tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14200325233004920672024-03-18T07:47:48.272+00:00The Gamelian WorldA walk through Social Innovation gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.comBlogger149125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-80667378534495981542021-01-04T20:19:00.000+00:002021-01-04T20:19:25.123+00:00 Happy 2021! To a Safer and More Just World<p> <img alt="No alt text provided for this image" data-li-src="https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4D12AQGu9IWr0_GyOA/article-inline_image-shrink_1500_2232/0/1609497772559?e=1615420800&v=beta&t=xqpG8Z1FtNW9GCVc8cINqQThaAUAXAU4yHOF_FLFvrg" data-media-urn="" height="300" src="https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4D12AQGu9IWr0_GyOA/article-inline_image-shrink_1500_2232/0/1609497772559?e=1615420800&v=beta&t=xqpG8Z1FtNW9GCVc8cINqQThaAUAXAU4yHOF_FLFvrg" width="400" /></p>I was thinking of forgoing writing an end-of-year post considering just how peculiar 2020 was. In spite of the collective anguish and anxiety we suffered, we have learnt many things. Two key insights worth noting are:<br /><br />1.The reality of just how interconnected the world really is, a nod to the 'global village' metaphor some of us have grown used to. A problem in one locale can easily become a planetary one. We've been captivated by the COVID-19 pandemic, but let's not forget equally devastating but slowly grinding issues like climate change and environmental pollution are also there.<br /><br />2. That individual, structural, and systemic inequalities (of opportunities) continue to hinder personal advancement and true sustainable development. Think of black lives matter, PPE shortages, unequal access to vaccines, etc.<br /><br />Doing things the usual ways will not help us. We need to commit more to interdisciplinary and multilateral approaches to solving the big issues. We also need greater transparency and openess to engender public trust and participation. We have seen just how fragile even the systems we admire in certain countries can be.<br /><br />There's a real need to boost and support local capacity for problem-solving. As individuals and communities, we must embrace resilience as a way of life. This requires being mentally prepared, agile, and resourceful, to thrive in both good and not-so-good times.<br /><br />Happy and Prosperous 2021!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow <a "http://gamelmag.blogspot.com"> @gamelmag </a> on Twitter.
</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-37136668882509553402020-10-28T21:57:00.007+00:002020-10-30T11:05:13.624+00:00Why Public Science Engagement?<p><span style="font-size: medium;">This is my input to the Engagival contest
launched by <a href="https://falling-walls.com/">Falling Walls</a>. Please read over and let me know what you
think! <br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img alt="" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-6007" class="wp-image-6007" height="429" src="https://crastina.se/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/gameli_adzaho_small.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="369" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Speaking at the National Science & Maths Quiz in 2016<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We all agree that the knowledge gained from science is power. Indeed science can be a transformational tool when its findings are applied for the greater good. This is often not the case in many parts of the world. It is certainly not always the case in any country. Some times the best evidence does not always inform decision making. A case in point is how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled by some governments. Beyond this, there appeared to be gaps in communication in many countries, especially in terms of how some interventions were arrived at, in the early stages of the pandemic. And let's not forget about challenges with dealing with the climate crisis!</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">How can scientists and those in charge best exchange information with the community? When engagement is done right, societies access valid knowledge for everyday decision making, and scientists and policymakers better understand the contexts of their lived experience. This means better policies and programmes.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I am concerned about the disparities in access to information among people of different backgrounds - between those in the so-called developed world and the rest of us in the emerging economies, between people in urban and those in rural areas in all countries, and between people of high socio-economic status and those of low socio-economic status in cities. Clearly, the knowledge gap is not only a geographic gap, but an economic gap too. It is an education gap. It is a health gap. It is an aspiration gap. </span></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Engaging different audiences with science means that we have an opportunity to change the culture. I imagine science embedded in the everyday life of communities would lead to many positive changes for the people. They will learn. They will make better choices. They will solve problems. They will harness opportunties. They will engage the powers that be on stronger terms. This changes the game as the gaps between research, policy, and practice will be closed. The walls to enable science for development will be brought down. This is why I engage.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />#WhyWeEngage</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pEFuX3aqOzo" width="320" youtube-src-id="pEFuX3aqOzo"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /> <br /></span><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow <a "http://gamelmag.blogspot.com"> @gamelmag </a> on Twitter.
</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-202479997644945392018-06-26T16:54:00.001+00:002018-06-26T17:25:53.120+00:00Africa Science Week Research and Innovation Showcase 2018 - Call for Applications<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ghana will be hosting her first <a href="https://nef.org/asw/">Africa Science Week (ASW)</a> in September 2018. ASW is an initiative of the <a href="http://gamelmag.blogspot.com/search/label/Next%20Einstein%20Forum">Next Einstein Forum (NEF)</a> aimed at engaging members of the general public with scientific information and activities. This will enable them to appreciate the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as part of everyday life.</div>
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2017-2019 NEF Ambassador <a href="https://nef.org/blog/ambassadors/peter-asare-nuamah/">Peter Asare Nuamah</a> is leading this effort with support from <a href="https://www.aims.edu.gh/">AIMS Ghana</a>, <a href="http://www.ghanascience.org.gh/">Ghana Science Association</a> and other stakeholders in the Ghanaian STEM space. The theme for Ghana is <b>'Accelerating Growth and Development through STEM'.</b> Series of activities are being planned for ASW Ghana 2018 including:</div>
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During Africa Science Week, the relevance of science and technology for national development would be brought to the fore. We would hear from leading Ghanaian and African scientists and innovators including AIMS Ghana President <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_Quist">Mrs Lucy Quist</a> and Ghana's first Next Einstein Forum Fellow, <a href="https://nef.org/meet-nef-fellows/2017-2019-nef-fellows/aku/">Dr Aku Kwamie</a>.</div>
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As part of the festivities, scientists, storytellers, and other innovators would be given the opportunity to showcase their work through a special <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeUVf1E4E-EezSXjyb-zoyEPrjzMTHgP7Fv0-rryvFkWo4dOA/viewform">Research and Innovation Showcase</a> segment. Successful applicants would be given the platform to present to a live audience including policymakers, academics, business leaders, and potential funders. They would receive extensive publicity through both mainstream and social media, reaching audiences across Africa and beyond.</div>
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Applications are welcome from any STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) field, including the humanities. If you're interested in being one of the featured scientists and innovators during ASW Ghana 2018, kindly fill this <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeUVf1E4E-EezSXjyb-zoyEPrjzMTHgP7Fv0-rryvFkWo4dOA/viewform">form</a>.</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow <a "http://gamelmag.blogspot.com"> @gamelmag </a> on Twitter.
</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-40804410689459750062017-11-29T17:35:00.000+00:002017-11-29T17:35:44.951+00:00Introduction to Programming Using Python Workshop at University of Ghana<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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As part of <a href="http://facebook.com/pythonghana">Python Ghana</a>'s efforts to build the capacity of young people in Ghana to solve problems through Python and allied open source technologies, we organised a workshop for students at the University of Ghana in partnership with the Department of Computer Science and Information Technology and the student society COMPSSA. The workshop took place at the Software Lab at the Department of Computer Science, UG, and lasted from 7 October to 4 November 2017. All in all, four Saturday sessions were held.</div>
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Excited to be introducing programming in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Python?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Python</a> to so many 'newbies' at our workshop starting later at <a href="https://twitter.com/UnivofGhana?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UnivofGhana</a> today! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PythonGhana?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PythonGhana</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GetLegonCoding?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GetLegonCoding</a> <a href="https://t.co/wS1j6B60ZO">pic.twitter.com/wS1j6B60ZO</a></div>
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— Python Ghana (@PythonGhana) <a href="https://twitter.com/PythonGhana/status/916574890257416193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2017</a></div>
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The first session was held on 7 October 2017. COMPSSA vice president Nicholas welcomed everyone to the workshop, after which Evans introduced the Python Ghana team. Gameli then gave a brief overview of Python Ghana. He informed participants of the organisation’s desire to help students strengthen their problem-solving skills using Python, one of the most sought after programming languages, as a tool. Emmanuel then took over and led the workshop for the day. He covered fundamental concepts such as programming, variables, and conditionals.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emmanuel takes participants through fundamentals of programming</td></tr>
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The workshop continued on 14 October with training being led by Edward with support from Emmanuel. Also four volunteers who are Entrepreneurs-in-Training (EITs) from MEST were present to support the learners. Day one’s concepts were reviewed and more advanced topics such as abstraction, loops, and functions were introduced. Edward also took time to advise the students on the importance of learning with purpose and inculcating good practices as this stage of their lives. Students were also given homework so they try their hands on code for themselves.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edward taking learners through how to properly write Python functions</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of our team members with volunteers from MEST Africa</td></tr>
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The third session took place on 21 October. Emmanuel led the training for the day, covering advanced topics including object-orientation, modules, and the Python Standard Library. The students also had the opportunity to interact with <a href="http://contentgardening.com/">contentgardening.com</a> and Python African Tour founder Kamon. It was through the Python African Tour initiative that our community was born back in 2011. Kamon shared his experiences using Python for software development and leading Python communities and projects.</div>
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The final day of the workshop was moved to 4 November due to some challenges. It was led by Francis. The main topic was Python for web development using the Flask framework. He led an exercise on using forms to collect data for backend processing and output as information. Although attendance was low, compared to the earlier days, the session was interactive and the learners were engaged.</div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BbzPHG8hopU/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Python Ghana trainer Francis Addai explains how to handle form data in #flask. #PythonGhana #Python</a></div>
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A post shared by Python Ghana (@pythonghana) on <time datetime="2017-11-22T14:21:41+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 22, 2017 at 6:21am PST</time></div>
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All in all, we had a successful workshop, which would not have happened without the active participation of students and support of COMPSSA and the Computer Science Department. Also, our partners <a href="http://contentgardening.com/">contentgardening.com</a> and <a href="http://glabghana.wordpress.com/">Global Lab Network</a> deserve credit for contributing in cash and kind. Finally, thank you to our hardworking team members especially Evans, Emmanuel, Enoch, Edward, Francis, and Gameli for their various inputs. Check out <a href="https://web.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1966532866695102.1073741827.185822628099477&type=1&l=3548df2a68">more pics on our Facebook page</a>!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Selfie time after one of our sessions</td></tr>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow <a "http://gamelmag.blogspot.com"> @gamelmag </a> on Twitter.
