9ijakids, a Founder Institute portfolio company recently secured a N5m STEM grant from Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC).
The announcement was made at the Art Of Technology 2.0 (AOT Lagos) by the Lagos state government.
LASRIC aims to make Lagos State one of the world’s knowledge hubs through the application of Science and Technology, thereby promoting innovation in healthcare, education and STEM.
9ijakids employs games as a learning tool to assist children to develop an online learning experience entrepreneurial mindset.
Speaking on the STEM grant, 9ijakids Co-founder, Titi Adewusi said, “what I proposed was that we need to be at public schools across all the 6 districts of Lagos and get them to play the game”
According to Titi, kids in these schools lack the devices, technology and internet to access these games, therefore the 9ijakids team made the games available on phones for the kids.
“The idea is to open their mind to using technology learn in fun and engaging way. They look forward to it and at the end of the day, they have learnt something new and they want more” Titi explained
She noted that through 2021, 9ijakids plans to hold 18 sessions, with an average of 240 kids in each session while also holding 3 sessions for teachers about STEM and educative games.
During that period, the targeted kids will have access to the games either on their devices or their parents’
“It is like carrying out a cooperate social responsibility, and luckily we have the grant to execute them”
While still emphasising the importance of games to learning, Adewusi insisted that when kids do activities in a fun way, it gets them engaged and they tend to effortlessly remember
“That’s what game does, it helps you motivated, with games you keep their attention.”, she said.
While advising emerging entrepreneurs on raising funds, Titi advised that they should bring technology to the grass root and seek like minds.
“It should be a win-win situation, it’s not about achieving your own objective, but their own as well”, She concluded
Featured Image: Titi Adewusi, CO-founder, 9ijakids
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