PEN Projects
Ashesi Education Collaborative
Ashesi Education Collaborative Collaborates with other institutions to advance higher education in Africa
Ashesi Education Collaborative seeks to build a network of exemplar institutions that share meaningful insight, stimulate engagement around relevant content, and empower individuals and groups in Africa to transform themselves, their surroundings and ultimately, the continent.
Ashesi University has led the way amongst African universities in its rapid response to shifting teaching and learning to online platforms. They have partnered with Practical Education Network to extend Ashesi's framework of transitioning learning to digital platforms by converting PEN’s teacher training to online modules for basic school STEM teachers. Through this partnership, teachers will be equipped with digital access to national curriculum-aligned, instructional content. They will also be equipped with requisite skills to continue deploying practical science content to students while schools are closed. Most importantly, through this partnership, each participant will be empowered (financially) to train at least one more teacher and this trickles down till a total of 100 teachers are trained. This cascading model will ensure sustained training for STEM teachers
ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil's primary responsibility is to produce the energy and products the world needs in a responsible manner.
ExxonMobil uses technology and innovation to help meet the world’s growing energy needs.
ExxonMobil is committed to inspiring and preparing students to pursue STEM careers. They encourage the pursuit of math and science through a variety of programs. By making a joint effort with other leaders and organizations, they put science and math fluency on the fast track.
ExxonMobil partnered with Practical Education Network to train 100 teachers in a two-year PEN Teacher Roadmap programme, an incentive programme designed to engage, encourage and reward STEM teachers along with a two-year plan, taking them from ground level into competent and innovative teachers while equipping them with entrepreneurial skills, abilities, and opportunities.
They are also assisting in the printing and distribution of 2000 Practical Education Network Science manuals which will be used in equipping teachers to effectively implement the new Science curriculum.
Someone Else’s Child is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation that supports children’s causes throughout the U.S. and in Africa.
Someone Else’s Child Foundation works to help underserved children and teens in need by sponsoring programs and initiatives to support and enhance their lives.
The outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has necessitated the move to online learning platforms and as a result, we have translated our in-person teacher-training program into digital modules to enable teachers to maximise our hands-on learning curriculum. Someone Else's Child Foundation has partnered with PEN to train a total of 100 basic school STEM teachers from the Greater Accra region via our online training which also incorporates key digital literacy skills and public health education on COVID-19.
Isaac Kwaku Fokuo, Jr.
Founder and Principal of Botho Emerging Markets Group an investment and strategy advisory firm.
Isaac is an angel investor to start-ups based in Africa and the Middle East, and co-founder of the Amahoro Coalition, an initiative convening private sector firms in Africa to accelerate the economic inclusion of refugees.
Isaac sponsored the training of sixteen teachers from the Kumasi Presby schools in the Ashanti region of Ghana. The training seeks to engage, encourage, and equip teachers over a three-month plan, taking them from ground level into innovative hands-on STEM teachers. They will be exposed to the art and science of using local materials to facilitate hands-on learning and will be assisted to create their own teaching and learning toolbox, to deliver well and master the craft of engaging, teaching and supervising their students remotely.
PEN (STEM) Activities
Curated PEN Activities
Liquid-Liquid Mixture
Materials needed: oil, water, soap, glycerin, clear container.
Setup: Mix different samples of the liquids together.
Procedure: Ask the learners to explain how the different liquids mix together. Do they mix to form one uniform substance, or do the liquids remain separate or separate out after being shaken together?
Ask them to brainstorm ways to separate the liquids
Conditions for Germination
Materials needed: 4 bottles or syringes, cotton wool, beans, or seeds, water, oil
Procedure: Place cotton wool at the bottom of each container and add a few beans or seeds to each. In container 1, add enough water to soak the cotton wool. In container 2, add cool boiled water to flood the seeds. In container 3, add oil. In container 4, do not add any water. Record observations over several days.
Heat Conductivity
Materials needed: Tripod stand, source of fire, aluminium bowl, water, wooden stick, metal spoon, matches/lighter.
Procedure: Light the fire source. Place the wooden stick and metal spoon in the bowl at the same time. Guide the learners to touch both objects at the same time.
Let them describe what they experience upon touching both.
Finding Circuit Components
Materials needed: Old or broken electronics (radio, car stereo, computer, phone charger, disc drive, etc.), pliers, screwdriver, soldering iron (optional), empty matchboxes
Procedure: Identify common components inside the devices and place them in separate containers (matchboxes). Pliers or a soldering iron may be necessary to remove some components.
Surface Forces
Materials needed: bowl, water, needle, soap
Procedure: Carefully lay the needle on the surface of the water. What happens?
Indigestion
Materials needed: eggshells, vinegar
Procedure: Put some vinegar in a cup and drop some eggshells in. Observe what happens. Explain that indigestion is a burning pain in the chest and/or stomach-ache caused by eating spoiled food, eating too much, or consuming too much fatty food
Food Borne Diseases
Materials needed: Mouldy bread, fermented juice, etc.
Procedure: Guide the learners to inspect and sniff (but not taste!) the spoiled food.
Explain to the learners that eating food that is spoiled or infected with pathogens can make them very sick.
Can You Reverse it?
Materials: playdough or clay, ice, matches, paper
Procedure: Pull the playdough or clay apart into several pieces. Then ask the learners to put the pieces back together. Burn some paper with the matches. Then ask the learners to un-burn the paper.
Breathing Model
Materials needed: Plastic bottle, balloons, plastic bag, string/rubber band, straw
Procedure: Cut the bottom off a plastic bottle. Attach a balloon over the bottle
mouth so it hangs inside. Fix a piece of plastic bag over the cut base end using a string or a rubber band. (Optional: Fix a straw through the bottle top and attach 1 or 2 balloons to the end inside the bottle.)
Principle of a Thermometer
Materials needed: Bottle, pen tube, stopper/cork/rubber cylinder, food colouring, hot water bath
Procedure: Fill a bottle (about 500 mL) with coloured water up to the rim. Tightly fix a stopper carrying a narrow pen tube into the mouth of the bottle. The liquid level should be just visible above the stopper. Now place the bottle into hot water and heat it for a short time.
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