The programme, which runs alongside the standard school curriculum, is designed to practically immerse students into the world of digital technology, with a special focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI), coding and programming.

The expansion follows the success of the pilot run last academic term at Ho’s St. Cecilia Roman Catholic Junior High School in the Volta Region, which earned strong positive feedback from both students and educators.

The official roll-out event of the extended programme, which took place at the Tema Community 8 No. 3 Primary and Junior High School, brought together the Tema Metropolitan Education Director, pupils from the participating schools, School Improvement Support Officers (SISO), teachers and implementing partner, Mingo Foundation.

Speaking at the event, Mrs. Bernice Ofori, the Tema Metropolitan Director of Education said the DigiTech Academy is a game-changer for STEM education and a bold step that feeds into the vision of the city to become a hub of innovation.

"The practical delivery of the Telecel Digitech Academy will bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and its real-life application. I encourage every pupil benefiting from this learning opportunity to embrace it with enthusiasm, dedication and most importantly, apply these skills to solve problems and thrive in the digital economy in future," Mrs. Ofori added.

The Telecel DigiTech programme combines weekly in-person instruction and virtual learning in the schools’ computer labs, while providing students with hands-on experience in fields like coding, AI, and data science. Telecel Ghana Foundation also handed over cutting-edge coding and robotics kits to all the participating schools for the programme.

Head of Foundation, Sustainability and External Communications at Telecel Ghana, Rita Agyeiwaa Rockson said the purpose of Digitech Academy is to level the playing field by equipping pupils with STEM skills and digital capabilities to compete with their counterparts globally on an equal scale.

“With the expanded DigiTech programme, we are giving these young students the resources and knowledge to become the next generation of innovators and problem solvers. The 13 schools were selected from 5 regions in consultation with the various municipal education directorates and support from the National STEM center. Our goal is to impact pupils across the 16 regions of Ghana with this programme”.

After the event, some of the students joined an introductory lesson on AI in the computer lab of Archbishop Andoh Roman Catholic School in Tema, with an instructor demonstrating how digital tools and resources will be integrated into the DigiTech Academy learning experience.

For Elijah Osei, a second-year junior high school pupil of Tema Comm. 8 No. 3 School, this learning experience will give him the chance to explore his curiosity for technology.

"A lot of the things we learn in I.T. are not practised so these weekly sessions will improve our practical understanding of digital technology and the opportunities in that field. I can’t wait to see where it leads."

With its focus on hands-on learning, innovation, and real-world skills, Telecel’s Digitech Academy is set to equip students with the digital skills to compete globally and excel in an increasingly technology-driven world.