The quest to find problem-solvers to critical societal challenges from the Ashanti region is on as the committee for the Asantehene’s 25th-anniversary celebration officially launches the Otumfuo STEM festival.

In collaboration with the Ashanti Regional Education Directorate, the competition would see 50 basic and senior high schools in the Ashanti region showcase their innovative solutions to societal challenges.

Selected from the over 2,000 basic schools and senior high schools in the Ashanti region, at least fifty schools will be participating in the maiden Otumfuo STEM festival.

The academic decathlon would see participating schools showcase various technology-based projects to challenges in sanitation, agriculture, and other sectors of the economy.

The competition is in celebration of the Asantehene’s silver jubilee anniversary and in line with the king’s initiative to promote education in the region.

Chairperson of the 25th-anniversary committee, Juabenhene, Nana Otuo Siriboe II, believes the competition would hone the skills of participants.

“Before the white man came, we used to follow our fathers to the farms to learn a skill. But now, things have changed so the children are not abreast of some of these skills. Through this initiative, the children will be able to proffer solutions to our challenges,” he said.

Best performing schools will be selected from six zones under the regional education districts to exhibit their projects at the grand finale of the competition in September 2024.

The grand finale is expected to happen at the newly commissioned Otumfuo Osei Tutu II hall.

Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Dr William Kwame Amankrah Appiah is optimistic of the potential benefits of the event to students and the country.

“This would expose the children to more innovative and creative ideas to challenges we face as a country. It cannot always be that the children are only given theoretical tuition without applying some of these skills. There are plans to scale up some of these projects,” he said.

The regional competition is expected to be replicated every year.