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The Ghana Science & Tech Explorer Challenge Prize (GSTEP) has announced its 2026 version, focusing on expanding opportunities for hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning in junior high schools, including the Volta Region as the fourth area to join the yearly contest.

This year’s challenge, themed Curiosity to Influence: STEM Beyond Borders,represents a major advancement in providing hands-on STEM education to a larger number of students throughout Ghana.

The online launch, conducted through Zoom and broadcast live on Facebook, gathered educators, pupils, and important participants within the STEM community.

The DreamOval Foundation’s Executive Director, Afua Oforiwaa Asiamah Adjei, stated that the 2026 event continues the achievements of earlier competitions conducted in the Greater Accra, Eastern, and Ashanti Regions. Up to now, more than 30,000 students, 2,000 educators, and 500 schools have gained practical STEM opportunities via GSTEP.

“For the first time ever, the GSTEP Challenge is now reaching the Volta Region, allowing even more young innovators to join this transformative experience. This growth brings us nearer to our goal of establishing GSTEP as a nationwide initiative — one where every child, no matter their background, can benefit from the opportunities and skills that STEM education offers,” she said.

The founder of GSTEP, Constance Agyeman, shared her thoughts on the program’s development and increasing national influence, highlighting that from 2021 to 2025, GSTEP has motivated thousands of students to investigate science and technology as means for addressing practical challenges.

“Only last year, more than 1,000 creative concepts were proposed by students who used STEM to tackle community issues — ranging from clean energy and eco-friendly agriculture to advancements in smart urban development,” she mentioned.

Delivering the main speech, Francis Ahene-Affoh, who leads Partnerships and Alliances at the Partnership Bureau, praised the innovation and originality shown by participants in recent years.

“Throughout the different editions, we have seen remarkable innovations and approaches that use technology to enhance agriculture, aquaculture, road traffic control, education, and climate resistance. These concepts demonstrate that, with the proper platform, our middle school students can turn their curiosity into tangible results,” he mentioned.

This year’s initiative is being carried out by a group of four organizations — the DreamOval Foundation serving as the primary executor; the Partnership Bureau handling partnerships and sponsorships; Shulem Lake managing resources and materials; and the Practical Education Network supervising mentorship and guidance.

The GSTEP Competition is held in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ministry of Education, receiving financial backing from Fondation Botnar.

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).