The gesture, the Government said, was to promote the study of Science, Technology and Engineering Mathematics (STEM) to meet the needs of industry players.
Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, the Deputy Minister of Education, announced this in Accra at the closing ceremony of the GMSP, organized by the AIMS Ghana.
The ceremony saw all 35 girls from 29 Senior High Schools (SHS) across the country receive certificates of participation.
Launched in November 2020 by AIMS Ghana as part of the implementation of the UNESCO Category II Agreement with Ghana, the GMSP is an exciting and challenging 9-month programme created for bright, curious, and creative female high school students to unlock their potential in the mathematical sciences.
The programme seeks to mentor beneficiaries to pursue STEM careers at the highest level in research, training, and industry.
It also created a special class of students who will lead cutting-edge research and innovation in the next few years.
The Deputy Minister of Education expressed excitement and enthusiasm at how zealous the girls had been to complete the 9-month course in combination with their mainstream academics, describing the GMSP as a game-changing initiative.
“UNESCO has projected that in the next 30 years, there is going to be a massive expansion in access to education; more people will receive education than has ever been recorded in the history of mankind.”
“But the Education Commission also argues that, while there may be many people receiving education, if nothing changes by the year 2030, 825 million young people will reach adulthood without the skills, necessary to thrive in today’s changing world.” he said.
Rev Fordjour advised the girls to look into the top 10 emerging jobs and declining jobs according to the World Economic Forum, to realize how important it was to build a strong foundations in the Mathematical Sciences.
Dr. Prince Koree Osei, Centre President, AIMS Ghana, in his congratulatory message to the girls, reiterated that the girls were selected for their brilliance and excellence within their various SHSs and different courses including Visual Arts, Business, General Arts and General Science.
“With the exposure, AIMS has given them, they should be stimulated and supercharged to bring closer the aspirations of AIMS by becoming the next generation of Africa’s Einsteins,” he said.
Ms Adelaide Asante, Chief Operating Officer, AIMS Ghana, thanked the Government and all stakeholders for funding the programme and supporting the implementation of the GMSP and other programmes at AIMS Ghana.
She commended the 29 headteachers and focal persons from the high schools of the girls and their parents and guardians for the tremendous support during the period.
Through the entire programme, the girls were taken through online Masterclass sessions with top researchers/scientists who discussed cutting edge research in diverse fields.
Residential sessions involved mini-courses such as Quantum Space-Time, Climate Change Science, Biostatistics, Stochastics as well as Quantum Information and Mathematical Problem Solving.
Other activities included industrial visits to Ghana Tech Lab, and Ghana Atomic Energy Commissions, fireside chats, universities/scholarships talk sessions with both Ghanaian and Foreign Universities among others.
Each girl was also assigned a female mentor to help groom and guide career choices, geared towards laying a foundation for a career in STEM.
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