Telecel Ghana Foundation has celebrated the completion of its DigiTech Academy program in the North East Region, marking the first cohort of young learners from the area equipped with practical digital skills. The 12-week after-school initiative, focused on robotics, coding, web design, and Internet of Things applications, targeted upper primary and junior high school students in Nalerigu as part of Cohort 4’s broader national rollout.
Students from participating schools showcased capstone projects addressing local challenges, ranging from agricultural tools and security systems to environmental monitoring solutions. The graduation events highlighted not just technical proficiency but the students’ ability to apply STEM concepts to real community needs a core goal of the program since its 2024 pilot in Ho.
The North East Region’s inclusion reflects Telecel’s push to reach beyond urban centers. Cohort 4 trains 500 students across five regions, including Nalerigu in the North East, alongside sites in the Northern, Savannah, Western, and Western North regions. Teachers in beneficiary schools receive training to sustain the impact, ensuring skills transfer continues after the formal program ends.
Implemented in partnership with the Ghana Education Service, Mingo Foundation, and Asustem Robotics, the academy supplements the standard curriculum with hands-on sessions. Previous cohorts have achieved a 96% graduation rate, with strong emphasis on gender inclusion: roughly 70% of participants nationwide are girls, addressing persistent disparities in STEM fields.
Since launching, the program has trained more than 2,300 students across multiple regions. Graduates have developed prototypes like smart irrigation systems, fire detectors, flood monitors, and basic e-commerce tools projects that demonstrate immediate relevance in rural and agricultural communities. In the North East, similar locally tailored innovations are expected to emerge as the initiative matures.
Telecel officials position DigiTech Academy as a pillar of the company’s Connected Learning efforts, aiming to prepare young Ghanaians for a digital economy. By focusing on problem-solving and prototyping, the program fosters critical thinking that extends beyond classroom exercises. Many alumni from earlier cohorts have advanced to regional competitions or expressed renewed interest in engineering and tech careers.
For a region like the North East, where digital infrastructure and opportunities can lag, such interventions provide early exposure that might otherwise be unavailable. Students gain confidence working with tools like Scratch programming and Arduino-based robotics, skills increasingly foundational for future innovation and employability.
The celebration in the North East underscores the program’s scalability. What began as a small pilot has grown into a structured national effort, with Telecel committing to ongoing cohorts and follow-up support. As Ghana continues emphasizing STEM in education policy, initiatives that combine corporate resources, local implementation, and measurable inclusion deliver tangible progress at the grassroots level.
This first cohort’s graduation is less an endpoint than a starting point for the students’ continued learning, for expanded reach in the North East, and for Telecel’s role in nurturing the next generation of Ghanaian problem-solvers.
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