PRESEC wins first Space Research Competition in Ghana

The 2018 World Space Week event hosted by the All Nations University College saw the emerging of the first high school student heroes in Space Science in Ghana. The World Space Week is a global event that celebrates the contributions of Space Technology to human life.

The 2018 event in Ghana was unique and featured the First Space Research and Presentation Competition for High Schools in Ghana. The event saw some high schools in Ghana competing over the presentation of their research work in Space Science.

Not being a dull atmosphere at all, each school after their presentation received a lot of questions from the others. At the end of the first round, the 3 bold and brilliant girls from the Methodist Girls’ Senior High (MEGISS) in Manfe Akwapen in the Eastern Region outweighed all the other schools with an outstanding presentation which commanded a standing ovation.

Two other schools, which is the Presbyterian Boys’ Senior High (PRESEC), Legon, Accra, and the Pentecost Senior High School (PENSEC) in Koforidua graduated with them to the final round. However, in the final round, it rather appeared the MEGISS queens had dedicated most of their efforts into their first research work and were found a little wanting in the second. The PRESECANS taking advantage of their situation massacred them and took the day.

Sparking a very cheerful moment for them, the 3 reserved but tactical boys from PRESEC emerged the High School Space Icons for 2018.

The conductor of the event, Ernest Teye Matey, who is a member of the development team behind Ghana’s first satellite , GhanaSat-1, said the event was organized to use Space Technology to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in Ghana.

It was purposed to promote Quality Education, Gender Equality and Innovation. He said the Satellite engineers after the GhanaSat-1 achievement have organized similar educative programs for high schools in using the satellite as a tool to deliver knowledge and training in Science Technology Engineering Mathematics and Innovations (STEMI). The whole idea for this competition was to get the students to begin to see the internet as a useful learning tool and that is why the research topics given them had most of its findings on the internet.

Though the PRESECANS took the day, looking at what the girls from MEGISS did in the first round gives us hope that there is a greater future for Space Technology in Ghana if we make it more attractive from the senior high School level. Due to their performance, the girls will be considered by the ANU-SSTL outreach office as their SDG ambassadors to high schools for 2018/2019

He said, the 2018 competition is just a pilot project and will henceforth be an annual competition. Though there was wish to include a lot more schools for this year, we could not risk inviting them over due to insufficient sponsorship. However for next year, we plan an inter-regional research competition of the same kind and the All Nations University is committed to achieve it so as to continue to promote quality and practical education in Ghana.

The spirit of the ANU-SSTL to promote Space Technology in Ghana and their already accomplished ventures attracted the Executive Director of the World Space Week Global to deliver the keynote address for the event in Ghana aside the over 4,000 events happening throughout the world. This was done to honor the competition and congratulations to the PRESCANS!!