The STEMGuyana leadership team recently visited Ithaca, a small village in West Coast Berbice, with the purpose of meeting and understanding the program issues confronting parents and children in the community, with an eye towards working on solutions that will help the students to be better prepared for the future. The team consisted of Director Karen Abrams, Manager Alisha Koulen, and Project Analyst Akeisha Cave, who met with the Ithaca club leader, Ms. Malika McCalmon.
During the meeting, the team shared with the parents and children the value of the STEMGuyana program in preparing children for the 21st-century technology future. The team also discussed how the program could contribute to improving the future prospects of both children and parents. Parents were encouraged to join the organization’s parent academy, which empowers them with the tools to learn classroom concepts in small bites so that they can, in turn, help their children.
The STEMGuyana program provides access to resources and education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to help prepare the next generation of leaders for success in a rapidly changing world. Details of the IDB and Tullow Oil sponsored Learning pods program were highlighted during the meeting, and parents were advised of the benefits of this premier after-school program for children in forty-two pods across all ten regions of the country. Some of these benefits include snacks, a small library at each pod, a chance to participate in the Robin the Robot show, access to technology training and to 1300 grades K – 10th grade lesson plans, and to brilliant online teachers who help them navigate their lessons.
STEMGuyana Director Karen Abrams expressed the organization’s goal to visit some of the pods in communities outside of region 4, where parents and children tend to have access to fewer resources like consistent electricity and quality internet access. “We know that genius exists in every community, and our intention is to work with the government and our partners to bring opportunities to the genius that exists in every community across Guyana,” she said.
The visit was a success, with parents expressing their appreciation for the program and its positive impact on their children. The STEMGuyana team left Ithaca feeling inspired and motivated to continue their work in bringing STEM education to communities across Guyana. The leadership team will continue with their parent visits across the country, which is an important step in expanding the reach of the program and improving the lives of children and their families by helping them to prepare for future 21st-century opportunities. By providing access to resources and education in STEM fields, STEMGuyana is helping to build a brighter future for all Guyanese. If you are an Ithaca parents who would like to find out more about our Learning Pods after-school program, email the team at stemguyana@gmail.com.
