Working to Advance STEM Education for African Women (WAAW) Foundation recently was awarded a grant from Google Rise – Roots in Science and Engineering. This grant will enable WAAW Foundation to expand and continue the STEM Outreach program providing role models from universities to secondary school students.

Wylie, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 02/21/2013 --Working to Advance STEM Education for African Women (WAAW) Foundation recently was awarded a $20,000 grant from Google Rise – Roots in Science and Engineering. This grant will enable WAAW expand the impact of one of its initiatives, the STEM Cell (Unit) and conduct training of Fellows at the African University of Science and Technology, Abuja Nigeria For Greater impact in the Secondary School STEM Outreach programs.

WAAW STEM Outreach program was established to promote STEM learning for Government Junior Secondary School Students. The Award will expand the impact of the STEM Cell (Unit) and conduct training of Fellows at the African University of Science and Technology, Abuja Nigeria for greater impact in the Secondary School STEM Outreach programs.

According to Google RISE, the awards are designed to promote and support Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) and Computer Science (CS) education initiatives. “We grant awards to organizations working with K-12/Primary and Secondary schools to provide enrichment programs in these fields.”

“Google believes that technology will continue to play an important role in shaping our future, and the youth of today will help innovate and drive these technologies for years to come. We hope that all students will one day have the chance to reach their potential and achieve great things in science. To that end, we aspire to help students take one step closer to achieving their potential by offering organizational growth and development opportunities through the Google RISE Awards.”

Award amounts range from $5,000 - $25,000 USD.

The Founder of WAAW Foundation, Dr. Unoma Okoroafor very pleased with this achievement, said, “The Google RISE grant will be used to provide further training to the students as well as set up the necessary resources for a more effective STEM cell office, that will improve the functioning and expand the impact of the Cell.”

Funds will go towards items like Setting up a Content Resource Website (CRW), purchase of necessary teaching resources, purchase of re-useable STEM demonstration kits and development of initial teaching content. Funds will also be used to train fellows in the use, maintenance and extension of the CRW as well as gain skills that will make them successful as role models.

The goals of our project are as follows:

- Train STEM graduate and University students to develop an avocation of contributing to K-12 STEM education by facilitating University student-led outreach programs aimed at STEM tutoring and mentoring for younger students (ages 11-15) in surrounding Secondary Schools.

- Integrate higher education research and innovation into secondary school learning by fostering interactions between secondary school students, and college/graduate students and academic professionals that will influence secondary school career selection toward STEM. Our program will expose STEM graduate students and faculty to secondary school students and vice versa, thereby resulting in improved interest for University students, and advanced understanding of STEM fields for Secondary students.

- Help secondary schools to reduce the consequences of insufficient qualifications of STEM teachers by injecting Graduate students with STEM and CS hands on and research knowledge into Secondary classrooms, and advancing discovery through STEM integrative, inquiry-based curricula and interaction with STEM Cell Fellows.

- Provide secondary school students with first hand STEM career knowledge and opportunity at the secondary school level, through the development of sustained partnerships with graduate students at universities and higher education institutions.

- Providing an opportunity for University students to provide sustained engagement, monitoring and impact to Secondary schools students and a reliable avenue to directly identify secondary school girls with keen interest and aptitude toward STEM as potential candidates to engage in the WAAW annual summer STEM camp.

- Develop a transportable and scalable model for the institutionalization of a sustainable secondary school partnership with higher education STEM departments, and illustrate the value of secondary school involvement for training STEM graduate students in communication, organization, productions, evaluation and molding the complete STEM individual.

About WAAW Foundation:
WAAW Foundation is a 501(c) Non Profit organization whose mission is to increase the pipeline of African women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) related disciplines, and work to ensure that this talent is engaged in African innovation.

Our Vision:

- To train and engage women leaders who contribute to technology and economic growth in Africa.
- To become the premier international partner of choice within a global movement dedicated to ending poverty in Africa through female education.
- To be globally recognized for our unshakable commitment to the empowerment of African women.
- To contribute towards poverty eradication in African through Science and Technology research and innovation

Our Strategy:

To Empower African Women With A Strong Voice

Exposing, motivating and mentoring them in their pursuit of rewarding careers in science, engineering and technology related fields by: Educating and providing opportunities for education and promoting sustainable technology research and innovation activities for African Women.

Build STEM Communities that strengthen impact for African women by:

- Promoting avenues that will bring African women leaders and organizations from private industry, academia and governments to share ideas, collaborate, mentor and build and retain technology capacity in Africa.

- Building vibrant communities that engage girls with role models and mentors to ensure an ever increasing pipeline .