The Royal Iwere Foundation (RIF), the humanitarian arm of the Warri Kingdom Monarchy held the maiden edition of its STEM Hub Boot Camp for children at the STEM and Innovation Centre in Iyara from Monday 22 April to Friday 26 April 2024. RIF partnered with the office of the Special Adviser on SDG, Delta State – Diana Eyo-Enoette and TakeLead Technologies to mentor 25 children aged 7 – 12 across six schools in Iyara community of Warri: Monesto School, Holy Cross School, Morning Star School, Merit School, Great Knowledge School, and CleverMinds Free School.

The STEM Hub Boot Camp aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3, 4, 5, and 10. The boot camp offers a developmental curriculum and personalised learning skits tailored to young learners, taking into consideration their socio-cultural circumstances and educational backgrounds. Ayesha Elike, Founder of TakeLead Technologies and her team facilitated the interactive five-day boot camp teaching the children fundamentals of electronics, Arduino programming, coding, basic robotics, and STEM product innovation.

 On the programme’s grand finale and demo day, the children presented their STEM products, which include automated trash cans, code-controlled motor wheels, and motion-controlled LED lights, to special guests of the day; their teachers.

Visioner, RIF and Queen Consort of Warri Kingdom HRH Olori Atuwatse III commended the efforts of the children, partners, and foundation’s staff “This programme is a milestone accomplishment for quality foundational education in our region. Educating and empowering the youth of Warri Kingdom is crucial for our societal progress. Through initiatives like the STEM Hub Boot Camp, we ignite curiosity, encourage innovation, and cultivate resilience in our young people, keeping them gainfully engaged and shaping them into active contributors to our kingdom’s development and the nation.”

Diana Eyo-Enoette Special Assistant  to the Governor of Delta State on SDGs, applauded the facilitators and participating schools at the STEM Hub Boot Camp 1.0. She expressed her thoughts on the programme’s potential to revolutionise the learning experience of beneficiaries, especially in STEM. In her words “The programme aims to inspire and engage children, encouraging them to explore STEM and its potential for creating sustainable development solutions”. On the demo day, two teachers, Mrs Gold of Holy Cross School and Mrs Folake of Monesto School, expressed their enthusiasm for the programme and thanked the Monarchy for their efforts. They also encouraged the continuation and expansion of the programme to other schools across Warri and Delta State.

Speaking on the Continuation of the programme, Ogechukwuabiago Ezeobiorah, COO, RIF stated “Royal Iwere Foundation under the leadership of the Warri Kingdom Monarchy is pioneering STEM education by establishing a STEM lab and powering the STEM Hub Boot Camp because it believes in providing quality foundational education to the youth of Warri. The boot camp will metamorphose into a bi-weekly school club because continuing education is the key to the sustainable development of the children. RIF is open to partnering with individuals, organisations and institutions focused on nurturing children’s future in marginalised and underprivileged communities. We want to take this programme to other communities in Warri and beyond and establish more STEM Labs. Partner with us.”

The Royal Iwere Foundation (RIF) is a non-profit organisation established to educate, enlighten and empower the youth and people of Warri Kingdom for a brighter future. RIF is dedicated to fostering a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship through targeted SDG-oriented initiatives. For inquiries about RIF’s projects, visit www.rif.ng