Impact Stories from Education Diplomacy/Mentoring Policy Area

Fellow(s): Basma Ibrahim

Country: Egypt

Cohort: 2023

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development

Fellow-founded startup, Trace Education, participates in 3-day bootcamp by Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship

Fellow Basma Ibrahim (Egypt, 2023), CEO and Founder of Trace Education, recently participated in a 3-day bootcamp in Alexandria organized as part of the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship in partnership with EdVentures. The event followed a competitive selection process that began in April, drawing applications from 210 startups aiming for a spot in the mentorship program, with 12 finalists ultimately chosen to compete for significant funding. While Trace Education was not among the top 12, it was selected alongside 19 other startups for the bootcamp.
“The mentorship we received during this boot camp was a game-changer, providing us with tools and knowledge that are now integral to our growth and success. We left Alexandria more motivated and better equipped to tackle the challenges ahead,” Basma shared in a recent post.
Trace Education focuses on providing interactive education programs for students aged six to 18, aimed at equipping them with essential skills for today’s job market. The bootcamp offered intensive mentorship and resources that Basma described as pivotal for Trace Education’s development. The experience represents a significant step for Trace Education as it continues to develop solutions that prepare young learners for future challenges in the rapidly changing job landscape.

Report Date...: 08/26/2024

Fellow-mentored Technovation Girls Kenya team is spotlighted in WEF Global Shapers video for app that battles FGM

Fellow(s): Dorcas Owinoh, Asha Panyako (2022, 2023)

Country: Kenya

Cohort: 2022, 2023

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Entrepreneurship

Technovation Girls Team Almasi from Samburu, Kenya, mentored by Fellow Dorcas Owinoh (Kenya, 2023), have recently been spotlighted by the World Economic Forum’s (WEF’s) Global Shapers for the development of their mobile application, End Cut, which simultaneously educates girls on the dangers of female genital mutilation (FGM) while also providing them a global platform for economic empowerment through artisanal sales. App co-creator Rosilla shares her story of being rescued from child marriage at age nine by a doctor from the Samburu Girls Foundation who enrolled her in school. This journey led her to Technovation Girls Team Almasi and the creation of End Cut. This application teaches Samburu girls the health dangers of FGM, which is practiced in part to increase the dowry price of a bride at the negotiation of marriage. The app also provides a global marketplace for the sale of the Samburu’s highly-skilled bead work jewelry, which offers an opportunity to supplement the potential household income losses incurred when sending a girl to school instead of marriage. Dorcas is an eight-year mentor and a regional ambassador for Technovation Girls, a global network of chapters and clubs that unite girls with mentors and ambassadors to solve community problems through technology. Fellow Asha Panyako (Kenya, 2022) also serves as a Technovation Girls mentor and has been key in the development of the Technovation Girls presence in Kenya and Samburu, leveraging funding and support from Global Shapers as a member and past curator of its Nairobi Hub. Global Shapers is a constituent community of the WEF composed of globally-funded networks of young people driving community change through over 500 local hubs worldwide. TechWomen Mentor and Strategic Partnerships Advisor Anar Simpson is Technovation Girls Global Ambassador.

Report Date...: 08/05/2024

wins Zuri Award for youth service

Fellow(s): Asha Panyako

Country: Kenya

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Development, Youth Engagement

Fellow Asha Panyako (Kenya, 2022) was recently recognized by Zuri Awards for the work of her organization, CodeYetu, which teaches coding skills to children from underserved communities. Since its inception over five years ago, CodeYetu has grown to include over 6 schools spanning 4 countries, with over 200 school children enrolled, and more than 20 volunteers supporting coding classes five days a week. “This recognition is not just for me but for our students who are ever ready to learn, our amazing volunteers, [the] institutions that host us, our biggest supporters, Alphathesis, and everyone who always cheers us on,” Asha, the founder and program leader, shared in a recent post. “I see how much we all push ourselves and I can never be grateful enough.”

