Story: Atta KWAKU BOADI
World ORT/ Coconut Grove Hotels have held its maiden graduation ceremony of STEM training for children in the Komenda, Edina, Eguafo Abirem (KEEA) Municipality of the Central region.
World ORT is one of the largest Education and Training non-governmental organizations in the world. Founded 130 years ago, in 1880 in St. Petersburg, World ORT’s past and present activities span more than 100 countries in five continents.
Forty-three (43) children out of sixty (60) who were selected from four (4) schools were presented with certificates.
The children who were between the ages of 9 and 12 successfully attended and completed a 3- hour course on S4A –block based physical language and combining scratch with Arduino.
They were also trained in the creation of digital interactions between sensors and electronic components.
In his welcome address, the General Manager of Coconut Grove Hotels, Victor Minta acknowledged the immense contribution of the Board of Directors of the hotels , Dr and Mrs Nduom towards the success of the training.
He equally thanked their developmental partners, World ORT in the USA and Israel.
Mr Minta noted that, the theme of their developmental partners; “Impacting through Education” resonated deeply with the vision of the board of directors of his outfit.
This, he said, was evident in the establishment of many levels of education so as to enable them impact the next generation through education.
For example, he mentioned the Monica Yorke Preparatory and Junior High School, Nduom Community Library and Nduom School of Business and Technology (NSB&T) all located within the KEEA Municipality as ample evidence of the vision of the board of directors of Coconut Grove hotels, a member of international conglomerate , Groupe Nduom,
According to him, the intent to impact through education continued three years ago, with deliberations and interactions between Mrs. Yvonne Nduom and Mrs and Mrs Celeste Angus, the director for International Cooperation for the World ORT.
The intention, he said, was how to initiate STEM training for kids, with emphasis on young girls whom from statistics have limited access to training and career opportunities in that field.
Mr Minta disclosed that, the whole training process started in April 2021 with the selection of 8 volunteer university students from NSB&T , University of Cape Coast (UCC) and Ola Training Collage.
The volunteers, he said, received extensive training from their partners in the USA and Israel which enabled them train the children.
He announced that the second batch of the training would commence October 7, 2021, and it would run till December 15, 2021.
He also announced an intermediary course which he said would take off in March 2022.