</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-55522593888762158702017-07-25T09:30:00.000+00:002017-09-10T20:35:20.295+00:00Study UK Alumni Awards 2018 Launched by the British Council<div style="text-align: justify;">
Last February, I had a unique honour of <a href="http://www.britishcouncil.org.gh/about/press/winners-study-uk-alumni-awards-ghana-annouced">receiving the Social Impact</a> award at the maiden <a href="https://www.britishcouncil.org/education-uk-awards">Study UK Alumni Awards</a> organised by the British Council in Ghana. As you'd imagine it was an exciting moment for me, my family, my friends, my university (University of Exeter) and the STEM community. The work we've been doing through <a href="https://web.facebook.com/groups/GLabGhana/">Global Lab</a>, <a href="https://www.globalshapers.org/news/woekpor-digital-literacy-project">Woekpor</a>, <a href="http://shape.ghscientific.com/">SHAPE</a>, <a href="http://www.ghanathink.org/blog/2015/04/our-junior-camp-ghana-grows-its-internship-program-senior-high-school-graduates">JCIP</a>, and others was appreciated at a very high level. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Receiving the Social Impact Award at #AlumniAwards2017 from Airtel Ghana CEO Lucy Quist</td></tr>
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British Council has since expanded the scheme to include regional and global awards. In support of the 2018 edition, I took a few minutes out of my day last Wednesday 19 July to join the organisers for the soft launch of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/alumniawards2018?source=feed_text&story_id=10155422868140030">#AlumniAwards2018</a>. In an interview marking the launch, fellow Social Impact finalist (& <a href="http://globalshapers.org/">Global Shaper</a>) <a href="https://www.globalshapers.org/shapers/mutaru-mumuni-muqthar">Mutaru Muqthar</a>, who runs a <a href="http://www.myjoyonline.com/news/2017/May-4th/coventry-graduate-recounts-life-changing-commitment-to-tackling-terrorism.php">brilliant counter-terrorism initiative</a>, and I reflected on the <a href="https://medicine.exeter.ac.uk/study/postgraduatetaught/gameliadzaho/">impacts of UK education</a> in general and the Alumni Awards on our lives. Enjoy the full discussion in the Facebook Live video broadcast by by the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BritishCouncilGhana/">British Council Ghana </a>page below:</div>
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I encourage all eligible UK Alumni to enter into this year's <a href="https://www.britishcouncil.org/education-uk-awards/enter/apply">bigger and better awards</a>. You may never know. <img src="https://www.facebook.com/images/emoji.php/v9/f51/1/16/1f603.png" />. If you know any UK alumni doing great work, you can also nominate them. More information on the Alumni Awards can be found <a href="https://www.britishcouncil.org/education-uk-awards">here</a>. Good luck!</div>
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Are you eligible to win the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UKAlumniAwards?src=hash">#UKAlumniAwards</a> ? Find out here: <a href="https://t.co/FW4DAcf0Xj">https://t.co/FW4DAcf0Xj</a> <a href="https://t.co/iw2HRxmJUu">pic.twitter.com/iw2HRxmJUu</a></div>
— British Council (@ghBritish) <a href="https://twitter.com/ghBritish/status/889515727312629761">July 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-7412331919701985612017-03-26T08:42:00.000+00:002017-04-18T22:13:21.429+00:00NASA Scientist Dr Trebi-Ollenu Addresses Ghana Academy of Sciences on the Importance of Space Technology<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ghana's <a href="http://gamelmag.blogspot.com/2012/08/ghanaian-scientist-part-of-curiosity.html">Dr Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu</a> from NASA-JPL will be presenting a lecture at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences on the topic <b>“Space Technology Unleashing A Wave of Disruptive New Technologies – To Post-Scarcity Economy”</b>. Going by this title, the lecture promises to unveil deep insights that would be relevant to young people, businesses and policy makers.<br />
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The lecture will focus on current and future trends in information technology, explain the exponential growth in technology and present ways that the youth of Ghana can participate in this life-changing disruptive technologies — self-driving cars, genetic editing and artificial intelligence.</blockquote>
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Dr Trebi-Ollenu would also address the difficult challenges facing governments today. Special emphasis would be placed on how to enable and channel the<b> 'transformative forces of technological innovation'</b> to maximize the benefits to current and future generations. Suggestions would be made as to how governments can reform institutional structures to be a lot more open to self-disruption as relative power shifts from centralized forces to the unprecedented empowerment of individuals due to the exponential growth of information enabled technologies.<br />
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It is refreshing that Dr Trebi-Ollenu is championing this critical discourse at this particular point in time. Advances in modern technology is gradually lowering barriers to entry in various spheres of science and technology research and innovation. This empowers individuals, small organisations, and communities to be able to access tools to be able to solve everyday problems and create businesses, resulting in significant socio-economic gains across board. </div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow <a "http://gamelmag.blogspot.com"> @gamelmag </a> on Twitter.
</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-3117069580899556902017-01-05T09:41:00.000+00:002017-01-05T09:42:57.680+00:00Join the Next Einstein Fellows Programme and Help Promote Science in Africa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4nEEcYSD0272NVRCqB4kTcL3PSUWINUf45LUcJpgzGsXWlZnZNDE4np-d9N3MQm6bU9qhkywrUJmyz4GJDtOyx9bSU9XXeeFxxnwHkBJbPeYdQdblKA-eE8oGrzAFQRZI_x-zYQQ2k8DI/s1600/NEF_Fellows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4nEEcYSD0272NVRCqB4kTcL3PSUWINUf45LUcJpgzGsXWlZnZNDE4np-d9N3MQm6bU9qhkywrUJmyz4GJDtOyx9bSU9XXeeFxxnwHkBJbPeYdQdblKA-eE8oGrzAFQRZI_x-zYQQ2k8DI/s320/NEF_Fellows.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the communities I enjoy being part of is the <a href="http://nef.org/" style="color: #1155cc;">Next Einstein forum</a> (NEF), which is a movement to grow science and technology for development in Africa. I'd written previously about being a <a href="http://gamelmag.blogspot.com/2016/02/promoting-african-science-through-next.html">NEF Ambassador</a>, my <a href="http://gamelmag.blogspot.com/2016/03/nef-ambassadors-share-on-expectations.html">experiences at the inaugural Global Gathering</a>, and a collaborative <a href="http://gamelmag.blogspot.com/2016/11/raise-public-understanding-of-science.html">fundraising drive </a>we were executing.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">NEF is currently accepting applications for its next cohort of <a href="http://nef.org/fellows/" style="color: #1155cc;">fellows</a>! <a href="http://nef.org/meet-nef-fellows/">NEF Fellows </a>are high achieving young scientists and technologists who're passionate about using their knowledge and skills to solve African and global problems. If you're African, have a PhD in any discipline, have a great research/innovation track record, and have the desire to promote </span>#ScienceInAfrica<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> this is perfect for you! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the next <a href="http://nef.org/global-gathering/" style="color: #1155cc;">Global Gathering</a> scheduled for Kigali, Rwanda in 2018, you'd have the opportunity to present your work and ideas in a TED-style format to a global audience. You'd also have awesome opportunities to grow your career through engagement with Noble scientists, Fields Medal winners, government leaders, and captains of business. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Basic requirements for this opportunity are listed in the flyer below. More information can be found at </span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://nef.org/fellows" style="color: #1155cc;">http://nef.org/fellows</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">We don't have a Fellow from Ghana. As Ghana's NEF Ambassador, I'm particularly keen to see young Ghanaian scientists featured in the next class of fellows. I believe we can match the quality required. But that can only happen with the first step - <a href="http://nef.org/fellows/">applying for the fellowship</a>! </span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Please share with friends who may be qualified and interested. </span></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/africaseinsteins" style="color: #1155cc;">#AfricasEinsteins</a></div>
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</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-24412906960631437472016-11-28T09:00:00.000+00:002016-11-29T21:55:20.205+00:00Raise Public Understanding of Science in Africa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As you may know, I have been involved with the <b><a href="http://www.nef.org/">Next Einstein Forum</a></b> and have been working to help promote science in Africa and inspire the next generation of African scientists and innovators. For the past few weeks, I and colleague Ambassadors from other African countries have been leading a <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en-GB&q=https://www.fiatphysica.com/campaigns/public-understanding-of-science-for-development&source=gmail&ust=1480367289254000&usg=AFQjCNHjFXNATXdTM0QgyOXWKHLqKDOGqg" href="https://www.fiatphysica.com/campaigns/public-understanding-of-science-for-development" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span class="il">crowdfunding</span> campaign on Fiat Physica</a>. We are inviting you to join us in our efforts to increase public understanding of science to advance development in Africa. </div>
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We feel that low public interest in science is slowing down Africa's development. While some scientists are able to undertake useful research on the continent, <b>public skepticism makes it difficult for their discoveries to move from the lab to the community</b>. Our youth stand at a disadvantage if they are not empowered with adequate skills and knowledge to reverse the status quo.</div>
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With our campaign, we want to draw attention to scientific advances in our countries by creating platforms through which scientists engage with the public.Our goal is to <b>demystify science so that it becomes a bigger part of the cultural fibre of African societies</b>.</div>
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We need <b>YOU </b>to join us in our effort by raising <b>$8650 </b>to help support the <b>Public Understanding of Science for Development (#Sci4D) project</b>.<br />
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Help us to connect Africa's scientists to the community and advance progress on the continent. Support us as we work toward changing mindsets and building a community of public engagement with science. Thank you!<br />
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Please take a minute to check out the full suite of<a href="https://www.fiatphysica.com/partners/next-einstein-forum"> </a><a href="https://www.fiatphysica.com/partners/next-einstein-forum">NEF Ambassadors crowdfunding campaigns</a>.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow <a "http://gamelmag.blogspot.com"> @gamelmag </a> on Twitter.
</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-48246789909263691852016-08-11T20:48:00.000+00:002017-09-10T20:25:33.196+00:00Want to Shape the Future? Take the Global Shapers Annual Survey 2016<div style="text-align: justify;">
Challenges faced by young people across the world are both local and global in nature. In my country, Ghana, some of the key issues consistently raised through discussions on online and offline youth platforms such as BarCamp include unemployment, corruption, and frequent power cuts (dubbed ‘dumsor’ in local parlance). Less obvious but equally pressing problems include climate change, gender inequality, and limited access to higher education. These challenges are often interlinked and have far-reaching impacts. Therefore, they need to be properly analysed to pave way for the design of appropriate solutions to address them. The youth voice cannot be missing in the discourse as they represent a significant proportion of global population and offer new ideas and visions on the way forward.</div>
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For example, frequent power cuts have been frustrating citizens and hampering national development in Ghana for the better part of the last decade-and-half. Everyone has been affected in one way or the other - from intrepid students working hard on school assignments in the evenings to start-up founders or corporate bosses looking to maximise industrial productivity. For young people, this situation has consequences for number of new jobs created in a given period. Dumsor has become a noxious scourge on national life, and many have spoken strongly on government’s inability to solve the problem on civic platforms. Interestingly, it is not just a Ghanaian problem but a regional one. Many countries throughout Africa, including South Africa and Nigeria, face frequent power cuts unlike countries of the global North. </div>
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The Global Shapers Community, in ensuring that young people contribute to shaping the world, is collecting youth voices through its second <a href="http://bit.ly/25q1d7R">Annual Survey</a>. The survey gives a global overview of young people’s perspectives on the state of the world, and how they would like to contribute to improving it. It is open to all young people between 18 and 35 years everywhere in the world. By taking this survey, you would be helping to compose a more accurate picture of priority issues for young people at global, regional, and national levels. Global Shapers would be creating and sharing a report based on the survey to government, business, and third sector leaders the world over. Global youth surveys like the Global Shapers Survey could be complemented by local studies looking at specific contextual issues into more detail. </div>
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Global and local pictures of the youth experience will go a long way to inform relevant interventions to deliver results for youth. This would require cross-sector collaborations. A multi-faceted approach, looking at empowering young researchers and innovators with relevant skills in renewable energy for example, could help untangle the challenges in educational opportunities, energy access, and job security earlier outlined. However, any specific programme developed would rely on insights from sources such as the <a href="http://bit.ly/25q1d7R">Global Shapers Annual Survey</a><span id="goog_1993048987"></span><span id="goog_1993048988"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a>. By sparing 10 to 15 minutes of your time to take the Global Shapers Annual Survey 2016, you would be contributing to promoting the welfare of young people in your community, country, region, and the world at large. <a href="http://bit.ly/25q1d7R">Join me</a> in this important journey of change.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow <a "http://gamelmag.blogspot.com"> @gamelmag </a> on Twitter.
