Some 320 children with disabilities are to receive training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), including robotics, under the seventh phase of the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities’ (GCOPD) Inclusive Innovators programme.
The STEM and Life Skills Clubs for Children with Disabilities Programme, supported by ExxonMobil Guyana, was launched on September 25 at the company’s headquarters in Ogle, East Coast Demerara, according to a GCOPD release.
Nine Inclusive Innovators clubs will be maintained and three specialised STEM clubs established across Regions Two, Three, Four, Five and Six. Targeted sessions will also be held for children with disabilities in Regions One and Ten.
Training will include practical sessions, guest lectures, educational tours and special projects. All beneficiaries will receive rehabilitation counselling, while parents will participate in sensitisation sessions intended to help them support their children.
Delivering the feature address on behalf of Assistant Chief Education Officer for Special Education Needs Dr Keon Cheong, Dr Deborah London said the programme had helped children in special education schools better understand STEM and the career opportunities available in the field.
She urged that its success be measured by its impact on beneficiaries rather than solely by participation numbers. London also called for the programme’s curriculum to be adapted to better accommodate children with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities.
GCOPD Programme Manager Ganesh Singh said approximately 1,500 beneficiaries and their families across Guyana had benefited from the programme over the past seven years.
He said participants had been introduced to robotics, programming and STEM career pathways. The programme had also evolved to include life skills training in public speaking, problem solving, critical thinking and teamwork.
Singh encouraged children with disabilities to consider careers in STEM.
ExxonMobil Guyana’s Public and Government Affairs Manager Nakisha Burns said STEM education remained a key part of the company’s community investment programme. She said its support for the seventh phase reflected a commitment to creating opportunities for children with disabilities to learn and contribute.
Past beneficiary Mekyla Belgrave, who is blind, spoke about developing skills in coding, robotics and story creation through the programme.
She said the training had increased her knowledge of STEM and recalled participating in a mainstream robotics competition in which her team won a special prize.
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