Support science clubs for 600 girls in Ghana

Dear friend of The Exploratory!

Happy new year! Afe hyia pa! We at The Exploratory want to thank you from the bottom of our heart, and celebrate the conclusion of the 2018 campaign with you! Your donation contributed to a total of $7677 (above the $7500 extended goal)! Most importantly, because of your generosity, 612 girls (and 118 boys) participated in 29 weekly STEM clubs, to learn science through touch and feel, an experience they would otherwise not have.

 “At first I saw science to be a difficult subject but now I love it”. - Kaziah

This past year Explorers in our clubs planted and observed the growth of vegetables in pots or gardens they created, performed experiments and built models to investigate the human body and its functions, and asked questions and measured the physical properties of solids and liquids. As you recall, they also participated in a design challenge, community service project, engaged with role models, and some were involved in coding clubs. Our campaign in the 1st quarter of 2019 is to expand our coding clubs. You can continue to support our organization by contributing to this new campaign. Thanks in advance!

• STEM + LOVE = A better world.

Esther, who wanted to be an accountant before she joined the club, now wants to "be an IT specialist to make science education easier by creating educational software for kids". Her peer, Chantelle said, "The Exploratory has given me the zeal to help people".

STEM Clubs - a place to explore the world around them and expand their sense of self

Through this campaign you supported, our Explorers learned a lot by doing hands-on, practical science. Importantly, they changed their minds about who they were as learners and how they can use what they have learned in STEM to help others. 

Kaziah, Esther and Chantelle and other students would lke to thank you and share in their own words 5 ways your donation has made a difference:

1. Built tolerance for uncertainty and persistence through safe and challenging learning environments in STEM. 

• I couldn’t do it the first time. At the end we got the light to turn on.
• Before, when we are about to do [an] experiment, [I was] confused with the instructions, [and used to think,] “In the end it will get spoiled, so why should we do it?” After joining the club I now like being exposed to new experiments.

2. Enabled experiences that increase student knowledge and understanding in science, their participation in the classroom, and their interest in sharing that knowledge in school and beyond.

• First I thought [practicals would] waste time, now…when I remember the practical I can put words together and write an answer.
• I now [help] juniors and peers academically in science, maths and other topics
• When I am [at the house], I call my friends, and teach them a class

3. Bolstered confidence, especially in girls, who are more willing to use their voice

• At first when they ask me science questions, even if it was the correct answer I felt like it was wrong. Now I just say the answer.
• [Before] when I was going to answer a science question I was shivering, I even feel like crying, and sometimes I answered them. After [joining The Exploratory] I can answer questions.

4. Nurtured curiosity and resourcefulness (in particular in using a wireless server filled with educational content)

• I didn’t know what potassium permanganate was, so I looked it up and wrote more notes on it
• [I use] educational software like the Britannica to find out more experiments

5. Created problem solvers who wants to improve others’ lives

• We must find things that we need or don’t need in our community and find solutions
• We should explore our environment, see problems and solutions around us
• I thought that ...they would take away my knowledge so I wouldn’t teach anyone, but now I teach others

Thank you! We hope the new year will bring your wonder and joy!

Yours in science,

Connie

P.S. We hope to raise $2500 by March to provide additional training to expand our coding clubs. Please consider supporting this new project! (We will deactivate this project by end of January). Thanks.

Links:

• Our engineer meets Chancellor Angela Merkel
• Making Models , Making Sense
• SolveforGhana Design Challenge Recap