STEM & MENTORSHIP CLUBS IN RURAL SCHOOLS IN WESTERN KENYA

Barmathonye STEM & lifeskills club​

The Riley Orton Foundation, through its Akili STEMarts Academy,  year-long STEM & Life Skills Club program is on, designed to bring hands-on, future-focused learning to schools with limited access to technology. This week, we visited Barmathonye Junior Secondary School to begin our journey with students there, many of whom were interacting with a computer for the very first time.
Our STEM Clubs are more than just an extracurricular activity. They are a dedicated space where students can discover the possibilities that science and technology offer. The core purpose of this program is to increase student agency, empowering young learners with the confidence and motivation to not only take up STEM subjects in their formal education but to also envision themselves pursuing STEM careers. We want them to see that a future in technology is not just for others, it is a path available to them.
Throughout the program, students will engage in a carefully designed curriculum that builds practical skills step by step. They will dive into hands-on coding, learning how to think like programmers and bring ideas to life through code. They will explore the world of robotics engineering, building and programming machines that can move and respond. They will be introduced to artificial intelligence, demystifying the technology that is shaping the world around them. And they will work with Arduino, gaining foundational knowledge in electronics and physical computing.
Each year, our STEM Clubs also adopt a central theme that connects these skills to real-world challenges. This year, our theme is "3D Printing and Smart Tech for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems." Students will not just learn theory, they will be challenged to apply what they are learning to solve community problems. They will explore how 3D printing can create tools or replacement parts for local farmers. They will investigate how smart technology and sensors can improve food production and reduce waste. By connecting coding, robotics, and AI to the agriculture that sustains their own communities, we hope to show students that STEM is a powerful tool for creating change right where they live.
During our first visit to Barmathonye JSS, we also administered the Adolescent Agency Survey to better understand the students' current perspectives and aspirations. Their voices are essential to this process. By listening to them now, we can track how their confidence and interest in STEM grow over the course of the year.
We are so excited to have the Riley Orton Foundation and Akili STEMarts Academy here with us. This program is going to make a real difference for our students, giving them hands-on experience, sparking their curiosity, and helping them see that STEM is something they can truly pursue. I can already see how much this will inspire and empower our learners, both in school and beyond." said the School head
The road ahead is filled with learning, building, and problem-solving. We cannot wait to see what these young innovators will create as they discover their own potential and begin to see themselves as future scientists, engineers, and technologists.

By Monica Adhiambo- Director of program

---