STeM Zambia Initiative (SZI) is a registered local Not-for-profit Youth Education Organisation in Zambia, Certificate number RNGO 101/0647/16 founded in February 2016. It is an initiative setup to supplement Government efforts in the sustainable development of the local communities through the provision of Project-based learning (PBL) to underprivileged primary and secondary school learners even as the country aims at achieving the National Long Term Vision 2030 (Vision 2030) of transforming the country into aProsperous Middle Income Nation by 2030 and beyond.
The organisation has strived to provide a research and technology inspired platform for the underprivileged youths through the promotion and advancement of scientific and research reasoning in the local underprivileged community learners so that they eventually go on to meaningfully contribute to the development of the local communities.
The Organization recognises the importance of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education as fundamental for not only the future development of science itself but also the fostering of a society that will appreciate and use the findings of scientific endeavours for sustainable community development. Since scientific literacy is nurtured through quality education the Organisation is achieving its mandate through the promotion of grassroots Science education by conducting several STEM Project Based Learning (PBL) programs in the local community schools targeting underprivileged primary and secondary school leaners, facilitated by volunteer STEM professionals.
The involvement of STEM professionals in the teaching sessions help in not only providing professional knowledge and scientific expertise, also to excite and motivate the young minds. Learners gain important success skills to help them excel in school programs and beyond, including time management, goal setting, information analysis, collaboration, and public speaking. The Organisation acts as a bridge between the theoretical formal classroom setup with the real world applicability of science by making STEM education informative, exciting, interactive and accessible to everyone while leveraging the innate desire and passion of learners towards science. Apart from the traditional classroom setup, the Organisation conducts community based science education activities through public science awareness campaigns and science fairs where members of the public have an opportunity to learn and appreciate PBL science education in informal and engaging ways.
The STeM Zambia Initiative (SZI) project appreciates the value of science education as excellences in STEM skills are essential requirements for the work force in our global, knowledge based, and innovative economy, hence the importance to promote the transformation of science education by improving how it is delivered to the learners.
