Wylie, TX -- (SBWire) -- 01/15/2014 --Working to Advance STEM Education for African Women (WAAW) Foundation was awarded a grant of $18,000 from the Engineering Information Foundation for the expansion of the STEM camp program in Abuja, Nigeria. This grant will be used specifically to provide the following for the 2014 camp participants: Science teaching kits, robotics & renewable energy kits, camp materials & package, feeding, boarding, transportation and stipends for facilitators.
In July 2013, WAAW Foundation launched Its first one- week residential Robotics and Renewable energy camp in Lagos, Nigeria. The camp impacted 26 African girls from poor socio-economic background in Public schools in Lagos, Nigeria. These African girls had a chance to explore STEM disciplines while being introduced to technologies that use locally available resources to solve significant problems in their communities. The camp used hands on activities, lectures, tutorials, experiments and games, led by female role models, as an avenue to engage young African girls and develop their interest in STEM fields and disciplines. Following up on this effort, WAAW Foundation proposed to expand the STEM camp in 2014 to two locations , Lagos and Abuja in Nigeria. The EIF grant will support the expansion of the STEM Camp and provide opportunities for African girls to participate in an exciting and technically challenging week-long immersion in science, technology and engineering at an age they are impressionable and making critical decisions about their future careers.
The Engineering Information Foundation mission is to improve worldwide engineering education and practice through information technology and the recruitment of women. The EIF grant is awarded to promote initiatives that help young women to be interested in Engineering as a career and to keep young women in engineering through college and beyond. "Our foundation is interested in funding programs to encourage middle school girls in Engineering conducted by engineering educators and others that encourage them to prepare for and take careers in engineering".
The Founder of WAAW Foundation, Dr. Unoma Ndili Okorafor very pleased with this award, said, "The EIF grant is a gift that will keep on giving, and will have impact in the local communities and Africa in general. EIF has given us the opportunity of a lifetime to ignite the fire of scientific inquiry research in African girls. The grant will present STEM in new ways to young girls who otherwise would not consider careers in STEM fields or even pursue college education and also, ."
The objectives of WAAW STEM Camp for African girls are:
1. Expose camp participants to technologies, tools, and resources that can enhance Math, Science and CS education.
2. Provide opportunities to research, design, build and experiments to generate sustainable green energy for the African continent based on locally available resources.
3. Provide African girls the opportunity to form peer support networks.
4. Provide girls with opportunities for career counseling in STEM fields and expose them to successful STEM female role models.
About WAAW Foundation
WAAW Foundation is a 501(c) Non Profit organization whose mission is to increase the pipeline of African women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) related disciplines, and work to ensure that this talent is engaged in African innovation.
Our Vision:
- To train and engage women leaders who contribute to technology and economic growth in Africa.
- To become the premier international partner of choice within a global movement dedicated to ending poverty in Africa through female education.
- To be globally recognized for our unshakable commitment to the empowerment of African women.
- To contribute towards poverty eradication in African through Science and Technology research and innovation
Our Strategy:
To Empower African Women With A Strong Voice
Exposing, motivating and mentoring them in their pursuit of rewarding careers in science, engineering and technology related fields by: Educating and providing opportunities for education and promoting sustainable technology research and innovation activities for African Women.
Build STEM Communities that strengthen impact for African women by:
- Promoting avenues that will bring African women leaders and organizations from private industry, academia and governments to share ideas, collaborate, mentor and build and retain technology capacity in Africa.
- Building vibrant communities that engage girls with role models and mentors to ensure an ever increasing pipeline .
