The Young Scientist Kenya is a platform that has been created for young people to showcase their scientific talents and innovation. The programme was launched in July 2017 following a partnership between Ministry of Education, the Embassy of Ireland and BLAZE by Safaricom among others. So far, the programme which is In its pilot phase has worked with 80 schools in 10 counties across the country.
During the exhibition which will be held at Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), over 160 secondary school students are expected to participate in the event and so far over 92 projects have been submitted. This is in line with the theme “Making STEM Education Accessible to All”. The YSK programme complements the Ministry of Education efforts to spur uptake of STEM among high school students, through the annual Kenya Science and Engineering Fair (KSEF), formerly known as the Secondary Schools Science Congress.
Charles Wanjohi, Acting Director – Consumer Business, Safaricom, had this to say, “This exhibition is an opportunity to showcase not just to Kenya, but to the rest of the world, what we can do; to empower young people interested in STEM, and to bring together stakeholders who are ready to work towards a common goal, which is to make STEM accessible to all.
Students participating in the programme will showcase projects in four categories that is, Physical, Chemical and Mathematical Sciences; Ecological and Biological Sciences; Technology, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The award ceremony will be held on 6th July, with the winners walking away with fully paid trips to Ireland to visit the Irish chapter of the Young Scientists initiative.