Ghana Students Win Cash in Robotics and STEM Quiz

Students at Kwabenya Community Senior High School in Accra got to see robots in action and compete for cash prizes when scientists visited their campus last week. The Ghana Young Academy brought the event to celebrate World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development on March 4.

Dr Latifatu Mohammed, co-chair of the academy, told students to stop thinking of engineering as memorizing formulas. "Engineering is fundamentally about creativity, curiosity, and the courage to ask questions about how we can make things work better and improve lives," she explained.

The day featured a STEM quiz where students competed for cash prizes and certificates. After the competition, they watched a live robotics demonstration that showed how classroom science translates into working technology.

Scientists from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research joined academy members and alumni for the event. Career counselors from Firefly and the Joyful Journey Career Counselling and Mentorship Institute also participated.

Dr Mohammed emphasized that Ghana's future depends on young people who can turn scientific knowledge into solutions for climate change, infrastructure, healthcare, and digital challenges. She urged students not to let math and science intimidate them but to view them as practical tools for solving problems in their communities.

The program included a session on entrepreneurship covering strategic planning, financial management, and market positioning. This taught students how scientific ideas can become sustainable businesses.

Headmistress Hajia Rahinatu Yakubu Salifu said direct contact with professionals makes a deeper impact than classroom lessons alone. "Opportunities like this help build confidence and expose students to future careers in science and engineering," she noted.

The Ripple Effect

All participants will receive continued mentorship, not just the winners. Organizers plan to share refined proposals with potential partners who might help turn promising student ideas into real ventures.

The Ghana Young Academy focuses on science outreach, research collaboration, and policy engagement as the youth arm of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences. Organizers said the Kwabenya event is part of a larger push to spark interest in STEM careers among high school students, with special attention to bringing more young women into engineering and science fields.

Events like this create pathways for the next generation of problem solvers who will tackle Ghana's biggest challenges.