CEMASTEA steps up STEM education in Taita Taveta
The Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) is stepping up efforts aimed at enhancing the performance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) -related subjects in Junior Schools (JS) in Taita Taveta County. The mentorship programme aims to equip JS learners and teachers with practical skills and knowledge for STEM education, under the Competency-Based Education (CBE).
The mentorship and outreach programme targets grade 8 and 9 learners in Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, Physics, and pre-technical studies and seeks to enhance their capacity in learning. The programme further seeks to motivate and inspire students to pursue STEM subjects as a way of upscaling the uptake of the subjects in Senior school, as part of the government’s initiative towards Vision 2030. Such initiatives are intended to support the 60 per cent transition of learners to the STEM pathway in senior school.
Speaking at Mwanyambo Junior School in Voi, CEMASTEA programme coordinator Joseph Kuria said the initiative is designed to inspire and equip junior school learners with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in STEM subjects. Mr. Kuria says the use of models and play-based learning removes the stereotypes that sciences are meant for specially gifted learners.
“When we spur them into STEM, as a nation, we gear towards the 4th industrial revolution. When they interact with laboratory apparatus and perform the experiments, even girls know that STEM education is not for boys and any student can excel in STEM,” he notes.
CEMASTEA hopes this will cultivate a generation of innovative learners poised to lead technological advancements in the country. During the five-day mentorship and outreach programme, CEMASTEA trainers are engaging teachers and students from several schools within four sub-counties of Taita Taveta County. The schools include: Mwanyambo, Mengo, Mlilo Junior Schools, in interactive STEM activities.
"This programme also showcases teachers' innovative activities that can enhance the teaching of STEM-related areas,” Kuria said. Kuria said CEMASTEA has developed innovative teaching and learning materials to promote the uptake of STEM education.
"The activities emphasize hands-on activities, allowing learners to interact with materials so they can become creative by themselves. We are saying, don't tell learners, let learners do," he said. The program also mentors teachers on how to use locally available materials to teach STEM subjects.
"We showcase activities in mathematics and activities that foster creativity in integrated science and ICT. Learners are benefiting from sessions on climate education to be able to innovate solutions for their communities as a way of building resilience against Climate change.
A pre-technical studies teacher at Mwanyambo Junior School Christine Mwatati affirms the STEM mentorship programme has ignited curiosity and interest in STEM amongst her students.
Mwatati says the initiative holds great promise in encouraging more learners to embrace the sciences and pursue STEM related courses at institutions of higher learning. She observes that models used at the CEMASTEA exhibition have simplified concepts in STEM and helped in transforming the perception of learners towards STEM. “The program will boost education outcomes among her students ,” she observes. Mwatati notes that the adoption of the theory-to-practice approach is necessary in making the teaching of sciences interactive and ensuring retention of knowledge among learners.
Wendy Kalega and Renold Manganga, students at Mwanyambu Junior school, say that through the mentorship programme, they have been able to learn complex concepts in Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
The students say exposure to the program has changed their attitude and misconceptions about the subjects and are looking forward to pursuing the STEM pathway in senior school.
Photo Captions- Clockwise:
IMG 1: A grade eight student using a Bunsen burner to burn a liquid in a test tube during the ongoing CEMASTEA STEM Mentorship and Outreach program at Mwanyambo Junior School in Voi Sub-County. The program is championing hands-on learning experiences to motivate and inspire students to pursue STEM subjects as a way of upscaling the uptake of the subjects in Senior School, as part of the government’s initiative towards Vision 2030.
IMG 2: A grade 9 student at Mengo Junior School in Taita Taveta County uses a Geoboard to calculate the area of a square during a five-day CEMASTEA STEM Mentorship and Outreach program in the county.
IMG 3: Grade 9 students at Mwanyambo JS in Taita Taveta County using a learning aid in Physics to study types , characteristics of waves and their uses in daily life during the CEMASTEA STEM Mentorship and Outreach program in the county. STEM trainers at CEMASTEA say the use of models and play based learning helps to simplify concepts in Science, Technology and Mathematics.
IMG 4 : Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Officer, CEMASTEA Patrick Wanjohi uses a Geographic Information System(GIS) map to illustrate the effects of deforestation in communities to grade 8 learners at Mengo Junior school in Taita Taveta County during a CEMASTEA STEM mentorship and Outreach program. CEMASTEA is empowering young learners with climate education to help innovate solutions to the effects of climate change in their communities.
Click and read more about the STEM outreach
1. Education News: https://educationnews.co.ke/cemastea-expands-stem-mentorship-drive-to-boost-science-learning-in-taita-taveta-schools/
2. Tsavo News: https://tsavomedia.co.ke/2026/05/12/cemastea-moves-to-counter-fear-of-mathematics-and-science-in-schools/
3. KNA: https://www.kenyanews.go.ke/cemastea-intensifies-stem-mentorship-drive-in-taita-taveta-schools/