Tyrone Iras Marhguy, a GSTEP Youth Ambassador and recent General Science graduate of Achimota School, has won the gold medal for the American Mathematics Olympiad and was the overall national top scorer for 2023 after competing with over 150,000 students across the globe. Tyrone also achieved victory in the Vanda Science International Olympiad, earning his place in the silver category out of 38,000 participants from around the world.

As a Youth Ambassador for the Ghana Science & Tech Explorer Prize (GSTEP), Tyrone was taken through a series of masterclasses led by international experts to develop his knowledge and skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) while building his capacity to effect change in his community. The sessions covered rapid ideation, clearly communicating ideas effectively, interview skills, design thinking methods, and developing a prototype, among others.

Tyrone was also provided with a mentor who guided him through key focus areas including goal setting, presentation and communication skills, and confidence building, among many others. The impact of the programme is being seen in the recent records of Tyrone’s academic achievements in his WASSCE and SAT scores. Tyrone’s commitment and dedication to the GSTEP programmeme were remarkable, and it is no surprise that he continues to make a mark after completing the programme.

The GSTEP programme is in its third year, and over 21,000 young people have been engaged with the principles of practical STEM education while the capabilities of over 1,000 teachers have been enriched. On Thursday, January 25, 2024, over 500 finalists of the programme from the Greater Accra, Eastern, and Ashanti regions will showcase unique products developed to solve problems in their communities at an exhibition at the Accra International Conference Centre. Later that day, participants in the programme will be celebrated at a prestigious awards ceremony, during which the top performers of the GSTEP programme will be awarded.

The American Math Olympiad (AMO) is an international math competition for elementary, middle, and high school students that promotes the importance and deeper understanding of math, challenges the student, and at the same time promotes their interest in math. The Vanda Science International Olympiad is an international science competition held annually around the globe, and it focuses on the student’s ability to think critically and creatively to pick out hidden information to aid them in solving a question. The GSTEP programme continues to equip young Ghanaians to develop knowledge and skills and make an impact in their communities through practical STEM education.