</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-33517605484385503952016-03-21T09:00:00.000+00:002016-03-21T09:00:02.810+00:00NEF Ambassadors Share on Expectations and Experiences - #NEF2016<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://nef.org/">The Next Einstein Forum</a>, hosted by Senegal in Dakar, brought together various stakeholders including presidents, scientists,technologists, policymakers, entrepreneurs and activists to deliberate on the future of African science and how it can be applied to benefit society. During the global gathering held from 8th to 10th March, some NEF ambassadors took time to share on their expectations and experiences. Find out more in the video below.</div>
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Also, fellow ambassador <a href="http://twitter.com/yassine">Yassine Harzallah</a> from Tunisia made a brilliant video that captured how the ambassadors interacted with the event. His video evoked the sense of friendship, cooperation, happiness and positivity that pervaded the NEF ambience. </div>
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We look forward to support the work of NEF in order to raise the profile of African science and encourage more young Africans to enter into the sciences. We are all keen to work with the fellows, volunteers, and mentors within the NEF network, as well as colleagues in our own countries and all over the world, to realise the above objectives.</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow <a "http://gamelmag.blogspot.com"> @gamelmag </a> on Twitter.
</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-83294071767228229372016-03-09T01:12:00.000+00:002016-03-09T01:12:18.871+00:00NEF Chronicles: Arrival in Dakar, Senegal<div style="text-align: justify;">
Last time, I blogged about the <a href="http://nef.org/">Next Einstein Forum</a> and it's drive to promote STEM in Africa. One of the most important aspects of the initiative is the <a href="http://nef.org/current-ambassadors/">Ambassador</a> programme, which I happen to be part of. Yesterday, I arrived in Dakar, the capital of Senegal yesterday, to begin my NEF experience. The main event, dubbed <a href="http://gg2016.nef.org/">Global Gathering</a>, is slated for 8th to 10th March 2016. This blog summarises my NEF experience so far.</div>
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Happy 59th Independence <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ghana?src=hash">#Ghana</a>! Off to represent you at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NEF2016?src=hash">#NEF2016</a> in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dakar?src=hash">#Dakar</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Senegal?src=hash">#Senegal</a>. Let's use <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/STEM?src=hash">#STEM</a> more for development <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AfricasEinsteins?src=hash">#AfricasEinsteins</a></div>
— Gameli Adzaho (@gamelmag) <a href="https://twitter.com/gamelmag/status/706406716926251008">March 6, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<b>Journey to Dakar</b><br />
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I got to Kotoka International Airport in Accra at around 8:40 am, checked in and took a one hour flight to Abidjan. From Abidjan I transferred to another flight to Dakar which lasted 2 hours 45 minutes. I was so amazed by the duration of the journey; it made me realise that West Africa was much bigger than I imagined. Immigration and security procedures at all airports were pretty smooth and efficient. NEF volunteers were on hand to wish all arrivals a warm welcome to Senegal, promising us a time of our lives. We were then transported to our hotels by bus. In the bus to the hotel I met my room mate from Guinea Bissau. Our interactions revealed why we were paired together: we have international development, education, and civic participation in common. Throughout the ride I couldn't help but notice how Dakar was different from Ghana's capital Accra: there was little traffic, hardly any street vendors, cleaner streets, and the buildings had this stylistic essence.</div>
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<b>Orientation/briefing with NEF</b><br />
After checking in to the hotel and getting acquainted with our room, we stepped out to explore our surroundings. In the hotel lobby, we met the NEF Ambassador from Gambia who is also one of the cluster leaders. He used his Wolof skills to help navigate our way into town to get some food. Back from our outing, we had a brief meeting with NEF content lead Janny who oriented us on activities lined up for ambassadors and provided us with all we need for a successful stay in Senegal. I had a taste of Senegalese bissap a.k.a sobolo and it was good!<br />
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We're here & very ready for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NEF2016?src=hash">#NEF2016</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/gamelmag">@gamelmag</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NextEinsteinFor">@NextEinsteinFor</a> <a href="https://t.co/lElqytcAnO">pic.twitter.com/lElqytcAnO</a></div>
— Kebba-Omar Jagne (@KO_Jag) <a href="https://twitter.com/KO_Jag/status/706603879279017987">March 6, 2016</a></blockquote>
Day 1 in Senegal ended really well. I already like the city of Dakar. The vibe around the NEF is infectious, and I'm bracing myself for an experience of a lifetime. On y vas!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow <a "http://gamelmag.blogspot.com"> @gamelmag </a> on Twitter.
</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-72410606394271499182016-02-04T07:00:00.000+00:002016-02-04T22:27:59.857+00:00Promoting African Science Through the Next Einstein Forum - #NEF2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am delighted to be named among the first cohort of <a href="http://nef.org/">Next Einstein Forum</a> <a href="http://nef.org/current-ambassadors/">Science Ambassadors</a>. According to NEF.org, <i>"the Next Einstein Forum (NEF) is a platform that brings together leading thinkers in science, policy, industry and civil society in Africa to leverage science to solve global challenges."</i> Believing that the next Einstein will be African, NEF works to make Africa a global hub for science and technology. It is an initiative of the <a href="http://nexteinstein.org/">African Institute for Mathematical Sciences</a> (AIMS) and the <a href="http://www.bosch-stiftung.de/content/language2/html/index.asp">Robert Bosch Stiftung</a>.</div>
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The Ambassadors scheme aims <i>"to build a targeted team of 54 young Ambassadors, one from each African country, to participate in the NEF Global Gathering 2016, champion African science, technology, engineering and mathematics [STEM] globally and become part of the growing NEF community."</i></div>
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As a NEF Ambassador, I would among other things:<br />
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<li style="text-align: justify;">Represent Ghana at the NEF Global Gathering event in Dakar, Senegal, the first of its kind in Africa. We would celebrate African science, including the work of the elite <a href="http://nef.org/nef-fellows/">NEF Fellows</a>, and showcase how to apply scientific knowledge to sustainable development in Africa. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Promote Ghanaian STEM stories, research, and innovations to the global audience. For example, my inaugural post on NEF.org highlighted pressing <a href="http://nef.org/blog-post-spotlight-on-ghanas-environment-and-sanitation-issues-by-nef-ambassador-gameli-adzaho/">environmental issues in Ghana</a>, and how various actors are working to resolve the challenges. In the future, I plan to share more on social innovation projects and research of the STEM community in Ghana</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Promote the Next Einstein Forum's work in Ghana and contribute to the growth of an all-inclusive community for science, technology, and development in Africa. I plan to share NEF news with my online networks, such as Global Lab Ghana, join STEM projects, and participate in relevant events and conferences here in Ghana</li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">NEF fellows embody African scientific excellence, inspiring the next generation of African scientists</span></td></tr>
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Check out some of the ideas I shared during the application round in the YouTube video below:<br />
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In addition to the above, my hope is to network effectively with colleague ambassadors, the NEF Fellows, and other participants, creating opportunities for future collaborations. I am truly excited to be part of this pan-African initiative. Find out more about the awesome current NEF Ambassadors <a href="http://nef.org/current-ambassadors/">here </a>and <a href="http://nef.org/current-ambassadors-cont/">here</a>.<br />
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What issues would you suggest to be on top of NEF's agenda? Are there any researchers or innovators whose work excite you that you think could use some visibility? I would be keen to hear your ideas as to how best to represent Ghana and Africa to the global audience. Follow the conversation via <a href="https://twitter.com/NextEinsteinFor">@NextEinsteinFor</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/gamelmag">@gamelmag</a> on Twitter. Also get the latest updates via <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=typd&q=%23nef2016">#NEF2016</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AfricasEinsteins?src=hash">#AfricasEinsteins</a> on social media.</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow <a "http://gamelmag.blogspot.com"> @gamelmag </a> on Twitter.
