Written by Heidi Barends, PhD
At the end of each year, we request nominations for the most transformative program. This is an esteemed award we bestow upon the programming team and institutional partner involved in delivering the program. No EDU Africa program is created in isolation – we work closely with educators to help bring their educational visions to light while offering our contextual knowledge and expertise where appropriate.
This year, all team members could nominate a program, provided it had been assessed using our transformation questionnaires (either for schools or higher education institutions) and the link to the relevant transformation report could be included with the nomination.
A judging panel consisting of senior EDU Africa team members from different countries reviewed each nomination based on its curriculum, reflection plan, and transformation results and reports to make their recommendations.
We are pleased to announce that this year’s winning program is the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s “Identity, Service, and Design in Kenya.”
This program was a hybrid experience, consisting of nine hours of online engagement over four months, followed by 20 consecutive days of in-country experience in Kenya. It focused on principles of human-centered design and creative problem-solving, with students collaborating alongside local industry and community leaders to understand and observe real-life challenges in the Maasai Mara. In so doing, students were exposed to the needs of communities in a context that may feel different from their own and had the opportunity to experience the challenges and benefits of working with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Some of the program highlights included:
Africa Young Entrepreneur Support (YES)
The YES program is dedicated to building a generation of young African social entrepreneurs and change-makers. This six-month, funded intensive program identifies, trains, and invests in young entrepreneurs to create sustainable and impactful ventures for the communities they serve. It equips participants with entrepreneurship, leadership, and business skills, providing them with the resources to discover unique opportunities, unlock their potential, and make a positive impact in their local areas.
iHub
Established in 2010, iHub is a creativity and innovation hub for information and communications technology (ICT) development. It has become a pioneering provider of incubation and acceleration programs for technology-oriented entrepreneurs and startups. As a membership-based support system, iHub gives its members access to networks of mentors, business coaches, and investors. It also offers a dynamic makerspace for members to collaborate and create within a community of like-minded individuals. Students visited iHub’s Nairobi office, where they experienced the makerspace firsthand, engaged with local innovators and business owners, exchanged ideas, and participated in various projects.
Kenyatta University Chandaria Incubation Center
Kenyatta University is a public research university with 13 campuses across Kenya, serving over 70,000 students. The university offers a broad range of courses in 19 schools, including Education, Law, Medicine, Economics, Creative Arts, Film, and Media Studies. Students visited the Chandaria Business Innovation and Incubation Centre, which aims to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among its students.
All the students who attended the program completed our pre- and post-program questionnaires, achieving a 100% response rate. They self-reported significant transformation through their participation, particularly in enhancing their intercultural competence. Congratulations to the programming team – Roseanne Kinyua, Prisca Nangabo, Lincoln Njiru, Rachel Njeri, and Eliud Kimani – as well as the faculty leaders for curating and facilitating such an impactful program!
