On February 8th, 2023, Emma Mumford, the Operations Director of Micro:bit Educational Foundation, paid a two-day working visit to Ghana for an ecosystem engagement tour. During her stay in the country, she engaged with MakersPlace as a community partner of Micro:bit to see the impact Micro:bit boards and educational resources were having on K–12 students in the region.
The Micro:bit Educational Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to inspire every child to create their best digital future. By developing hardware and software that inspires young people to get excited about technology and the opportunities it presents for them. Creating free, user-friendly educational resources to support teachers in delivering engaging and creative lessons. Working with like-minded partners like MakersPlace to deliver high-impact educational programmes across the globe.
This ecosystem K-12 education tour was made possible by Arm(E3)NGAGE as part of its mission to create an incredible future community built #onArm. Arm(E3)NGAGE is providing opportunities for young learners to interact with Arm solutions and build foundational skills that will introduce them to the world of computing with practical guidance.
The first day of her visit was dedicated to touring primary schools that are utilizing Arm based K12 learning tools and curriculum. The tour provided her with the opportunity to engage with students, educators, and other stakeholders in the STEAM education community, as well as witness firsthand the impact of the Micro:bit and MakersPlace’s work in Ghana.
MakersPlace is a premier STEAM education solutions provider with a particular focus on K12 students. The organisation is working hard with its committed trainers and partners to make computing accessible to children in all communities in the country.
The first school she visited was My Redeemer School in Sowutuom, Accra.
My Redeemer School is a beacon of excellence in Ghana’s educational landscape, committed to providing students with a holistic and innovative education. The school has embraced the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) concept being trialed by MakersPlace, which has helped improve the student-to-device ratio.
The school’s commitment to innovation is evident in its use of cutting-edge technology and teaching methods, which are designed to engage and inspire students and prepare them for the challenges of the 21st century.
The second was Glorious Pearl Complex School located at Sowutuom, Accra. The school is aimed at producing future leaders through appraising excellence and discipline with love and dedication to make students generational thinkers. The headmaster of the school in the person of Mr. Samuel Gasu led the team to tour the classroom where the class was having a physical computing class. Emma had an interesting conversation with some of the students to learn more about their interests.
Unlike the previous school we visited, which has embraced the BYOD concept by MakersPlace, the student-to-device ratio here was 4:1, indicating the need for more devices to support the students.
The third school visited was Royal Standard Learning Center, located in Dansoman, Accra. The school offers the highest quality of education using the best world preparatory and Ghana public school programs of studies.
The students presented their respective projects, such as an automatic metal and plastic sorting machine built with Micro:bit, copper wire, servo motors, cardboard, etc.,
The students presented a prototype of a pedestrian traffic light system using the micro:bit, cardboard, and other materials. The students, after the demonstrations, expressed their excitement about how learning with the micro:bit is fun and easy. It’s worth noting that 90% of the materials used are recyclable.
Emma and the MakersPlace team were impressed by the innovative approaches taken by the schools to improve student learning and engagement.
Douglas Ayitey, the founder and CEO of MakersPlace mentioned that “the BBC Micro:bit board is an ideal educational training kit for students and teachers wanting to develop practical skills in coding, electronics, and engineering.”
Emma ended her day at the MakersPlace office located at Abelemkpe, Accra where she donated Micro:bit boards to the organisation.
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