</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-15082148224117425282016-01-25T09:00:00.000+00:002016-10-23T19:28:30.598+00:00Science BarCamp Ghana Examines Scientific Solutions for Economic Progress<br />
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Scientific developments in a country or society cannot proceed without a nurturing community, a collection of critical thinkers and willing actors. These people are usually buoyed by curiosity, to understand the underlying mechanisms of natural phenomena, and creativity, to devise solutions to day-to-day challenges humanity faces. Ghana’s first <a href="http://ghscientific.com/science-barcamp-2016/">Science BarCamp</a>, held last Saturday 9th January, witnessed a collection of such passionate thinker-doers at the National ICT and Science Resource Centre, Accra. The programme was put together by <a href="http://ghscientific.com/">GhScientific</a>, in partnership with <a href="http://ghanathink.org/">GhanaThink</a> Foundation, and supported by <a href="http://novan.education/">Novan</a> Education and Training. The theme, <i>“scientific solutions for economic progress”</i>, could not be timelier, with the country facing challenges in energy, youth employment, sanitation, and public services. “What’s a barcamp?” you may ask. A barcarmp is a participatory ‘unconference’ where the programme and content are user-generated. Unlike your typical conference, everyone is encouraged to be a speaker and a member of the audience at the same time. Featuring various interactive formats, the programme seeks to engage all participants to learn and share in an open environment. GhanaThink has been spearheading barcamps, as a youth social changemaking movement, in Ghana since 2008. Science BarCamp remixed GhanaThink’s barcamp format, including science demo sessions, and an engaging panel discussion focused on issues affecting science in Ghana. The event brought together established scientists, professionals, young researchers, students, and general science enthusiasts. I was delighted to be the MC for the day.</div>
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Science mentors, L to R: Cordie, Gloria, Delali,
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After a round of self-introductions, the programme started with a panel discussion moderated by Larisa Bowen-Dodoo of Servled Africa. The discussants were Dr Kwamena Sagoe (Ghana Science Association), Dr Elsie Effah Kaufmann (University of Ghana), Mr Anis Haffar (GATE Institute), and Dr Patrick Arthur (University of Ghana). The discussion explored various facets of the theme, addressing issues such as quality of science education, motivation for science careers, and how to make science more marketable in Ghana. Their insights were complimented by contributions from a well-engaged audience. A very interesting discussion point was the role of the educational system (including teachers) in sustaining student’s interest in science. While many held that it was incumbent on schools to provide the needed stimulation and motivation, a few others were of the view that science, being a difficult field of endeavour, requires students’ own initiative and dogged determination to overcome inevitable challenges, irrespective of the environment. Various viewpoints covered the environment-initiative spectrum.</div>
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Dr Elsie Effah Kaufmann strongly advocated for student
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Next, attendees had one-on-one mentoring sessions with invited scientists and industry professionals. The mentors were Dr Gloria Ivy Mensah (Women in Biomedicine Africa), Kobby Blay (GhanaHealthNest), Alain Gbeasor (Gesus Group), Jorge Appiah (Creativity Group), Delali Otchi (Hydra Group), Sam Bhattacharyya (dot Learn), Tunde Alawode (dot Learn), Dr Patrick Arthur (Department of Biochemistry, University of Ghana), Cordie Aziz (Environment360), and Samuel Amoako-Frimpong (University of Energy and Natural Resources). The mentors shared perspectives on their areas of expertise including biomedical research, health communication, industrial chemicals, education, engineering, technology, and environmental sustainability. They gave guidelines on how to proceed on a science career path and practicalising scientific ideas. The group then broke for lunch during which there was a bit of unstructured mingling.</div>
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After lunch, Dr Thomas Tagoe, co-founder of GhScientific, led demos and fun games, which were very exciting. Samuel Amoako-Frimpong presented on virtual reality and how it can be applied in education. We also enjoyed #PipetteWars, a game testing the speed and accuracy of players to fill a white tile with water. Dr Arthur ultimately showed his pipetting prowess honed by many hours in biochemistry labs.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDxR4NKLYW-yqPRlI_gFhEtUKB2wa259BkwdbIDzjJQVaYLqtUnKUdlmCia1tjUHGTh18uFz2SsQj3uuVk0nvLJ3rOKmVbzttwgdQarYZ4uVfAX46dpcL0qv5SIwKXBMgfwXmSUfWtSS1/s1600/4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDxR4NKLYW-yqPRlI_gFhEtUKB2wa259BkwdbIDzjJQVaYLqtUnKUdlmCia1tjUHGTh18uFz2SsQj3uuVk0nvLJ3rOKmVbzttwgdQarYZ4uVfAX46dpcL0qv5SIwKXBMgfwXmSUfWtSS1/s320/4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoCaption">
Dr Arthur faces off with Freda during finals of
#PipetteWars<o:p></o:p></div>
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Four breakout sessions were organised to explore issues of interest to the participants. The areas selected were inspired by the contributions made during the panel discussion. The topics discussed were:</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Moving from scientific ideas to large-scale solutions, led by Freda Yawson (Innovate Ghana)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Making science education interesting and appealing ,led by Saddiq Mohammed (Ghana Association of Science Teachers)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Engaging communities with science, led by Billy James Dega (National Society for Black Engineers)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Applications of virtual reality, led by Samuel Amoako-Frimpong (UENR)</li>
</ul>
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Volunteers from each session summarised their discussion points for the plenary. As part of the closing remarks, the organisers mentioned various STEM projects and groups participants could engage with going forward.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKz55GjhzH-Ht2nRqdUtvIdVFmXrOTxyyeyHC6CHi6L8BbYf7gaQ42vm5FcjAdz3MKCxdoWpVgVaT7DzE8Ywsmaqz6a7qd16L2kQUxo1jargPI4hOjlDzpxMWlsauLjiKG1-LZ5DBMvi7/s1600/5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKz55GjhzH-Ht2nRqdUtvIdVFmXrOTxyyeyHC6CHi6L8BbYf7gaQ42vm5FcjAdz3MKCxdoWpVgVaT7DzE8Ywsmaqz6a7qd16L2kQUxo1jargPI4hOjlDzpxMWlsauLjiKG1-LZ5DBMvi7/s320/5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoCaption">
Breakout sessions ongoing at SciBarCamp<o:p></o:p></div>
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Science BarCamp created a rare networking opportunity for both young scientists and their older counterparts. The event was highly interactive and all—round participation was fantastic. Science BarCamp created an intimate atmosphere for kindred spirits to discuss science, its possibilities, and the way forward for Ghana. I found conversations around learning, the environment, biotechnology, science business, and technology invigorating. This type of engagement is often missing in Ghana. Therefore GhScientific and partners must be applauded for their bold efforts in making science mainstream. There are already calls for Science BarCamp to be taken to other regions of Ghana. It would take the support of everyone who cares about Ghana’s future to make this possible.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZUx2pPEqVUlQ8n_-CqbcxXa3aRK_2_mIOeIvw2ibMGUUcjqvDrbVcSgBOY4KbQSBTdzeqOxP2VuTpvV1zFX35-MKBLC4Acc9PD7iB3x8jXur5JLQXPsmwEPbDQ6cJM4eLV11M6PlVnEb/s1600/6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZUx2pPEqVUlQ8n_-CqbcxXa3aRK_2_mIOeIvw2ibMGUUcjqvDrbVcSgBOY4KbQSBTdzeqOxP2VuTpvV1zFX35-MKBLC4Acc9PD7iB3x8jXur5JLQXPsmwEPbDQ6cJM4eLV11M6PlVnEb/s320/6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoCaption">
Photo moment with cross-section of participants after
programme. Credit GhScientific<o:p></o:p></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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What to know more about Science BarCamp? Check out this <a href="http://ghscientific.com/science-barcamp-2016-pics/">collection of photos</a> on ghscientific.com, and follow <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=typd&q=%23scicampgh">#SciCampGH</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=typd&q=%23scibarcamp">#SciBarCamp</a> across social media.</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow <a "http://gamelmag.blogspot.com"> @gamelmag </a> on Twitter.
</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-20718036232118967622015-10-05T08:30:00.000+00:002015-10-05T08:30:02.578+00:00Projecting Ho and Impacting Generations Through Global Shapers Hub<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIQbqd5g1KG88SQ44ZVKm_I7XCBnMZnmJKsDS3BUoM6Vkufk-RXy6YqqcwT-Cbjw3ylt3fp6oBDxGlgKllwH5b0uNEUUPHK7CVpV9E47nEmyQmZJQ6SyDNysrpqM5cb1eJa1Lu48-hok1/s1600/GlobalShapers_Ho.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIQbqd5g1KG88SQ44ZVKm_I7XCBnMZnmJKsDS3BUoM6Vkufk-RXy6YqqcwT-Cbjw3ylt3fp6oBDxGlgKllwH5b0uNEUUPHK7CVpV9E47nEmyQmZJQ6SyDNysrpqM5cb1eJa1Lu48-hok1/s320/GlobalShapers_Ho.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.globalshapers.org/hubs/ho">The Ho Hub</a> of the World Economic Forum's<a href="https://www.globalshapers.org/"> Global Shapers</a> community has been busy since its inception, this January, with various projects to impact the Volta Region of Ghana. Global Shapers are passionate young people from diverse backgrounds who work together in geographical hubs to make positive contributions to their communities. </div>
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The unique Ho hub is the third one to be set up in Ghana, and I am glad to be a member. Under the leadership of Tsonam Akpeloo, we collaborate to execute projects that truly benefit Ho and its environs.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NEJVkW1zbozCZFn2X7yIIRpPOEdu51zB6v2_lNAESfcyUMWSZE634zc8enudsa1Njrshktg4aqoK3yhfMbeEZ4BajehBDu05LvoftsrtLXdJ9zXhhWAsqnVV5j_cn1iqckMtQ_el1WeA/s1600/Miatowo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NEJVkW1zbozCZFn2X7yIIRpPOEdu51zB6v2_lNAESfcyUMWSZE634zc8enudsa1Njrshktg4aqoK3yhfMbeEZ4BajehBDu05LvoftsrtLXdJ9zXhhWAsqnVV5j_cn1iqckMtQ_el1WeA/s400/Miatowo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Global Shapers Ho Hub members interacting with market women at Ahoe market during the 'miatowo' project</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Below is a round-up of key activities carried out across heath, education, and business to date. </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.globalshapers.org/news/quest-save-generation">The Water Purification Projec</a>t addressed low access to clean water in a deprived school by providing a water purifier and training on its use</li>
<li><a href="https://www.globalshapers.org/news/%E2%80%98my-sore-feet%E2%80%99-dying-without-shoes">One Shoe Per Child</a> provided basic school pupils with shoes to enable them travel comfortably and safely to school</li>
<li><a href="https://www.globalshapers.org/news/woekpor-digital-literacy-project">Woekpor </a>Digital Literacy Initiative introduced selected pupils and teachers to digital literacy and showcased use cases of common technologies for learning</li>
<li><a href="https://www.globalshapers.org/news/market-women-developing-west-africa-within">Miatowo</a> empowered local female traders with basic financial literacy and business generation skills to increase their revenue generation activities</li>
<li><a href="https://www.globalshapers.org/news/books-have-reached-little-hands">Deviotoe</a> complemented One Shoe per Child by providing books to pupils in the same school, with a goal to improving reading skills. </li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Ho students learning to analyze topics through concept maps. What is digital literacy? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/woekpor?src=hash">#woekpor</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/digitallyconnected?src=hash">#digitallyconnected</a> <a href="http://t.co/Bud7yjPwzC">pic.twitter.com/Bud7yjPwzC</a></div>
— Gameli Adzaho (@gamelmag) <a href="https://twitter.com/gamelmag/status/607229642743889920">June 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
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These projects tackled key barriers to well-being at individual and communal levels. They are not ends in themselves. Rather, they represent starting points through which Global Shapers, and other groups of determined changemakers, can contribute to making small or big differences to everyday life in Ho. By being involved in the worldwide Global Shapers community, we stand to benefit from the experiences and insights of international colleagues, while sharing local best practices.</div>
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Keep up with Global Shapers Ho hub's activities through the following channels:<br />
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<a href="https://www.globalshapers.org/hubs/ho">Global Shapers Ho page</a> at globalshapers.org<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GlobalShapersHoHub?fref=ts">Global Shapers Ho on Facebook</a><br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/GlobalshapersHo">Global Shapers Ho on Twitter</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow <a "http://gamelmag.blogspot.com"> @gamelmag </a> on Twitter.
