In furtherance of Interswitch’s commitment to reward and inspire students’ interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), select staff of Interswitch Group recently had one day specially dedicated to teaching STEM subjects at Agidingbi Senior Grammar School in Lagos.
Under the Interswitch Volunteer Network program, select staff of Interswitch Group visited the school and taught Chemistry, Physics, Further Mathematics and Biology to SS1, SS2 and SS3 students.
InterswitchSPAK, a CSR initiative of Interswitch Group, is a pan-African science competition designed to empower students studying STEM. The initiative was introduced for high school students to develop, ignite and chart career paths in STEM fields, while driving them towards optimizing their potentials to make Africa a better place.
Enyioma Anaba, Group Head, Corporate Marketing at Interswitch Group, noted that the goal of the initiative is to contribute to Nigeria and Africa’s quest to drive up interest in STEM.
She said: “At Interswitch we are committed to providing mentorship which is why the Interswitch Volunteer Network program is a critical part of the InterswitchSPAK Switch-a-Future initiative. The aim is use the program to expand the desired impact of the InterswitchSPAK initiative. With the program we are connecting more Interswitch staff with more secondary school students to provide mentorship while reiterating the importance of STEM to the students, the nation and the Africa continent”.
She explained that the goal of the InterswitchSPAK project is to encourage students to be interested in and possibly seek opportunities in the tech space. “We want to catch them young. As the world gradually gravitates towards technology, the future of work becomes more and more hinged on higher levels of productivity, innovation, and automation. Therefore, it is important that the younger generation is primed for this shift as they would be at the forefront of rapid adoption of the machine age”, she added.
Kola Odesanmi, Principal of Agidingbi Senior Grammar School, thanked Interswitch staff for creating time to teach the students, and encourage them in the STEM space. He said, “STEM education is becoming increasingly important in the light of the growing interconnectedness occasioned by the emerging digital society.”
He called on other corporate organizations to follow the good example that the Interswitch Group has set, by investing in young students who are the future of the country.
The Interswitch Volunteer Network program is in its second year. The maiden edition of the volunteer drive was held last year in two secondary schools; Ajuwon High School and Community High School Ojodu-Abiodun, Ogun State. The program has not only impacted the young students but also influenced conversations around teens, technology and human potential.
