Creativity and curiosity come alive in Lab_13 Ghana
How do you develop the skills and characteristics to be a scientist? The simple answer is: hands-on practice. A Wellcome Trust International Engagement Award is supporting an innovative, low-cost approach to practical science education in Ghana. Frances Ling from the Lightyear Foundation explains how the Lab_13 approach is inspiring the next generation of Ghanaian scientists…
Acids and bases demo at Lab_13 Ghana end of year celebration
Launched in the UK in 2009, the Lab_13 concept encourages students to investigate questions that they themselves suggest. “Why do some objects float and some sink?” “Why does food decay?” and “Why don’t we have hair on the palms of our hands?” are just a few questions posed during the pilot of Lab_13 Ghana.
To create a Lab_13 all you need is a dedicated space, a scientist in residence, a student management committee, and lots of questions!
I knew the Lab_13 model had strong potential, but my previous visits to Ghana revealed a number of cultural and practical differences that would need to be addressed in order to translate it successfully. Ghanaian students tend to be quiet recipients of knowledge from ‘all-knowing’ teachers and may be apprehensive of asking questions in case it shows them up as not understanding.
Another issue involved tackling the misconception that “doing” science requires specialist labs and equipment that only the richest schools have access to. We tried to address this by ensuring all the investigations and experiments use resources and materials that are easily and cheaply available in the local area – things that students are familiar with.
Alex, Myf, Saviour and Anisha
Lab_13 Ghana grew from a partnership between the Lightyear Foundation, a charity focused on science projects in Ghana, and Ignite!, the founders of Lab_13 in the UK. During a five month pilot, 30 schools, over 700 students and 65 teachers across the Bosomtwe district in Ghana participated in Lab_13 activities including science workshops, community lectures, international collaborations and more. All this was staffed by a team of just four Scientists in Residence – two from the UK and two from Ghana.
When I returned to Bosomtwe in July to celebrate end of pilot I was blown away by the changes I witnessed and the stories from students and teachers. It surpassed my wildest dreams about what could be achieved so quickly.
Inaugural Lab_13 Ghana Student Management Committee – Sylvester, Francis, Williams, Princess, Angela, Obed and Abdul
Teachers told me their students were more curious and confident, better able to observe and evaluate, and had greater ability to think rationally and draw conclusions. It was so gratifying to see the lab filled with children of all ages (and some adults) playing with science, laughing and experimenting.
The story of 14 year-old Samuel particularly stood out. He is an average student at Solid Hope Basic School, well-liked but quiet. In May, Samuel came to a Lab_13 Ghana Saturday Science Day, where he pulled apart broken electronics and see what could be built from the parts.
It is no exaggeration to say that this day was the start of something amazing for Samuel. He went on to design and create new devices, fix broken electronics for his friends and grow in confidence and self-esteem, in science and all subjects.
Samuel’s passion for science and invention came alive and is evident for all to see. A chance meeting at another Saturday Science Day led him to be sponsored to attend a hack day in Accra, the capital of Ghana (a five hour coach ride away) alongside university science and engineering students from across the country.
The participants were challenged to design, prototype and present ideas during the day for technological innovations. Samuel, working with fellow 14 year-old Perkins, made a solar backpack that charges devices while out-and-about – a great solution in a country with an erratic and unreliable energy supply and lots of sunshine.
Up against stiff competition, the back-pack won first prize, earning Samuel and Perkins a whopping 500GHC (around £100) each and a Raspberry Pi (a low cost, credit-card sized computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV) to take back to Bosomtwe. This is a fantastic achievement, and one that would not have been imagined by Samuel, his parents or his school at the start of the year.
Samuel and Perkins being awarded first prize in Ghana Science Hack Day
Samuel’s story fits perfectly with the vision for Lab_13 Ghana – to nurture future scientists, like him and Perkins. We want to inspire more students to study science and help to solve the challenges that Ghana faces – from providing reliable access to energy, to maximising natural resources.
Students at Solid Hope Basic School experimenting with electric circuits made from salt dough
With the help of a Wellcome Trust International Engagement Award, Lab_13 Ghana will be owned, developed and sustained within Ghana. We are currently working to double the number of students and teachers who can access Lab_13 Ghana, working with 60 schools across two locations.
The potential for Lab_13 is huge – it offers a way to transform science education with modest investment, low-cost materials and passionate scientists working alongside young people. And as Samuel demonstrates, the results can be amazing!
To find out more about Lab_13 Ghana visit the Lightyear Foundation website. You can find out more about applying for a Wellcome Trust International Engagement Award on our site and read about another project been funded by this scheme on the blog.
Image credits: All images courtesy of Lab_13 Ghana and the Lightyear Foundation.
I’m delighted to see that Lab13 is having such a positive impact in Ghana, just as it has had at our primary school in North London. We’ve been running a Lab13, complete with a fantastic Scientist in Residence, for a year and a half now and have seen not only soaring interest in and excitement about science, but growing skills in communication, team-working and creative thinking. Our children recently conducted the first ever randomised controlled trial of the alleged health benefits of Manuka Honey and presented their results at the Cheltenham Science Festival (the first children ever to have a stall at the Festival). The many benefits of the Lab13 approach have been documented in research by the Wellcome Trust, whose staff have visited on several occasions, while Ofsted’s head of science has also been highly complimentary.
However, we may not be able to keep Lab13 going for much longer. Primary school budgets are already stretched and we need funding to pay our Scientist in Residence. Our appeals to businesses and foundations – including the Wellcome Trust – have mostly been met with silence or with the repeated mantra, “we don’t provide money to individual schools.” Never mind that we’re already offering Lab13 lessons to neighbouring schools and, if we had the funds, would spread the concept and practice throughout our borough. Perhaps, in addition to supporting the excellent work being done in Ghana, the Trust could look into its own backyard (our school is in the Trusts’ neighbouring borough) and help us to go on inspiring children in the UK to love and understand science.
Claire Bolderson, Vice-Chair of Governors, Gillespie Primary School.
Hi,
Wow, really an awesome clicks. But the first one i liked most it’s really so funny click. Recently I had a trip to Accra which I booked through candotours.com&I am surprised that the Ghana people are really so helpful&intelligent also.I stay there for 10 days¬ feel that I am an unknown person there. They treated me like there nearest&dearest person.