</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-19873017784417076812015-09-20T12:21:00.000+00:002015-09-20T12:26:46.326+00:00Making the Tertiary Years Count: Interesting Ideas from Makafui Awuku<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWK76xgUr2HYdeiNa2Y6jUbgd45PNP8_3Oe7ZJsSD4HBa7PRHWYi7EDFtUAUn4rxi5ojoCOtIDIItkNSCvuRhvKlkOcHcrb2nLdHy52K6cR8ZaP4bJJsW8d68C1rsT-xSqBvUuS3hGFAmP/s1600/Tertiary_Years.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWK76xgUr2HYdeiNa2Y6jUbgd45PNP8_3Oe7ZJsSD4HBa7PRHWYi7EDFtUAUn4rxi5ojoCOtIDIItkNSCvuRhvKlkOcHcrb2nLdHy52K6cR8ZaP4bJJsW8d68C1rsT-xSqBvUuS3hGFAmP/s320/Tertiary_Years.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1377947147" href="https://www.facebook.com/awuku.kojo" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; text-decoration: none;">Makafui</a> <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1377947147" href="https://www.facebook.com/awuku.kojo" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; text-decoration: none;">Awuku</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"> through his new book "The Tertiary Years" provides hands-on conceptual tools to help students enhance their post-secondary school education experience. It covers topics such as goal setting, networking, time management, academic research, and financial management. The book is full of hands-on guides, calls-to-action, and illustrations to add clarity and practicality to the message. Clearly, The Tertiary years is a product of the detailed research, careful planning, and efficient execution the author is advocating for. Below is one of the graphics accompanying the text.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAHj-gZzwdsZRiRvdlDTWP8Fm4mlD-iCNKoH1FvKU7UBKSOsAgzam7WXf8WyIiHdVDzAKHQ-_ZyLV5HWlZx97kbsmvjKwkhwWmZJHeVaD8KcPaHr0hUdJ0DkVpmc_27xMJz7rDm_MSMJjE/s1600/Tetiary_Quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAHj-gZzwdsZRiRvdlDTWP8Fm4mlD-iCNKoH1FvKU7UBKSOsAgzam7WXf8WyIiHdVDzAKHQ-_ZyLV5HWlZx97kbsmvjKwkhwWmZJHeVaD8KcPaHr0hUdJ0DkVpmc_27xMJz7rDm_MSMJjE/s320/Tetiary_Quote.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">Makafui has been at the forefront of improving education in Ghana through his </span><a class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=199919443397354" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Students-Initiative-Ghana/199919443397354" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; text-decoration: none;">Students Initiative Ghana</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"> workshops, public speeches (including a</span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://youtu.be/F7ApqI8RgcQ" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; text-decoration: none;"> TEDxLabone feature</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">), and his "The Personal Development Agenda" activism. He also recently supported </span><span style="color: #3b5998; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; cursor: pointer; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"><a href="http://gamelmag.blogspot.com/2015/04/junior-camp-internship-programme-to.html">Junior Camp </a></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"><a href="http://gamelmag.blogspot.com/2015/04/junior-camp-internship-programme-to.html">Internship Programme</a> with a session on Learning and Memory Enhancement. </span></div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Glad my bro and school mate Makafui Awuku came to share on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/learning?src=hash">#learning</a> with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JCIP?src=hash">#JCIP</a> trainees <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/jcghana?src=hash">#jcghana</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JuniorCampGhana">@JuniorCampGhana</a> <a href="http://t.co/BarV8usPIX">pic.twitter.com/BarV8usPIX</a></div>
— Gameli Adzaho (@gamelmag) <a href="https://twitter.com/gamelmag/status/610777163911053312">June 16, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">I contributed an essay on using ICTs to enhance learning at the tertiary level to Makafui's book. It drew on personal experiences to give examples of how students can expand their learning opportunities using technological tools. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">The Tertiary Years will be officially launched next Saturday 26th September (starting at 1:30 pm) at La Fiesta Hacienda (Opposite University for Professional Studies), Legon, Accra. There will be a follow-up </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/430161543851495/" style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">workshop on personal development</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"> hosted by the University of Professional Studies, Accra on 30th September.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZqf_EICOvEJFQ2bZ_WGDJetCbvzxlbOwMpljQDJK2tii4VRSuuNYaL-7CD3zYAf7SLhu8ylrMLHQebJqukZSa8RExMaMR81F-e01VJ4QLirwb7yn8kWSZVGv3hPEEq6AQiZ32LAa3K-5/s1600/Book_Launch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZqf_EICOvEJFQ2bZ_WGDJetCbvzxlbOwMpljQDJK2tii4VRSuuNYaL-7CD3zYAf7SLhu8ylrMLHQebJqukZSa8RExMaMR81F-e01VJ4QLirwb7yn8kWSZVGv3hPEEq6AQiZ32LAa3K-5/s320/Book_Launch.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">If you're a post-secondary student looking for a guide to help you navigate the high seas of academia successfully, this if for you. For school counsellors, career coaches, and mentors, The Tertiary Years is an invaluable addition to your collections. Visit www.studentinitgh.com for more information.</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow <a "http://gamelmag.blogspot.com"> @gamelmag </a> on Twitter.
</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-60636532593168836342015-08-23T23:22:00.001+00:002015-09-19T08:54:54.977+00:00Innovating with Science and Technology at Accra Science Hack Day <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXGVMtKCPvkosAQhafwLicSuclrNgBgdOkGtrljZiEsF0Wv2YpGbPZvP0Wdyqa8IUhDzFnSGUnl3U6tZ4MeOXW8nTYusCevcJsoMkl9YqOLq-seit-6k1RdshTtb4RqKZoHuiq39PIQuL/s1600/science-hack.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXGVMtKCPvkosAQhafwLicSuclrNgBgdOkGtrljZiEsF0Wv2YpGbPZvP0Wdyqa8IUhDzFnSGUnl3U6tZ4MeOXW8nTYusCevcJsoMkl9YqOLq-seit-6k1RdshTtb4RqKZoHuiq39PIQuL/s320/science-hack.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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The first ever <a href="http://accra.sciencehackday.org/">Accra Science Hack Day</a>, held at iSpace in Osu on 15th and 16th August 2015, brought together students, hobbyists, technologists and science enthusiasts from different parts of Ghana. They worked individually or in teams on interesting projects, either tackling a key societal problem or just having fun with science. It was an interesting learning experience for me, even though I participated as one of the facilitators, alongside Kobe Subramaniam, Anisha Tailor and Myf Owen (from Lab_13 Ghana), and Thomas Tagoe (GH Scientific).<br />
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I was very glad to see <a href="http://gamelmag.blogspot.com/.../junior-camp-internship-programme-to.html"> Junior Camp Internship Programme</a> trainee Maame Yaa Serwaa expertly manage the registration desk and provide on-site support to iSpace Community Manager, Akua Baning. Akua ensured that all aspects of the event went on smoothly.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlyw3niBjuTxPhgWUOK2e1RtEX61IX9nBqxu2poOeIl1CumLD2E0riLlIjclKfqJ-pQDK1kGE3FwXQ__UoLci6GtHvVAvRNvGiPHzlSzpmO_LiuIegBdeS4ZfyFo0pykXck7ZyzD3K51oe/s1600/IMG_20150815_123347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlyw3niBjuTxPhgWUOK2e1RtEX61IX9nBqxu2poOeIl1CumLD2E0riLlIjclKfqJ-pQDK1kGE3FwXQ__UoLci6GtHvVAvRNvGiPHzlSzpmO_LiuIegBdeS4ZfyFo0pykXck7ZyzD3K51oe/s320/IMG_20150815_123347.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were welcomed to the event by JCIP & iSpace intern Maame Yaa</td></tr>
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Most of the hackers took a bit of time to arrive at iSpace at the advertised time on Day 1, which appeared to be a slow Saturday, but when they walked in their focus and level of engagement was consistent throughout the period of the programme. I spotted a few former students of mine from my Ketasco days. <a href="http://www.bloggingghana.org/lab_13-ghana-celebrates-science-at-bosumtwe/">Lab_13 Ghana</a> had also registered two of the beneficiaries of their hands-on science sessions, Samuel Darko and Perkins Frimpong. The two 14-year olds are pupils of Solid Hope Basic School in the Bosumtwe District.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
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Accra Science Hack Day kicks off at iSpace! Come to Osu and be part of the revolution <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AccraScienceHackDay?src=hash">#AccraScienceHackDay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/iSpaceGh?src=hash">#iSpaceGh</a> <a href="http://t.co/0eElFwa5lH">pic.twitter.com/0eElFwa5lH</a></div>
— iSpacegh (@iSpaceGh) <a href="https://twitter.com/iSpaceGh/status/632520927469793280">August 15, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
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Kobe and I gave quick five minute lightening talks, after a brief welcome speech by Akua. I touched on citizen science as a tool for research and civic participation. I explained how the research, technology, and civic communities can come together to address challenges such as power cuts, pollution, and transport in Accra. Kobe's presentation was on innovating with micro-controller systems such as Arduino and Rapberry Pi. He used examples from Ghana and elsewhere to illustrate the ubiquity of these systems in an increasingly technological world.<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
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Should we build robots that think like us? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AccraScienceHackDay?src=hash">#AccraScienceHackDay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IspaceGh?src=hash">#IspaceGh</a> <a href="http://t.co/tgue4pQbbH">pic.twitter.com/tgue4pQbbH</a></div>
— harryakligoh (@harryakligoh) <a href="https://twitter.com/harryakligoh/status/632524484940038144">August 15, 2015</a></blockquote>
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The teams soon got down to business for the rest of Day 1 and most of Day 2.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIGWcgcSzd6FPnFtU0-yH6Sr3cbGkdqx-pQgC5H2zthTs6dWYxHy3su68PqqpbkExt5stcGiBQSBVMYICBm0numpa51Fs2cXHkKyELUHYxJPti8Gx87kF3e6yb1OYaOCz9bhSjUzKSC9V/s1600/IMG_20150815_140737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIGWcgcSzd6FPnFtU0-yH6Sr3cbGkdqx-pQgC5H2zthTs6dWYxHy3su68PqqpbkExt5stcGiBQSBVMYICBm0numpa51Fs2cXHkKyELUHYxJPti8Gx87kF3e6yb1OYaOCz9bhSjUzKSC9V/s320/IMG_20150815_140737.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Dumsor Automate developing their idea on Day 1</td></tr>
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Day two <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/accrasciencehackday?src=hash">#accrasciencehackday</a>. S.P backpack (Solar Powered/Samuel and Perkins) is finished! For your charging needs. <a href="http://t.co/yDqeLu4bi0">pic.twitter.com/yDqeLu4bi0</a></div>
— Lab_13 Ghana (@lab_13ghana) <a href="https://twitter.com/lab_13ghana/status/632935000170758145">August 16, 2015</a></blockquote>
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At the end of Day 2, six teams made presentations:<br />
<ol>
<li>Smart Borla: a refuse collection beam that sends signals to the collecting company when it is full</li>
<li>QBay: uses augmented reality to engage and enhance the learning experience for students.</li>
<li>Dumsor Automate: a system that enables remote control of electric gadget especially during power cuts</li>
<li>SP Backpack: solar-powered backpack that enables charging of mobile devices on-the-go</li>
<li>Secnet: a suite of online security tools</li>
<li>Gospel Scientist: explaining biblical principles using scientific demos</li>
<li>Linkages: an art piece depicting connections (visualise spider web) through the woldwide web.</li>
</ol>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
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Q-Bay presenting their tool for interactive learning via virtual reality <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AccraScienceHackDay?src=hash">#AccraScienceHackDay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/iSpaceGh?src=hash">#iSpaceGh</a> <a href="http://t.co/Nxqouegwwx">pic.twitter.com/Nxqouegwwx</a></div>
— iSpacegh (@iSpaceGh) <a href="https://twitter.com/iSpaceGh/status/632978111416635392">August 16, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
The judges, Fiifi Baidoo (iSpace), Kobe, and Tom had the unenviable task of picking out the winners from the pack.<br />
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Before the results were announced, Tom spoke on a new Wellcome Trust funded initiative we've been cooking up for quite some time now called <a href="http://shape.ghscientific.com/">SHAPE </a>(Shaping Healthy Attitudes and Protecting the Environment). This project, led by GH Scientific, is aimed at engaging Junior High School students to analyse and design solutions to environmental health challenges in Accra.<br />
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Back to the main proceedings. Everyone was excited to learn how the teams placed at the end of two days of ideation and prototyping. The third position went to Dumsor Automate, the second to Q-Bay, and quite remarkably, SP Backpack from Lab_13 Ghana placed first! The boys, who earlier won the <a href="https://lab13network.wordpress.com/2015/07/30/lab_13-ghana-titanic-2015-boatastic-race/">Boatastic boat-making competition</a> (Titanic 2015), scientists-in-residence, and everyone associated with Lab_13 were over the moon. The win validates the idea of giving learners space to experiment and discover things for themselves. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ShhYmlSTBHqiEVhyPRTtdidThivzw0-Nh-pb8q7HVC3lqV5_4sovC-4b1z98Hj_z67s5uLiSSiLm7EBdctnT7p4lusBRqFANSYUD8JcIB5vEjy-Jsa_RQSotRnbM_ePBBPVFWP5VyTNA/s1600/ScienceHack_Winners.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ShhYmlSTBHqiEVhyPRTtdidThivzw0-Nh-pb8q7HVC3lqV5_4sovC-4b1z98Hj_z67s5uLiSSiLm7EBdctnT7p4lusBRqFANSYUD8JcIB5vEjy-Jsa_RQSotRnbM_ePBBPVFWP5VyTNA/s320/ScienceHack_Winners.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating Samuel and Perkins Credit: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LightyearFoundation/photos/pcb.1148612311821917/1148611511821997/?type=1&theater">Lighyer Foundation Facebook page</a></td></tr>
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Overall, the event (<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AccraScienceHackDay?src=hash">#AccraScienceHackDay</a>) was a great one and has the potential to become a mainstay on the Ghanaian tech circuit. Its hands-on nature challenges participants to move away from just talking about problems, and fantasising about possibilities, to actually building stuff, test and receive feedback. Going forward, I would like to see earnest efforts made to sustain the various projects started. Additionally, it'd be really cool to expand the event geographically, so other regions in Ghana will benefit. Hopefully, future events will see more innovations from fields aside electronics. There is huge potential for bio-hacking and data analytics projects in our context.<br />
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Huge thanks to iSpace for bringing such a truly remarkable event to Ghana. Commendations also go to Science Hack Day, the global organisers, and EndNote for their sponsorship.<br />
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If you were to participate in a Science Hack Day event, what project would you work on?<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow <a "http://gamelmag.blogspot.com"> @gamelmag </a> on Twitter.
