STEM Centers & their Locations

Scaling pre-university STEM enrichment from community to national reach

 

Until recently, most students in East African schools had only books to study science&engineering, due to limited access to educational labs and real lab equipment.  The Ethiopian government had a good plan to upgrade and expand the labs in their many universitiess, but STEM education in primary and secondary schools was barely considered.

The situation dramatically changed in 2009 when the GFCT Trust (the predecessor to STEM Synergy) constructed its first special-purpose STEM Center, near a primary school in Bishoftu city, in the industrial corridor of Ethiopia’s capital city Addis Ababa.  No multi-discipline pre-university STEM Center had ever been established in Subsahara Africa, so we created a new practical extendable building design that would house labs, administration, equipment storage, and a large auditorium suitable for science fairs and community meetings.

 

Foka Science & Engineering Center, the first STEM Center in Ethiopia

The results were so spectacular that the Foka STEM Center sent shock waves through Ethiopia’s Ministry of Education.  The government realized it now had a real replicable solution to offer hands-on STEM education to the nation.  Moreover, each site would be individually expandable, to meet the needs of the local community as well as foster local innovation.  Further, every STEM Center in this growing web could each host national forums and events. 

During Foka’s initial electronics, computer and mechanical labs labs, 7th graders, December 2012

Each STEM Center performs mentoring using a combination of system-wide curricula and local specialties.  System-wide curricula includes electronics engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer skills instruction. 

STEM Synergy continues to establish more STEM Centers, always searching for local vendors, increased efficiency, and coordinated feedback.

To ensure sustainability and continuous impact , all STEM Centers are formally and legally handed over to their local associated university or community after two years of support and capacity building by STEM Synergy.

Locations of  STEM centers built by STEM Synergy Ethiopia.

#

Name of Center

City,
Region

Project Status & Management

        Contact

Website

Mobile

E-mail

1

Foka Science and Engineering  Center

Beshoftu, Oromiya

Implemented & transferred  to  Oromia Education Bureau

(+251)
929933010

 tesfayewtwd@gmail.com 

www.fokasciencecenter.org

2

Kallamino STEM Center

Mekele, Tigray

Implemented & transferred to Tigrai Education Bureau

(+251)
920864574

getwaydan@gmail.com

www.tdaint.org/index.php/kalamino_stem

3

Gondar Univ Science Center

Gondar, Amhara

Implemented & transferred to Gondar Municipality

(+251)
918729057

workiegirma@gmail.com

gondarajjdc.wixsite.com/gondarsciencecenter

4

Bahir Dar Univ STEM Incubation center

Bahir Dar, Amhara

Implemented & Transferred to Bahirdar University

(+251)
918353445

tesfayes@bdu.edu.et

www.bdu.edu.et/stem

5

AASTU Univ STEM center

Addis Ababa, chartered city

Implemented & transferred to Addis Ababa Science & Technology University

(+251) 913628761

 alebetl2000@gmail.com

www.aastu.edu.et/sm/pages/stem.html

6

Addis Ababa Science Museum

Addis Ababa, Federal

Implemented & transferred to Addis Ababa Science & Technology University

(+251)
913628761

alebetl2000@gmail.com

www.aastu.edu.et/sm/pages/museum.html

7

ASTU Univ STEM center

Adama, Oromiya

Implemented & transferred to Adama Science & Technology University

(+251)
911551174

dsdalemayehu@gmail.com

www.astu.edu.et

8

Hawassa  University STEM center

Hawassa, Southern (SNNPR)

Implemented & transferred to Awassa University

(+251)
928684906

gtinig2009@yahoo.com

www.hwustem.org

9

Jigjiga Mini-STEM  Center

Jigjiga, Ethiopian Somali State

Implemented & transferred to Jijiga University

(+251) 257755947

biojohn21@yahoo.com

www.jju.edu.et

10

Asaita Univ Mini-STEM Center

Asaita,
Afar

Implemented & transferred to Afar Education Bureau

(+251)
921326139

alimgt2012@yahoo.com

www.facebook.com/Mohammed-Hanfere-School-STEM-Center-1723851311237296

11

Assosa Univ Mini-STEM Center

Asossa, Beneshangul

Implemented & transferred to Assosa Education Office

(+251) 921816020

hamadis2012@gmail.com

www.asu.edu.et

12

Wollega Univ STEM center

Nekemet, Oromiya

Implemented & transferred to Wellega University

(+251) 930300124

  (+251) 922224949

tifsehits@gmail.com

bamayou@gmail.com

www.wollegauniversity.edu.et

13

Kotebe Univ Science Shared Campus

Addis Ababa
chartered city

Implemented & transferred to Kotebe Metropolitan University

(+251)
911634301

sile_y@yahoo.com

www.kmu.edu.et/index.php/news/170-science-shared-campus

14

Liqa School Mini STEM Center 

Sodo,
Wolaita

Implemented & transferred to Liqa boarding school

(+251)
916582355

goa.ase@gmail.com

wolaittada.org/wls.html

15

Ethiopia Academy of Sciences

Addis Ababa
chartered city

STEM Synergy still funding it 
(+251)
935987641
masresha.fetene@eas-et.org
Masresha Fetene
eas-et.org/

16

Addis Ababa Institute of Technology

Addis Ababa
chartered city

Implemented & transferred to Addis Ababa Institute of technology (+251)
911233241
yalemzewdn@yahoo.com www.aait.edu.et/

17

Debremarkos STEM Center

Debremarkos, Amhara

STEM Synergy still funding it  (+251)
9290777
mihretalemayehu@gmail.com
Dr. Tafere Melaku
(Univ president)
http://www.dmu.edu.et
18

Dilla U
STEM Center

Dilla, Souhern (SNNPR) STEM Synergy still funding it  (+251)
930507192   – or – 982003791
Fendale76@gmail.com
Dr. Firehiwot Endal
(R&T Xfer VP)
http://portal.du.edu.et
19

Haramaya U
STEM Center

 Dire Dawa chartered city STEM Synergy still funding it  (+251)
912441024

Asfaw649@gmail.com

Dr. Asfaw Kebede
(Asst Prof Hydrology & Water Engineering 

http://www.haramaya.edu.et
20

Gode Polytch
STEM Center

Gode,
Ethiopian Somali
STEM Synergy still funding it (+251)
0915747716
Nigeriagodey12@gmail.com
Mohamed Abdi
(Dean)
 

21

Kebridahar U STEM Center Kebri Dahar,
Ethiopian Somali
STEM Synergy still funding it (+251)
911268822
raabbiyey@gmail.com
Abdulfeta Ahmed
(VP Admin)
 https://kdu.edu.et

22

Harar  STEM Center

 Harar.
Harari
STEM Synergy still funding it  (+251)
256661889
afendiabdulwasi@yahoo.com
Afendi Abdulwasi
(Educ Bureau)
 
 22

Woldiya U STEM Center

Woldiya,
Semien Wollo
STEM Synergy still funding it  (+251)
935990957
dawit@post.bgu.ac.il
Dr. Dawit Melese
(VP Research)
 

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