Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Amongst Girls In Uganda

The ‘Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics amongst girls in Uganda for equitable and sustainable development. (STEM)’ is project that aims at improving teaching and learning practices by advancing pedagogical methodologies utilized in mathematics, science, engineering and technology learning as well as promoting educational excellence in STEM amongst girls in Uganda’s secondary schools.

Supported by Dubai Cares to the tune of USD 1.19 million, this three-year project started in December 2016 is being implemented by FAWE Uganda and it runs until December 2019.

Recognizing that the participation of girls in science education is still poor and requires more concerted efforts, FAWE Uganda proposed a project to address the gender disparities and barriers girls face in STEM, address the issue of girls’ increased and improved completion rates especially in sciences and in so doing respond to the post SDG agenda 2030 issue of positioning STEM as a pathway to socio economic development. The project seeks to improve participation and performance of girls in STEM subjects and develop the capacity of the participating schools in promoting the same. It also seeks to implement innovative, interesting and girl friendly approaches to learning of STEM subjects.

FAWE Uganda is working through 40 schools, both government and private, drawn from the four traditional regions of Uganda; Central, Western, Northern, and Eastern. These project schools were selected in consultation with the Ministry of Education and Sports and took into account the Secondary Science and Mathematics Teacher Centers (SESEMAT).

A unique innovation embedded in this project is the concept of twinning, where project schools were encouraged to identify another secondary school with which to partner and build capacity in the same area of STEM through exchange teaching and learning. Twinning is a tool for capacity building that creates an opportunity for sharing ideas, experiences, scaling up of good practices and eventual transfer of knowledge and skills. The twin schools have to be government aided, in close proximity to the project school and have a good working relationship with the project school.

About Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares is a philanthropic organization working to provide children and young people in developing countries with access to quality education. Since its inception, Dubai Cares, part of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, has been working towards providing children and young people in developing countries with access to quality education through the design and funding of programs that aim to be integrated, impactful, sustainable and scalable. As a result, the UAE-based global philanthropic organization has successfully launched education programs reaching over 16 million beneficiaries in 45 developing countries. Visit www.dubaicares.ae