</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-82841809793308447882015-04-23T09:00:00.000+00:002015-04-23T09:00:01.374+00:00Junior Camp Internship Programme to Train Ghanaian High School Graduates<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13yu16uCMUCMINP9p8TH4ru3RyQeNBaBdjiNq6gdWnBea_Roy2hje3rMNJIoaL7VGCXCoNqXS7ZHRjouD48IfozWX8NQ8IRB7RxkZjoNYTbl-8N3FvB9iCiyw5AJZ4qsegmtejyinsX6x/s1600/JCIP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13yu16uCMUCMINP9p8TH4ru3RyQeNBaBdjiNq6gdWnBea_Roy2hje3rMNJIoaL7VGCXCoNqXS7ZHRjouD48IfozWX8NQ8IRB7RxkZjoNYTbl-8N3FvB9iCiyw5AJZ4qsegmtejyinsX6x/s1600/JCIP.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://ghanathink.org/">GhanaThink Foundation</a> through its <a href="http://bit.ly/JCIPAppForm">Junior Camp Internship Programme</a> (JCIP) will provide hands-on training and practical work experience to ten lucky senior high school graduates. This pilot programme is scheduled to run from June to August, and builds upon the gains of the <a href="http://gamelmag.blogspot.com/search/label/Junior%20Camp">Junior Camp </a>initiative launched about two years ago at <a href="http://gamelmag.blogspot.com/2013/02/report-on-first-junior-camp-held-at.html">Keta Senior High Technical School</a>.</div>
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The training component will last for two weeks; it consists of four thematic areas: learning & research, communication, leadership & ethics, and entrepreneurship. The programme will then dovetail into the internship proper, which features organisations from different industries. The idea is to match trainees with their hopefully "best fit" organisations. This will allow interns to work on projects they are interested in and learn in the process.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglSoVmKaYF5rw6vOUjMtuY1727NeS922Iwh4wYRXZNuYHmv3GgiwNJ6r60ZPyjrXICKj0xG_wOSVacNikqryUhXbPuaVYh5QMgNp9IJRCF5D2q-FLHTlASKHxdTLaCFRe7Tl1vBB9febfu/s1600/JCIP_Poster.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglSoVmKaYF5rw6vOUjMtuY1727NeS922Iwh4wYRXZNuYHmv3GgiwNJ6r60ZPyjrXICKj0xG_wOSVacNikqryUhXbPuaVYh5QMgNp9IJRCF5D2q-FLHTlASKHxdTLaCFRe7Tl1vBB9febfu/s1600/JCIP_Poster.png" height="320" width="247" /></a></div>
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The overall aim of JCIP is to expose participants to a wide range of information, skills, and possibilities so as to build their confidence to face their next line of pursuits. A JCIP alumnus should excel at academic studies in the university, be competent and innovative in a work environment, and lead causes of great social benefit. Above everything, graduates of the programme would develop an insatiable hunger for learning and problem-solving, that will drive their everyday activities.</div>
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If you are a final year student in a senior high school, or know someone who may be qualified and interested, kindly visit the <a href="http://bit.ly/JCIPAppForm">application form</a> and be part of this great journey. Application closes on 1st May.</div>
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<b>Quick Links</b></div>
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<a href="http://bit.ly/JCIPAppForm">JCIP Application Form</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/JuniorCampGhana">Junior Camp Ghana Facebook</a></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/JuniorCampGhana">Junior Camp Ghana Twitter</a></div>
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/109280620539153736846/posts">Junior Camp Ghana G+</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GhanaThink?fref=nf">GhanaThink Facebook</a></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow <a "http://gamelmag.blogspot.com"> @gamelmag </a> on Twitter.
</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-56861145559230299452014-12-09T22:32:00.001+00:002014-12-09T22:37:18.471+00:00Insights from GhanaThink's Youth Mentorship Online Chat #DiasporaCamp<div style="text-align: justify;">
I previously blogged on the <a href="http://gamelmag.blogspot.com/2014/12/ghanathink-diaspora-to-host-discussion.html">Google + Hangout</a> GhanaThink Diaspora was organising to discuss the importance of mentorship and youth development. The chat was hosted by <a href="http://twitter.com/adjoathelma">Thelma Boamah</a> and I, on behalf of the team, last Saturday at 2 pm GMT. Colleagues such as Kirstie, Angie, Kweku, and Jemila played significant background roles to ensure the success of the event. </div>
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The panellists for the day were Emmanuel Gamor (Mpwr), Nina Werner (Mara Mentor), Ebenezer Gwumah (Ashesi), Kofi Yeaboah (BarCamp Ghana), Elizabeth Patterson (Girls Education Initiative Ghana), Eunice Young (Junior Camp Ghana), Cortni Grange (Future Leaders and Young Entrepreneurs), and Jennifer Ehidiamen (Rural Reporters). They shared many brilliant insights. A core message was the importance of identifying what a mentee seeks in a mentoring relationship, and ensuring that he/she applies the lessons learnt from the mentor to achieve results. Another key take away was the need to appreciate mentoring as a two-way relationship, meaning that both mentors and mentees can benefit from each other. Here's a video of the full conversation.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TZl8-Teo4nU" width="480"></iframe><br />
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We additionally had great inputs and questions from the Twitter audience, tweeting under the hashtag #DiasporaCamp. The tweets and other social media posts have been storified below. Enjoy and feel free to share your views, experiences or questions on mentoring. Do also check out Panellist Jennifer's write-up on <a href="http://basicresearchwithjenlee.blogspot.com/2010/12/mentoring-panacea-for-sustainable.html">mentoring and sustainable growth</a>.<br />
<div class="storify">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="no" height="750" src="//storify.com/DiasporaCamp/youth-and-mentorship/embed?template=grid" width="100%"></iframe><script src="//storify.com/DiasporaCamp/youth-and-mentorship.js?template=grid"></script><noscript>[<a href="//storify.com/DiasporaCamp/youth-and-mentorship" target="_blank">View the story "Youth Mentorship: a Catalyst for Development #DiasporaCamp" on Storify</a>]</noscript></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow <a "http://gamelmag.blogspot.com"> @gamelmag </a> on Twitter.
</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-12823957652109910152014-12-05T20:29:00.000+00:002014-12-05T20:43:04.599+00:00GhanaThink Diaspora to Host Discussion on Youth Mentorship and Development<a href="https://www.facebook.com/DiasporaCamp?ref=bookmarks">GhanaThink Diaspora</a> will host a panel discussion on youth mentorship tomorrow (6th December) at 14:00 GMT. Joining the chat will be eight leaders working on various youth development initiatives in Africa and beyond.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTHVWYMHrYK_AUNr4aMCVmm3y2y77QLu44MfKpcid-BCWPSgHlMVVBFSTcHshIYVLzt_TAcnj8B0TnQmDVPgzcjEvZkBzAxNp0zZNBPj7ouXmrZRB2aWl8rD_gAWwT4FUgcc-NqjxUjte/s1600/DCTalk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTHVWYMHrYK_AUNr4aMCVmm3y2y77QLu44MfKpcid-BCWPSgHlMVVBFSTcHshIYVLzt_TAcnj8B0TnQmDVPgzcjEvZkBzAxNp0zZNBPj7ouXmrZRB2aWl8rD_gAWwT4FUgcc-NqjxUjte/s1600/DCTalk.jpg" height="282" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>The goal of the conversation is for panellists to share their experiences with and insights on youth and the potential for mentorship to impact them personally while contributing to wider social/economic/national/global development." We're lucky to have pan-African representation amongst you all. There'll be voices from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and the U.S. - T<a href="http://twitter.com/adjoathelma">helma Boamah</a>, co-moderator</i></blockquote>
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The chat, to be <a href="https://plus.google.com/events/c941874fpvsqjbseh56fk7jbet0?authkey=CLTKjKq81YOUrAE">hosted via Google + Hangout</a>. follows our previous discussion on <a href="http://gamelmag.blogspot.com/2014/05/exploring-youthful-innovations-to.html">youth and agriculture</a> under Diaspora Camp Online Series. This initiative is the brainchild of members of the diaspora arm of GhanaThink Foundation based in various countries. </div>
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We hope to have an insightful, engaging, and enjoyable conversation. Feel free to join us via Diaspora Camp<a href="https://plus.google.com/events/c941874fpvsqjbseh56fk7jbet0?authkey=CLTKjKq81YOUrAE"> Google +</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/diasporacamp">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://facebook.com/diasporacamp">Facebook</a> channels. We'll be sharing updates via #DiasporaCamp across platforms.</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow <a "http://gamelmag.blogspot.com"> @gamelmag </a> on Twitter.