Report Date...: 04/01/2024

Alumnae & Mentors host Tech Community Impact Week in Abuja to honor International Women’s Day

Fellow(s): Binta Moustapha, Fatima Abdulaziz Sule, Flora Asibe, and Rumana Kabir, Kathy Giori, Katy Dickinson

Country: Nigeria

Cohort: 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020-2021, 2022, 2023

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Youth Engagement

Collaborating with a variety of governmental organizations, NGOs, educational institutions, non-profits and startups, Nigerian fellow Binta Moustapha (Nigeria, 2014) led the organization of fellows Rumana Kabir (Nigeria, 2023), Fatima Abdulaziz Sule (Nigeria, 2018), Ebenezer Ajah Chris (Nigeria 2023), Tolulope Erinosho (Nigeria, 2022), Flora Asibe Ohazurike (Nigeria 2021), Stella Uzochukwu (Nigeria, 2019), and Carolyn Seaman (Nigeria 2015), alongside mentors Kathy Giori and Katy Dickinson, to bring Tech Community Impact Week to Nigeria from March 2 to 9, 2024. With the aim of providing activities, discussions and networking opportunities for anyone from novice to established leader in science, technology, engineering and mathematics,the dynamic lineup of events included panel discussions, speed mentoring, physical computing workshops, and courtesy visits to schools, universities, and influential organizations and companies, mainly aimed at uplifting and empowering women and girls in tech. Highlights of the week included an opening event at Baze University Jabi Abuja with akeynote address delivered by Katy and a design-thinking workshop led by Kathy, a local celebrity panel discussion moderated by Kathy at Cosmopolitan University Abuja, a panel discussion featuring Flora, Fatima and Katy, speed mentoring with Katy and Rumana, and several hands-on physical computing workshops and demonstrations at three local schools and the FabLab in Abuja led by Kathy with fellows acting as teaching assistants. Partners and sponsors of Tech Community Impact Week included 100 Women in Tech Nigeria, Bridge 4 Innovation, Climate KIC, Creeds Energy, Developers FabLab, ECOWAS Liaison Lead, FCT College of Education Zuba, Mentoring Standard, MicroBlocks, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) of Nigeria, Office of the Director of ICT Federal Ministry of Education Abuja Nigeria, She&Tech, SheTechAfrica, Wademos Regional Advocacy, and Young Scholars Initiative of the Institute of New Economic Thinking (YSI INET). Events coincided with the celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8. Mentor Jessica Dickinson Goodman and fellow Eyitayo Alimi (Nigeria, 2019) supported as co-organizers remotely.

Report Date...: 3/04/24

Fellow(s): Aseel Honein

Country: Lebanon

Cohort: 2013

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development, Youth Engagement

Fellow Aseel Honein (Lebanon, 2013) recently attended PCA’s “Tomorrow’s Technology from Lebanon to Qatar” delegation in Doha on January 28 to 29, and the Step Conference in Dubai Internet City, UAE on February 21 to 22, to showcase her educational tech creation, Architecture in a Box. A development of professional training and innovation center Parallel Studio, which she founded in 2010, Architecture in a Box sparks curiosity and creativity in children by providing enlivening STEAM-focused programs and educational games that teach them to build smart cities. “As a Design Thinking Trainer,” Aseel shared in a recent post, “I’ve learned that before we can innovate, we must first master the essentials — communication, team building and negotiations. These are the pillars of radical collaboration, the fertile ground where innovation takes root.

Report Date...: 3/4/24

Fellow launches e-waste-to-STEM kits at university in Algeria

Fellow(s): Ahlem Benazzouz

Country: Algeria

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development, Youth Engagement

Fellow launches e-waste-to-STEM kits at university in Algeria 

Inspired by her TechWomen program mentors and learnings, fellow Ahlem Benazzouz (Algeria, 2022) has introduced, EcoBioMedTechMakers, an electronic waste upcycling innovation project to her students and colleagues at the University of Science and Technology Mohamed Boudiaf in Oran, Algeria, where she works as a research assistant professor while earning her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering.

The project emerged from a dual commitment to sustainable technology development and the promotion of women in STEM, Ahlem shares. She integrates physical computing into her curriculum using micro:bit technology introduced by mentors Kathy Giori and Meg Gordon. Components are salvaged from e-waste, such as circuit boards, resistors, capacitors and LEDs to create STEM education kits. The kits are instrumental in designing experiments that teach electronics and coding concepts. Moreover, she is actively encouraging students to embark on sustainable projects and startups, considering both environmental and socioeconomic impacts to generate lasting positive outcomes.

“The results have been promising, with increased enthusiasm and participation from our female students,” Ahlem shared in recent communications. “The real-world applications of physical computing and coding have bridged the gap between theory and practice, fostering creativity, critical thinking and practical skills development.” Ahlem further shares that she is collaborating with a team of research professors to elevate the project to the next level. “Techwomen is really the beginning of a new journey.”

