclusion and STEM opportunities for girls in underserved communities.

Many girls in low-income public schools still have limited access to practical digital learning opportunities despite the growing importance of technology skills in today’s world. Through this initiative, MindAfrica Leadership Initiative is helping bridge this gap by creating safe and engaging learning spaces where girls can gain foundational digital skills, confidence, and exposure to technology creation.

Over the past weeks, students across Government Girls Secondary School, Rumueme; Government Girls Secondary School, Orominieke; and Oginigba Comprehensive Secondary School have commenced foundational web development training through hands-on HTML lessons and guided digital learning activities.

For many of the 106 participating girls, this is their first experience with structured digital skills education and practical coding. Already, students are learning how websites are structured and are creating simple web pages using basic HTML elements such as headings, images, lists, and hyperlinks.

Beyond technical skills, the project is also helping participants build creativity, collaboration, curiosity, problem-solving skills, and confidence in using technology. One student excitedly shared that this was her first time using a computer to create something herself, reflecting the transformational impact of early digital exposure.

A key part of the project’s sustainability strategy has also been the successful training of 6 female educators from participating schools through dedicated Training of Trainers (ToT) sessions. The educators were equipped with learner-centered facilitation approaches and practical strategies for supporting inclusive STEM learning environments for girls.

Rather than implementing a short-term intervention and leaving, MindAfrica is intentionally building a sustainable model that empowers female teachers to continue supporting digital learning opportunities for girls within their schools beyond the current pilot phase.

Program Snapshot

• 106 girls currently participating
• 3 public secondary schools engaged
• 6 female educators trained
• Foundational HTML training sessions commenced
• 1,000,000 mobilized through local CSR support

Support received through donor contributions and local CSR partnerships has directly supported facilitator engagement, educator training, learning materials, coordination activities, and student participation across the participating schools.

Next Steps

As implementation continues, MindAfrica will further strengthen practical STEM learning through interactive coding sessions, mentorship opportunities, project-based activities, and continuous educator support.

MindAfrica also plans to expand the initiative to additional schools under Cohort 2 before the end of the year, allowing more girls in underserved communities to access foundational STEM and digital skills training opportunities.

Thank You

MindAfrica sincerely appreciates the support of local corporate partners whose CSR contributions have helped strengthen the implementation of this initiative. Through collective local support, the sum of 1,000,000 has been mobilized toward advancing this program for girls in underserved public schools in Rivers State.

Every classroom session, educator trained, and girl empowered brings us closer to a future where more girls in Rivers State can see themselves as innovators, creators, and future leaders in STEM.

Thank You