</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-3885031738885966382014-11-25T22:52:00.000+00:002014-11-25T22:52:33.364+00:00Capturing the Second Junior Camp Ketasco<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Students and guests enjoying themselves during the ice-breaker</td></tr>
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It seems like a long time ago when GhanaThink’s Junior Camp programme was birthed at Ketasco. On that fateful day, mentors from different professional domains converged at the school to give students insights into fields such as as engineering, computing, entrepreneurship, and banking. The buzz generated on campus that day was like no other, leaving everyone clamouring for more. The Junior Camp train has since stopped at numerous destinations: Kalpohin, Pojoss, Presec, Krogiss, Labone, Armesco, Smasco, etc. Counting them all would be an arduous task! To sustain some of the benefits derived from Junior Camps, a GhanaThink team led by Thelma Boamah is developing the Junior Camp Internship Programme (JCIP). </div>
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After a few tries, the second Junior Camp Ketasco finally happened on 15th November. As usual, we had mentors from diverse backgrounds, from within the school to corporate Accra and beyond. I was especially thrilled to have new good friends, Tom Tagoe of GH Scientific and Heather Beem of Practical Education Network, around to guide students in science and engineering respectively. </div>
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The programme started about an hour later than it should. After welcome greetings, introduction, and the ice-breaker session, a team from Webster University (Philomina and Leonard) addressed the students on educational and growth opportunities open to them in that institution. They asserted that the international environment and liberal arts curriculum provided by Webster would prepare them adequately for the future. After this session, we had two rounds of mentoring. Students were free to choose from a wide array of topics, led by various mentors, as presented below:</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Agbenyegah Kirk – Software Development</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Thomas Tagoe – Neuroscience/Science</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Heather Beem – Engineering</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Emmanuel S. Amekplenu – Leadership and Banking</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Akpah Prince – Media</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Alorwu Noah – Mobile Learning</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Seyram Kartey - Game Development</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Daniel Owusu – Academic Excellence/Volunteering</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Yayra Tay Thomsen – Fashion/Personal Branding</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Leonard Suransky – International Relations</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>V.N. Tamakloe – Leadership</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Philomina Abakah – Customer Service/Marketing</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Gameli Adzaho – Environmental Health</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisCT3a3WMdXVvVg3bKjRLAdjVRqURaoR8IFOlmjEc6WBwJHvn7agvNxynt2_9LxLPu8dgm6UsQKjba7FdfXX7zFvwbhzOkVDEPPtU0EQ1AyqtiXnoTKlfeWKZigHb8C0bM_EPgfv8VuaT/s1600/IMG_20141115_104224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisCT3a3WMdXVvVg3bKjRLAdjVRqURaoR8IFOlmjEc6WBwJHvn7agvNxynt2_9LxLPu8dgm6UsQKjba7FdfXX7zFvwbhzOkVDEPPtU0EQ1AyqtiXnoTKlfeWKZigHb8C0bM_EPgfv8VuaT/s1600/IMG_20141115_104224.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mentors introducing themselves to the gathering<span style="font-size: small; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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The gathering broke for lunch after the second mentoring round. Subsequently, we had two optional sessions. The first one focused on various educational experiences of mentors (Heather, Yayra and Tom) outside Ghana, while the second one dealt with transitioning from Ketasco to the outside world. I was with the latter group, and I must say we had very interesting insights shared by alumni who completed recently and those from earlier year groups. The original panel consisted of Junior Camp lead Nathaniel Alpha, Benjamin Boafor (medical practitioner), and Kirk Agbenyegah (software developer). Along the way we were joined by an enthusiastic bunch of old students who happened to pass through campus after attending a funeral in Keta. People like Ebenezer, Efo Dela, Setorli Tamakloe, Setorli’s sister, and Jeremiah, all shared their “dzolalian tales”. The take away, really, was to utilise various opportunities created in the school environment as these opportunities (for growth) would not be available in the future. I was pleased to learn majority of the panellists passed through the Writers and Debaters Club, a club I’ve been affiliated with since my Ketasco days.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb7-8VvV7OS5v0mT81toK1-7JtQRFxOnDWWQtTuJHd3fbJWswLax58r3W4W1_eEybXj0VsRP_rTS3WhCS_jsZztSqdMZVKnFnP4BhK8u8xf91jhqpNxiWJDfk2OP2rtpaW262YT4pzPSlm/s1600/IMG_20141115_133122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb7-8VvV7OS5v0mT81toK1-7JtQRFxOnDWWQtTuJHd3fbJWswLax58r3W4W1_eEybXj0VsRP_rTS3WhCS_jsZztSqdMZVKnFnP4BhK8u8xf91jhqpNxiWJDfk2OP2rtpaW262YT4pzPSlm/s1600/IMG_20141115_133122.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nat making a point on the "life in Ketasco" panel</td></tr>
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Junior Camp Ketasco was a big success thanks to the efforts of the GhanaThink team, and also staff like Victor Tamakloe, John Attipoe, Noah Alorwu, and some students who helped to organise stuff around the campus. One-on—one feedback received from the mentors was positive. Someone said something along the lines of “you have a great school here”. The students expressed their delight too, as they shared useful new things they picked up from the sessions they joined. The Junior Camp programme is about awakening and nurturing the inner potential of Ghanaian students. The whole enterprise is led by Nathaniel Alpha, who was part of the very first Junior Camp team. It is gratifying to see what was started in Ketasco quickly scale to have national impact, led by one of the school’s products. That is the kind of confidence we want to build in the future generation.</div>
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Have you ever participated in a Junior Camp or mentoring event? What were your experiences?</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow <a "http://gamelmag.blogspot.com"> @gamelmag </a> on Twitter.
</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-90696639920848277092014-11-24T00:47:00.000+00:002014-11-24T00:47:08.551+00:00Making Science Education More Practical in Ghana, The PEN-GAST Experience<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1TzEeSiABnJHEMBUUrEYDP3tdpW0Vc327USCqPrH8RiFjMkktdiKEKGUM0IGA-kSzn5oxGzxzZZhNRHdscgCZWNFDR6hrmShjFeKtywR-DhIkoHrHf0ZmaLEAcFlDRBIuN0YStHiQVVuL/s1600/IMG_20141107_134206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1TzEeSiABnJHEMBUUrEYDP3tdpW0Vc327USCqPrH8RiFjMkktdiKEKGUM0IGA-kSzn5oxGzxzZZhNRHdscgCZWNFDR6hrmShjFeKtywR-DhIkoHrHf0ZmaLEAcFlDRBIuN0YStHiQVVuL/s1600/IMG_20141107_134206.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brainstorming session ongoing at a recent science workshop in Accra</td></tr>
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Science is commonly viewed as a process of obtaining knowledge through experimentation and observation. This means that scientific knowledge is generated through extensive interaction of learners with the physical and natural world. It appears that the role of the teacher, therefore, is to provide students with the requisite tools to embark on this journey of discovery, filled with adventure, curiosity and wonder. Once interest is stimulated and maintained, the rest is history.</div>
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Yet in Ghana, especially at the basic school level, lack of basic laboratory materials and equipment interfere with the ideal of teaching science using a hands-on approach. Without proper practicals or demos, students find it more challenging to understand topics taught in class. This may partly be responsible for the general poor performance of basic school pupils in their end-of-studies examinations.</div>
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Thankfully, the above situation may soon be in the past as the educational paradigm shifts towards more engaging instructional approaches. One such proposition is low-cost science practicals, designed and run using very cheap readily available resources. A recent workshop jointly organised by the Greater Accra branch of the Ghana Association of Science Teachers (GAST) and Practical Education Network (PEN) introduced district science coordinators and some selected basic school science teachers to some of these activities.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRN_WnPcZwuHhbUlRDAxU0lDIWo-PRADgehoSDDbZV5rE6b6xDHcpykFUr0XdytW7KQQ4lIvLJxGWDzfl0zS6DIOx56pEBvYPFuQttplOoiq8tuyPgaB6_XpgxX1riKN3-mFNfteXvVT23/s1600/IMG_20141107_134659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRN_WnPcZwuHhbUlRDAxU0lDIWo-PRADgehoSDDbZV5rE6b6xDHcpykFUr0XdytW7KQQ4lIvLJxGWDzfl0zS6DIOx56pEBvYPFuQttplOoiq8tuyPgaB6_XpgxX1riKN3-mFNfteXvVT23/s1600/IMG_20141107_134659.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indicator being extracted from some flowers</td></tr>
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The workshop was facilitated by Heather Beem of PEN and MIT D-Lab, while Saddik Mohammed and colleagues from GAST coordinated the logistics. Thomas Tagoe, Habib Sumaila, and myself played various supporting roles over the three days. The workshop covered basic science activities for selected topics in the Junior High School (JHS) curriculum. Apart from performing pre-set experiments, Heather introduced a framework useful for designing new science activities, and solving problems in general. This was well-received and tested by the educators. Feedback from the participants, the facilitator, and the organisers was positive. The science coordinators promised to transfer their experiences to the teachers in their districts through follow-up workshops. The <a href="http://practicaleducators.wordpress.com/">workshop blog</a> and <a href="http://ghscientific.com/2014/11/11/putting-the-pen-to-the-gast/">GH Scientific</a> covered details of what transpired.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3FNT2ymkyPra8biF48VX5LivirpIcTM7At5fbrNjcM8zL3PJRQasst-lNODQfsa0yio-eP2Cf5bjKLdeBA2RH1utzAblCO_UR9eEpL6hPcGCc7sSc8_sFzTNuPnUgX3bZieNDCFU1mJ6z/s1600/IMG_2211%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3FNT2ymkyPra8biF48VX5LivirpIcTM7At5fbrNjcM8zL3PJRQasst-lNODQfsa0yio-eP2Cf5bjKLdeBA2RH1utzAblCO_UR9eEpL6hPcGCc7sSc8_sFzTNuPnUgX3bZieNDCFU1mJ6z/s1600/IMG_2211%5B1%5D.JPG" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heather explaining the design cycle</td></tr>
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All in all, being part of the PEN-GAST workshop was a useful experience as I learnt some cool science tricks I would be likely to try out some time. More importantly, I connected with many people influencing science education at the basic level in Ghana, namely science coordinators and teachers. We discussed how some of their own projects fit into initiatives such as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/170337779772729/">Global Lab Ghana</a>, <a href="https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/ghanaeducators">Ghana Educators Network</a> and <a href="http://ghscientific.com/">GH Scientific</a>. There are many opportunities for further collaborations! Finally, I shared some online tools, communities and resources that could be useful for their future learning and work.</div>
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Learning science should not only involve memorisation and reasoning, but also performing activities and developing skills. The PEN-GAST workshop demonstrated that cost cannot always inhibit science in action. Teachers can take advantage common low-cost materials to give school science a new twist. This will go a long way to contribute to raising competent innovators and problem solvers of the future.</div>
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What are your personal experiences learning science? In what ways can teachers make studying science more fun and engaging? Views welcome!</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow <a "http://gamelmag.blogspot.com"> @gamelmag </a> on Twitter.
</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-46593366422332041892014-10-31T16:01:00.000+00:002014-10-31T16:01:11.845+00:00Celebrating the Heroes of Youth Entrepreneurship at BarCamp Kumasi 2014 #bcksiIf you're around Kumasi this weekend, please join GhanaThink and its partners for the fifth BarCamp Kumasi at KNUST. Find more details and info on how to register on the poster below.<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7dBFUtFO5xWsAw1-zZ8b_jB9h2bzp1c8uaMdqPJxxaIH2HlUQrUAxfhzqbTz5LX68zcIZVOPrhdDxGflG-Oz5KWJcPLPCphwzgW0Y1jccdqPw8hneKHjU_jl4X-E7qwzR-tRvsmkVDzo/s1600/bcksi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7dBFUtFO5xWsAw1-zZ8b_jB9h2bzp1c8uaMdqPJxxaIH2HlUQrUAxfhzqbTz5LX68zcIZVOPrhdDxGflG-Oz5KWJcPLPCphwzgW0Y1jccdqPw8hneKHjU_jl4X-E7qwzR-tRvsmkVDzo/s1600/bcksi.jpg" height="320" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BarCamp Kumasi 2014 is the 38th barcamp to be held in Ghana #bcksi</td></tr>
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Want to know more? Read<a href="http://mightyafrican.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-5th-barcamp-kumasi-is-here-stay.html"> this blog post by MIghTy African</a>. </div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow <a "http://gamelmag.blogspot.com"> @gamelmag </a> on Twitter.