Report Date...: 02/12/2024

Fellow organizes international hackathon with IMSA

Fellow(s): Ejiroghene John

Country: Nigeria

Cohort: 2023

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Development, Youth Engagement

Fellow organizes international hackathon with IMSA

On January 24, MayCreatorz STEAM Initiative (MCS Initiative), founded by fellow Ejiroghene John (Nigeria, 2023), hosted a bi-national hackathon, “A Cross-Cultural Exchange Network Event.” Held on the International Day of Education, the program was anchored by the students of the SWENext Club at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA), hosts of the 2023 Pitch Day in Chicago, for the students of the Community Secondary School (CSS) Olanada in Nigeria.

Training participants to solve real world problems with AI, coding, HTML and CS, the event drew 50 students and 7 teachers from CSS Olanada, as well as virtual participants from other schools in Nigeria, Zambia, Kenya, and other parts of the world.

The second series of the hackathon will take place in late February. MCS Initiative hopes to secure 5 to 10 laptops by then for participant use in hands-on skills training.

Report Date...: 01/29/2024

Fellow leads 3rd place win at UbuntuNet hackathon

Fellow(s): Yollanda Washaya

Country: Zimbabwe

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development

Fellow leads 3rd place win at UbuntuNet hackathon

“We came, we CODED, we conquered,” shared fellow Yollanda Washaya (Zimbabwe, 2022) in a recent post celebrating the victory of Team Kusha from Africa University in Zimbabwe, who won third place out of 300 applicants continent-wide at the first-ever UbuntuNet Alliance Women Hackathon this fall. Held in advance of the UbuntuNet-Connect 2023 Conference in Uganda, the initiative was created to champion gender equality in STEM fields.

Yollanda serves as the Head of Innovation at Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe. Her team has recently developed an AI-powered authoring tool called KUSHA “in our quest to make educational articles more palatable,” she wrote in another recent post showcasing the AI’s generative abilities.

Report Date...: 12/25/2023

Fellow announces founding of STEM training and university preparation platform Stemio

Fellow(s): Natalya Yusupova Klimenko

Country: Uzbekistan

Cohort: 2017

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development, Youth Engagement

Fellow Natalya Yusupova Klimenko (Uzbekistan, 2017) has recently announced the founding of Stemio, an innovative online learning platform designed to help students prepare for STEM courses and gain greater access to universities and the admissions process. Subscribers to the platform will receive access to worldwide courses, 24/7 online support, unlimited practice and knowledge testing opportunities, and guaranteed university admission.

“By my calculations, every year more than 2 million school students in Central Asia and neighboring countries take exams in mathematics, physics, chemistry or biology when applying to STEM universities.” Natalya explained in a recent announcement. “80% of them fail due to the low level of education in schools. It is an incredible 2 billion dollar opportunity in this region alone.”

Natalya has a professional background in digital marketing management and most recently served as the Head of Sales at Billz, a retail business management software company. She launched Stemio to help students shore up teacher and resource shortages, combat institutional corruption, alleviate personal study pressures and develop a clear and desirable career path.

Report Date...: 11/27/2023

Mentor & fellow collaborate on STEaM Hackathon

Fellow(s): Mentor Jeannice Fairrer Samani, Fellow Amanda Calitz (South Africa, 2020-2021)

Country: South Africa

Cohort: 2020-2021

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Development, Youth Engagement

Mentor Jeannice Fairrer Samani, Founding Managing Director of the Fifth Wave STEaM initiative, recently collaborated with fellow Amanda Calitz (South Africa, 2020-2021) to bring “Fifth Wave STEaM Hackathon: Unleashing Innovation in the Future of Education” to South Africa. The hybrid hackathon, open to youths worldwide, spanned two days and featured 145 registered teams from both the eastern and western hemispheres. The event featured a metaverse virtual platform to promote team collaboration, mentorship and the use of on-demand videos. Activities included an accredited blockchain course, panel discussions, and a pitch session to showcase participants’ viable innovations addressing climate change. “We were delighted to launch [this event]” Jeannice shared in a recent letter. “By combining technology, education, and collaboration, our goal is to empower the next generation of leaders and create a sustainable future.”

Report Date...: 10/23/2023

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