Young Scientists Kenya (YSK) in partnership with the Ministry of Education, The Embassy of Ireland, and BLAZE by Safaricom have today kicked off the annual four-day National Science and Technology Exhibition for secondary school students.
The exhibition, which was officially kicked off by H.E President Uhuru Kenyatta, will showcase 111 entries by 214 students from 30 counties via YSK’s platform www.yskexhibition.co.ke/register. It is the culmination of an online adaptation of YSK’s outreach and mentorship programme that has reached over 100,000 students from all 47 counties since 2018.
“The theme of this year’s exhibition is ‘Securing Our Future with STEM,’ as we have put significant effort into inclusivity and ensuring that no one is left behind. We are pleased with the diversity of the projects received from across the country, and I look forward to an exciting virtual exhibition that will showcase the talent and creativity of Kenya’s budding scientists,” said Loise Kinyanjui, YSK Executive Director.
The exhibition, which closes on Friday 8th October, will see overall winners take home KES 50,000 each, with runners up taking home KES 40,000 and smartphones from Safaricom. The overall winners will also receive scholarships at Strathmore University.
Four category awards will also be up for grabs, with winning students set to receive KES 30,000 each, while the first and second runners up will receive KES 20,000 and KES 10,000 respectively. The categories are: Chemical, Physical and Mathematical Sciences; Technology; Biological and Ecological Sciences; and Social and Behavioral Sciences.
BLAZE by Safaricom has provided a KES 9 million sponsorship as well as KES 750,000 worth of airtime towards the event. BLAZE will also award the overall winners with smartphones, while students in second and third positions will each receive headphones.