</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-77377443417471913892014-10-29T13:38:00.000+00:002016-05-01T09:42:29.430+00:00BarCamp Ho and the Quest for Scientific and Entrepreneurial Thinking in Ghana #bcho<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWztwcRWrU8lkkZERG9XyJjOeK2u-Rmx0Y8gxHW9EsMlaWAKBNWxbQxOICcDcpS1WNVYh3fzS7xxr3ve1dBIRgjkPP7y0nwjv6QmEMfEjXZf_4mlhyphenhyphenFEKWFjnqGns9IgQURS45lQmNuYO1/s1600/IMG_2122%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWztwcRWrU8lkkZERG9XyJjOeK2u-Rmx0Y8gxHW9EsMlaWAKBNWxbQxOICcDcpS1WNVYh3fzS7xxr3ve1dBIRgjkPP7y0nwjv6QmEMfEjXZf_4mlhyphenhyphenFEKWFjnqGns9IgQURS45lQmNuYO1/s1600/IMG_2122%5B1%5D.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mentoring session ongoing at BarCamp Ho 2014</td></tr>
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Last Saturday, 25th October, I joined other change makers at the University of Health and Allied Sciences for the fourth BarCamp Ho. This was my first barcamp in over a year, so I was really excited to have been part of the event. Here are <a href="https://storify.com/BarCampHo/recapping-barcamp-ho-2014-via-tweets">Storify highlights </a>of what transpired. </div>
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="no" height="750" src="//storify.com/BarCampHo/recapping-barcamp-ho-2014-via-tweets/embed?border=false&template=slideshow" width="100%"></iframe><script src="//storify.com/BarCampHo/recapping-barcamp-ho-2014-via-tweets.js?border=false&template=slideshow"></script><noscript>[<a href="//storify.com/BarCampHo/recapping-barcamp-ho-2014-via-tweets" target="_blank">View the story "Recapping BarCamp Ho 2014 via Tweets #bcho" on Storify</a>]</noscript></div>
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After an initial hesitation, I accepted to 'mentor' some attendees (many of them university or senior high school students) on "education and research", drawing on experiences in science education and postgraduate studies. Upon reflection, since many of the attendees asked the same questions, perhaps, a breakout session on the topic would have been more appropriate. Also, it would have been nice to pick everyone's brain on what can be done to improve the quality of research in Ghana, and to increase its role in policy making. This is very important since science provides tools to fix our day-to-day challenges. A more robust research regime in West Africa would see regional challenges such as ebola, small arms, and energy shortage, handled with greater efficiency than is currently done.</div>
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The above submission ties in well with the overall theme of this year's BarCamp Ho: "re-educating ourselves for the new entrepreneurial world", although not immediately apparent. Most of the day's discussions centred on creating business ventures and new instructional/coaching models to raise entrepreneurial champions. While these propositions are rightly in place, it is equally important to extend our conception of entrepreneurial thought to disrupting education and advancing scientific research. Innovation on these frontiers do not only require increased scientific knowledge but also technical aptitude to analyse society's problems and to design and implement solutions to tackle them. Clearly, there is an urgent need to liaise with government, businesses, and the larger society to adopt research as a critical tool for development. The achievement of this feat requires entrepreneurial acumen on a scale similar to what pertains in the business context. Our long-term challenge, therefore, is to create educational opportunities that would enhance the inculcation of critical skills among learners at various educational levels. In the short-term, government must invest more in science education and research. The current situation where <a href="http://www.citifmonline.com/2014/10/08/less-than-0-5-of-gdp-allocated-to-science-technology/">less than 0.5% of GDP</a> is allocated to science and technology in Ghana is not only shocking but shameful.</div>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
" We are not supposed to be behind, we are to be beside the men". Catherine sharing on women leadership at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bcho?src=hash">#bcho</a> <a href="http://t.co/2XdY9U5uq9">pic.twitter.com/2XdY9U5uq9</a><br />
— #bcksi Nov 1 (@Barcampghana) <a href="https://twitter.com/Barcampghana/status/526038028025069569">October 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Re-educating ourselves for the new entrepreneurial world requires raising leaders in politics, business and communication, to create revenue-generating projects and to position our country in a favourable light in the global milieu. Just as important is the task to increase the quality of science education and the level of scientific thinking in the general population. We need to build the right environment for scientific research that would lead to inventions and innovations. Also, we need to encourage a maker culture through collaborations between our universities, research institutes and informal makers. I am sure someone said this at the barcamp: "what are we going to market when we do not produce much?"</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow <a "http://gamelmag.blogspot.com"> @gamelmag </a> on Twitter.
</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-38358993442850170412014-10-21T00:56:00.000+00:002014-10-21T00:56:05.035+00:00Discussing Entrepreneurial Education and Remembering Eli Aidam at BarCamp Ho 2014 <div style="text-align: justify;">
I've not written any posts on this blog or elsewhere online in a while because I was busy with the dissertation phase of my masters degree. I learnt a lot over the past year, especially from working on my final project. I am thankful for successfully completing the course. </div>
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<a href="http://barcampho14.eventbrite.com/">BarCamp Ho 2014</a> is upon us; this is Volta region's fourth barcamp since the <a href="http://gamelmag.blogspot.com/2011/11/barcamp-ho-harnessing-local-competences.html">first event in 2011</a>. Find details about this year's event in the flyer below. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfO-HOltpuGXUjGnI86IwlmlvU6jUaL2E71BpllufvyszyYBzW9vD4vWSy2GNsfNHEMZGHQ1QV5IkiGMraep9Hcg8qywBGmSd1FGr3WIFf4mNguDANwEhZNGoRsOSgpnJI4y-UNChYUVe/s1600/bcho.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfO-HOltpuGXUjGnI86IwlmlvU6jUaL2E71BpllufvyszyYBzW9vD4vWSy2GNsfNHEMZGHQ1QV5IkiGMraep9Hcg8qywBGmSd1FGr3WIFf4mNguDANwEhZNGoRsOSgpnJI4y-UNChYUVe/s1600/bcho.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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We're dedicating this year's barcamp to the memory of Eli Aidam, our colleague from GhanaThink who tragically passed on earlier this year. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jF-bfkSDG4XEyU3oPcodcLhOZS3mlEkNhp4KExZ-P_6mPG02Ixb9qY3tjDxkx_XWt7tNCmANuO2DWtYQCk-qUkVJRKIUObb5ajzFvpsrCPz61sxGRie0geDpdwR9wN3kYEZF_1DJNYbi/s1600/Eli_Aidam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jF-bfkSDG4XEyU3oPcodcLhOZS3mlEkNhp4KExZ-P_6mPG02Ixb9qY3tjDxkx_XWt7tNCmANuO2DWtYQCk-qUkVJRKIUObb5ajzFvpsrCPz61sxGRie0geDpdwR9wN3kYEZF_1DJNYbi/s1600/Eli_Aidam.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eli Aidam: Youth leader- GhanaThink, CCY, etc [Credit: Elvis Bomassah]</td></tr>
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Eli, Eric Nii Tackie Tawiah, Bless Nkegbe and myself held the initial meeting at the Ghana Tourist Board Office [Eric's workplace] in October 2011, to plan the first BarCamp Ho. Back then, I quietly admired Eli's pragmatism, resourcefulness, and extensive networking skills. Eli then moved on to become the 'engine' of the Ho barcamps in later years. He was a true connector, and this came to bear in his work with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ccygh?fref=ts">Centre for Creative Youth,</a> a youth-led initiative focused on nurturing the creative talent of the youth for social change. When Ghana Decides was looking for partners for<a href="http://www.modernghana.com/news/392753/1/disability-group-empowered-on-elections-2012.html"> youth engagement</a>, and later social media training, towards the 2012 elections, Eli was instrumental in bringing CCY on board. We remember Eli for his dreams, hard work, and selflessness, But, perhaps more importantly, we would remember him for being our friend.</div>
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So <a href="http://barcampho14.eventbrite.com/">join us</a> at the University of Health and Allied Sciences this Saturday 25th October to map out creative ways of personal development to aid youth to function in an increasingly entrepreneurial world, while we remember a dear colleague who exemplified that philosophy. </div>
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</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420032523300492067.post-35784311958276622692014-05-25T20:53:00.000+00:002014-05-25T20:53:08.432+00:00Exploring Youthful Innovations to Transform Agriculture in Africa via #AfricaDayAgric Chat<div>
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The African Union (AU) observes its founding date, 25th May, as "Africa Day" every year. This is a national holiday in many African countries set aside to reflect on how far we have come in pursuit of continental unity and various aspects of life. Earlier, the AU declared 2014 as the <a href="http://pages.au.int/caadpyoa/pages/importance-year-agriculture">Year of Agriculture and Food Security</a>, and the diaspora team of GhanaThink Foundation saw this as the perfect opportunity to engage youth on their role in transforming the agricultural sector.</div>
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Yesterday a Google + hangout discussion hosted by the team explored the challenges, innovations and opportunities in the African agricultural sector. The event, hosted by Jemila Abdulai and Kirstie Kwarteng featured youth panellists drawn from research, business, ICT and other contexts within the agricultural space. Joining the discussion were David Aduama, Alloysius Attah, Acheampong Atta Boateng, Edison Gbenga, Dr Joy Odimegwu, Sidney Rockson and Worlali Senyo. Their rich insights were shared with viewers in various parts of the world through the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/DiasporaCamp/feed">Diaspora Camp YouTube channel</a>. You can follow what was discussed through the video below:</div>
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Inputs were made into conversation by the wider online community via the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AfricaDayAgric?src=hash">#AfricaDayAgric</a> hashtag on Twitter and other social media platforms. The moderators masterfully increased interactivity by highlighting core points made and questions asked by the Twitter audience. A<a href="https://storify.com/Ghanathink/diasporacamp-africadayagric-chat"> summary of the Twitter conversation</a> is also available through the <a href="https://storify.com/Ghanathink">GhanaThink Storify</a> account, thanks to Ato Ulzen-Appiah.</div>
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I left the discussion thinking of: (i) the role of education in giving youth skills and making agriculture attractive and (ii) strategies needed to withstand the negative effects of climate change on agriculture. If you have any thoughts on these, kindly drop a comment and let's discuss.</div>
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The #AfricaDayAgric chat is part of the new <a href="http://mightyafrican.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/diaspora-camp-dc-2010-event-recap.html">DiasporaCamp</a> Online series, and hopefully we would have conversations on other topics of importance to African youth, home and abroad. What topics do you think need to be explored?</div>
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</div>gamelmaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09063684348143970322noreply@blogger.com9