CNN Inside Today to feature Dayspring Montessori International School robotics programme

Due to its consistent sterling performance in the junior category of the Robotics Inspired Science Education (RISE) competition, the Dayspring Montessori International School in Dansoman, Accra, has caught the attention of the US news television cable-network, CNN.

In its robotic documentary, expected to be aired on January 10, 2020, CNN will be featuring the Dayspring Montessori International School Robotic Engineering training programme that has made the school a leading performer in the robotics competition in the country.

The CNN Inside Africa team visited the school on Saturday to record a robotic training workshop held days after they took the second position in the highly competitive junior category of the RISE competition.

Having won the first competition last year, the school competed against other 18 schools in the junior and senior categories which tasked participants to design, build and programme robots to perform activities under two main categories.

Throwing more light on the programme before the documentary was recorded, the Principal of the School, Mrs Exonam Afeku Agyapon-Ntra, said the school introduced the study of basic Robotics Engineering training to its educational curriculum to enhance the study of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as well as encourage and develop the interest of the pupils in engineering skills.

 She said the school partnered Mint Innovation, a robotics company to introduce the course to the kids.

Mrs Agyapon-Ntra said although the study was expensive, the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) assisted in acquiring basic tools and materials to ensure the effective training of the children in the subject.

“In 2013 we introduced the study of robotics and the PTA in collaboration with the school bought a set of equipment to begin the training.

“Because, we understand the direction things are going in the world, if kids do not have knowledge in STEM they would be lagging behind. It is therefore, appropriate to introduce them to basic robotics engineering,” Agyapon-Ntra said.

She said, since 2013 the school had won many awards in robotics competitions organised by the Ghana Robotics Academy Foundation programmes.

“So, September this year, we decided to introduced the concept from kindergarten and we contacted Mint Innovation to introduce their curriculum to the school,” she said.

Mr Benjamin Nortey, Chief Executive Officer of Mint Innovation, said they were working with schools to introduce robotics curriculum to get children prepared for the future of work.

“Because currently artificial intelligence is going to bring the biggest revolution and so we are training these kids to have knowledge in robotics,” he said.