STEM Education in Botswana: Girls Getting Geeky

In our recent STEM session, in-school participants were introduced to coding, focusing on the fundamentals of coding and its application in real-life scenarios. The session aimed to make coding relatable by exploring how messages can be encrypted and decoded, a technique used in various fields like healthcare and military communication to promote privacy and security. The students were excited to engage with coding in a hands-on, problem-solving environment emphasizing creativity and logic. 

During the session, participants were divided into groups and tasked with decoding encrypted messages. The message was hidden through a simple coding system where numbers represented letters. The groups collaborated to decode and present the message, using critical thinking and collaboration. The group that decoded the message in record time was declared the winner, which added a layer of competition to keep students motivated and engaged. 

This session was not only fun it was also educational, helping participants understand the benefits of learning to code. According to research, coding helps kids break down complex problems into manageable parts, improving their analytical skills. It also enhances creativity, as students must think outside the box to find solutions. Additionally, this session made students persistent, teaching them that problems might not always be solved on the first attempt but require trial and error. 

By the end of the lesson, students gained a deeper appreciation for the importance of coding in the modern world, especially how it can be used for privacy in sensitive areas like medicine and military operations. The hands-on activity not only helped them grasp key coding concepts but also sharpened their problem-solving, teamwork, and analytical abilities. This STEM session proved to be an exciting gateway into the world of coding, leaving participants eager to learn more