New Era hackathon debuts in science month festivities
Kabelo Boranabi | Tuesday August 22, 2023 06:00
The third instalment of the New Era College STEM hackathon reached its thrilling finale last week at the institution’s Gaborone campus. The event was proudly co-hosted with the Mathematical Association of Botswana (MAB) and the Ministry of Communications, Knowledge, and Technology.
This year’s rendition of the New Era STEM Hackathon saw 56 students from 13 government and private secondary education institutions make it to the finals. However, the final showdown in Gaborone welcomed 36 students from 13 schools, all set to engage in this three-day extravaganza.
The journey kicked off with an enlightening tour of the Mascom Innovation Centre in Phakalane, revealing the diverse career paths within the STEM world. The second day plunged participants into hands-on training with STEM kits, marking the start of the individual competition segment. The third day, Thursday, featured the group competition, bringing the curtain down on this action-packed event.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Amanda Evans, the STEM Coordinator at New Era College, highlighted that the 2023 edition attracted the highest number of participants since the inaugural STEM Hackathon in 2019.
The competition’s core objective is to enlighten young learners about potential STEM career paths and inspire female students to boldly enter this traditionally male-dominated arena. “It should be noted that the purpose of this event is to inspire and equip the workforce of the future with the skills and knowledge to tackle real-world challenges head-on and hopefully trigger a mindset change wherein innovation and invention are the norm,” Evans said. “Furthermore, we commit the competition to continue to form part of the festivities of the National Science Month organised by the Ministry of Communications, Knowledge and Technology, which we are most grateful to be part of.
I extend my heartfelt gratitude for gracing our event with your presence. To our partners and collaborators, your unwavering support fuels our passion, and we eagerly anticipate your continued backing as we march boldly into the future.” This year’s participating schools included Gaborone SSS, Kumakwane JSS, Letlhakane SSS, Lore Academy, Malmo Academy, Masilo JSS, Masunga SSS, Matshekge SSS, Maun SSS, Motswasele JSS, Selebi Phikwe SSS, Tembo Academy, and St. Joseph's College.