Taking Local to Global: Humber College Supports STEM Education for Girls in Kenya

Humber College’s Community Outreach and Workforce Development (COWD) travels to Kenya for the STEM Education for Empowerment Project to determine how to contribute to the project’s success.

Humber's Community Outreach and Workforce Development works with community stakeholders (government agencies, organizations, municipalities, NGOs) to examine how to increase access to equity-deserving communities. COWD's local contribution takes on a global approach as part of the STEM Education for Empowerment Project (STEEP).

The STEM Education for Empowerment Project, funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada and The Barrett Family Foundation, will enhance gender equality and empowerment of adolescent girls (aged 14-18) from marginalized communities in Kenya and Ethiopia. It will do so by supporting adolescent girls in and out of school with the knowledge, skills, and support systems they need to pursue education and employment in the STEM sectors.

From April 18 to May 2, 2024, COWD's Nabeel Rahman, Manager of Community and Partnership Development, travelled to Kenya with Clarisse Estebar, International Development Project Lead of STEEP, to meet with implementing Kenyan partner, CAP Youth Empowerment Institute Kenya (CAPYEI) and other community partners to determine how COWD can support adolescent girls in and out of school, and contribute to the project's success.

Rahman visited Homabay, Kakamega, Kisii, Kisumu, Nyeri, and Siaya County. He spoke with the secondary school administration to discuss programs for adolescent girls in school, the stigma of girls in STEM, limited resources at secondary schools, and opportunities for engagement to increase girls in STEM. The visits and conversations allowed Rahman to understand the local context to collect data for a needs assessment.

Rahman's experience conducting needs assessments and identifying emerging trends for community needs working with youth and within local communities in Canada allowed him to identify needs and suggest pragmatic and practical interventions within the Kenyan context.

"You can see parallels between STEEP and COWD's Youth Transition Program. We're helping youth navigate what post-secondary will look like, so that is the exploration and discussion of life skills. It's not just knowing the path; it's supporting someone walking that path, which we see with STEEP. Adolescent girls in and out of school learn technical skills, but they're also learning soft and life skills, time management, decision-making, and more."

Based on the visits and conversations with CAPYEI, secondary school administration, and other community partners, suggested interventions must be relative and accessible to secondary schools under STEEP, which include providing access to resources, mentorship with local professionals, teaching and training, and digital training. Despite secondary schools having limited resources, Rahman indicates that "you have to maximize the available resources, which is all about becoming efficient and effective in the tools that are currently present."

COWD's presence in Kenya and contribution to the project will further STEEP's overall objective to enhance gender equality and empowerment of adolescent girls in and out of school by addressing systemic and cultural barriers to girls in STEM education.

"The resilience of any student and those girls trying to break that stigma is amazing. The resilience in under-resourced communities always shines when provided with opportunity."

Learn more about STEEP at idi.humber.ca.