3.4 Documentation and knowledge management for future learning and replication

teaching and learning of STEM; using STEM project schools as Centres of Excellence. Similarly, under the European Union-funded ‘Building Resilience in Crisis Education’ project, with 11 consortia partners, it was agreed that FAWE’s GRP model be adopted by partners in South Sudan and Uganda. This was owing to its effectiveness in creating a conducive learning and teaching environment; as well as facilitating teachers and administrators to identify the unique needs of individual learners, so as to improve the learning outcomes.

Again, as a result of awareness raising, financial support was received from the New Venture Fund, to develop policy guidelines for the role of the senior women teacher (SWT) and senior male teacher (SMT). These guidelines, were seen as very essential to the project, in terms of addressing issues around the learners’ health and development, well-being, career growth and school completion. The trained teachers would add additional skills in supporting students, especially girls, to cope with challenges of adolescence through provision of psycho social support, and mentoring. This would enhance the students’ self-esteem, confidence, and attitude and ultimately result in improved academic performance, even beyond the STEM subjects. At regional level, Raising Voices, a non-governmental organization in the region approached FAWE, seeking to learn more about the model. Still working with other education stakeholders, in 2017, FAWE initiated the first International Conference on Girls’ Education in Africa, in Lusaka, Zambia under the theme “Towards Gender Equality in Education: Positioning youth to Champion Africa’s Education Agenda”. In 2018 in Nairobi, Kenya, FAWE leveraged on the ‘International Day for Women and Girls in Science’ celebrations organized by UNESCO and Microsoft, to enable girls from Uganda showcase their innovations at the event, learn from their counterparts from 18 FAWE National Chapters from across Africa, and interact with successful women in STEM from all over Africa, at the same time raising further awareness on the FAWE model.

3.5.3 Media Engagement to promote STEM Over the project period, FAWE proactively worked with print and electronic media houses, both at regional and national level, to cover key project activities. This was in a bid to sustain awareness creation and advocacy; for the need to promote STEM amongst girls in Uganda for equitable and sustainable development. Additionally, there were social media campaigns both on Facebook and Twitter, which helped to generate discussions on what needs to be done to improve girl’s performance and participation in STEM education. Articles on STEM have been uploaded on the FAWE website and in the regular e-newsletter, both of which have wide reach and access among key government, private and public education stakeholders. FAWE has over the three years continuously used promotional materials including; banners, T-shirts, tear drop stands, pull up stands and project brochures. The different publicity approaches have raised FAWE’s profile, as a significant advocate and practitioner, focused on supporting and improving girls’ performance in STEM subjects and ultimately pave their way towards STEM based careers.

3.5.4 Girls’ Conference on STEM Building on the success of the 2017 and 2018 events, FAWE hosted the International Girls’ STEM Conference for 2020, from 18th -19th November under the theme “Towards Effective Approaches for girls’ engagement and excellence: Preparing African girls for the 21st century skills”. The conference was held virtually; in keeping with the regulations to contain COVID-19. Even then, it brought together 300 multi stakeholders from at least seven countries, in which FAWE has a presence. Among these were Ministers of Education and high level government officials including: Hon. Claudiana A. Cole, Minister for Basic and Secondary Education, the Gambia; Hon. Irene Claudette, Minister for State in Charge of ICT and TVET, Rwanda; Hon. Dr. Moinina Sengeh from Sierra Leone and Mr. Arthur Makara, Commissioner, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations,

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stories of successful African women from 18 countries and the book was officially launched in 2020. Preparing African girls for the 21st century conference brought together 300 multi stakeholders from at least seven countries

FAWE Alumni Hon. Irere Claudette, Minister for State in Charge of ICT and TVET, Rwanda launches the STEM Booklet during the 2nd International Girls’ STEM Conference for 2020

Uganda. The conference was also attended by a keynote speaker, Dr. Jane Nambakine Mulemwa, Chairperson Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), and five guest speakers: Prof. Naana Jane Opuku, FAWE Board Chairperson; Ms. Hendrina Doroba Chalwe, Division Manager AfDB; Ms. Dana Amro, Representative Dubai Cares; Hon. Irere Claudette, Minister for State in Charge of ICT and TVET, Rwanda and Mr. Arthur Makara, Commissioner, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations, Uganda. These inspired participants during the conference, drawing on their wealth of experience from lessons learned across Africa.

On the second day of the conference, Hon. Irere Claudette, Minister for State in Charge of ICT and TVET, Rwanda and a FAWE alumni, launched both the STEM booklet bearing profiles of successful female scientists and the FAWE e-learning platform http:// elearning.fawe.org/. FAWE National Chapters requested to have their capacity built on content development and utilization of the portal. At the end of the conference, the different stakeholders re-affirmed their commitment to work towards gender parity in STEM subjects through: financing, closing policy gaps by developing and influencing policies that support STEM for girls and developing programmes that will support girls to participate in STEM. The resolutions were captured in the outcome documents that will be shared during the AU Summit at deliberation on Education for girls in Africa.

Thenetworksforgedandinformationcollected,willbe utilized for further advocacy at country and regional level; for policy and operational considerations. Results realized show that the advocacy and awareness raising created substantial national and regional responsiveness around the project’s ability to enhance participation and performance of girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, at secondary level. It is further hoped that the national and regional partnerships that were forged, will be strengthened to enlist mid-term outcomes, especially towards replicating positive project practices in more schools and even universities. Following the workshop, 21 out of the 34 FAWE national Chapters were trained in utilizing e-learning platform. ICT infrastructure at FAWE was enhanced to bolster virtual monitoring