Reading Around the World Literacy Initiative (RAWLI) is sponsoring 100 students from Dar es Salaam for a technology camp. DAR Tech Camp, which starts Monday, August 6th and continues to Thursday, August 9th, will be held at two campuses in Ilala School District. Students at Karakata Primary School and Gerezani Primary School will be learning STEAM skills – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math – at the first-ever STEAM Camp held at these schools.
RAWLI Founder Carissa Mallory says “we are excited to bring STEAM education opportunities to students in Tanzania. One of our goals in hosting the camp is to make the learning experience fun and interactive, so students develop a lifelong love of learning. The camp will introduce new skills in ICT and will also enhance and reinforce learning in traditional areas like reading and math.”
The camp is meant to be culturally relevant and includes cooperation with local Tanzanian businesses who will teach sessions in technology and art. RAWLI Board member Theodosia Andrew, who is also co-founder of the African Business and Social Alliance (ABASA), which promotes business alliances between Africa and the United States, says “as schools in Africa integrate ICT into the school curriculum, strategies like technology camps are one way local businesses and aid organizations can assist students in learning the technology skills essential to bridge the digital divide.”
Local individuals and businesses involved in the camp include Joel Kiiya, of SEMA, Tanzania’s children’s magazine, who will share the joy of reading with students. Steven Lwendo, of Basix East Africa, who studied engineering at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts will teach students coding with Osmo Coding Awbie, an iPad-based educational system.
Students will have the opportunity to unleash their creative potential during art sessions with Nathan Mpangala and Fred Halla. Seva Shayo, a graduate of Mzumbe University, will teach students how to navigate android tablets and use apps to improve skills in reading and math. “There are many free educational apps available that parents can use to help their children get an education while also having fun” said Seva. “You don’t have to have a tablet. The apps will work on a smartphone.”
Mallory, a student at the McCombs Business School at the University of Texas Austin, will introduce small business concepts to campers using Osmo’s Pizza Co. game. Campers will also learn English as a Second Language (ESL) using Swahili to English Bubble Bath, an educational game app developed for RAWLI by Overpass Apps of the United Kingdom.
Swahili to English Bubble Bath is a free educational app available in both the Apple and Google Play stores. Other camp sessions include an agricultural experiment to celebrate Nane Nane, study of the solar system, satellites for GPS tracking and a solar technology lesson where students will build a solar-energy powered car. Students will also participate in a community service project, making scented dough for disabled students at Uhuru Mychanganyiko Primary School.
Maria Kosamu, former Headmistress of Gerezani Primary School and now the Headmistress at Karakata Primary School, says “I appreciate the collaboration of local businesses and Reading Around the World coming together to offer this camp for our students. There are many challenges at Karakata and we have limited funds for facility improvements needed to offer ICT training.
Reading Around the World will donate books for a library for our students, but we do not currently have acceptable facilities to accept the donation. The roof of the room which will become a library has holes, so the books would be ruined in the first rain. We are hopeful that we can get a new roof so the children can have a library and technology area. If aid organizations or local businesses can help, we would be very grateful.”
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