Empowering Namibian youth through robotics and coding
Johannes !Gawaxab, governor of the Bank of Namibia (BoN), officially launched the Bank of Namibia's Robotics and Coding STEAM Project. This initiative symbolises a significant step towards advancing science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education in Namibia and fostering innovation and economic development in the country.
Namibia has set ambitious goals to become an industrialised nation by 2030, as outlined in its national development plans.
!Gawaxab stressed that skills development is key to achieving this vision, especially as the world rapidly adopts technologies such as robotics, automation, coding, and machine learning, which offer pathways to economic prosperity.
However, the governor acknowledged the disparity in educational opportunities, particularly between urban private schools and rural public schools. The bank, through its corporate social responsibility strategy, is committed to bridging this divide by recognising the significance of STEAM education and exposing Namibian learners to these vital subjects.
Boot camps
The heart of the project lies in introducing 240 Namibian learners from public and rural schools to STEAM education. Through STEAM boot camps, students will develop skills in problem identification, design thinking, and problem solving. They will also be encouraged to create solutions that address their communities' needs, fostering a foundation in entrepreneurship.
The selected schools for the project were chosen based on the bank's prior engagement with them, ensuring a lasting impact on their educational landscape. The partnership with Minds in Action aims to sustain the programme and maintain continued engagement.
!Gawaxab underscored the importance of this endeavour in realising a prosperous and transformational Namibia where every child has access to quality education. Collaboration between the education ministry, the NUST HTTPS Innovation Centre, participating schools, and the Minds in Action team is seen as vital to this revolution.
Namibia has set ambitious goals to become an industrialised nation by 2030, as outlined in its national development plans.
!Gawaxab stressed that skills development is key to achieving this vision, especially as the world rapidly adopts technologies such as robotics, automation, coding, and machine learning, which offer pathways to economic prosperity.
However, the governor acknowledged the disparity in educational opportunities, particularly between urban private schools and rural public schools. The bank, through its corporate social responsibility strategy, is committed to bridging this divide by recognising the significance of STEAM education and exposing Namibian learners to these vital subjects.
Boot camps
The heart of the project lies in introducing 240 Namibian learners from public and rural schools to STEAM education. Through STEAM boot camps, students will develop skills in problem identification, design thinking, and problem solving. They will also be encouraged to create solutions that address their communities' needs, fostering a foundation in entrepreneurship.
The selected schools for the project were chosen based on the bank's prior engagement with them, ensuring a lasting impact on their educational landscape. The partnership with Minds in Action aims to sustain the programme and maintain continued engagement.
!Gawaxab underscored the importance of this endeavour in realising a prosperous and transformational Namibia where every child has access to quality education. Collaboration between the education ministry, the NUST HTTPS Innovation Centre, participating schools, and the Minds in Action team is seen as vital to this revolution.
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Namibian Sun
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