September 2018
New Era College of Arts, Science and Technology (NEC) attended the 2018 the Science, Technology and Innovation Week (STI Week) held from the 10th – 14th of September 2018, in Mochudi.
The fair was held under the theme: “Science, Technology & Innovation; The Future of the Nation. Translated in Tswana, the theme was: “Maranyane le Boitsaanape; Bokamoso jwa Chaba ya rona. Various organisations were in attendance, displaying and sharing information on innovative expertise or exhibiting their products and services.
New Era College showcased the EdgeFX STEM Kits to the general public. The STEM kits are a pre-engineering and training programme for primary, junior and senior secondary school levels across Botswana. The programme targets learners of all ages, starting from learners as young as 8 years old. The STEM Kits encourage students to tinker and experiment, which subsequently empowers them to develop acute problem-solving and analytical skills.
The Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, Honourable Ngaka Ngaka and other government officials attended the event. The Minister highlighted that realising gratuities of investments in research and innovation started with enhancing scientific literacy in young people, by involving them in science & technology activities and inspiring them to become inventors and innovators. He went on to urge the youth to have confidence in themselves and to pursue their dreams, as everyone has the innate capacity to be an innovator. “The theme “Science, Technology, and Innovation: Future of our Nation,” speaks to the importance of harnessing STI for the benefit of the nation,” Hon Ngaka Ngaka said.
The STI week gave the students a learning opportunity as well as the chance to select among the engineering and technology careers options presented by the companies in attendance.