Ambassador Sullivan’s Remarks at
Ghana Robotics Academy Foundation’s National Awards Ceremony
January 22, 2022, 9:00 am
Chairman of today’s event, Reverend Kwesi Dickson;
Professor Elsie Effah Kaufmann of the University of Ghana;
Mr. Yaw Okraku-Yirenkyi and Mr. George Ollennu, Founding Members of the Ghana Robotics Academy Foundation;
Mr. Julian Bennet of Academic City University College;
Mr. Alfred Nortey from the Ministry of Communication & Digitalisation;
Mr. Kwamina Asomaning, CEO of Stanbic Bank;
Lt. Kofi Sagoe from the Ghana Navy;
Mr. Andrew Takyi-Appiah of Zeepay Ghana Limited;
Supporters of GRAF and STEM education in Ghana;
Proud parents and family;
This year’s award winners;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
All protocols observed:
Good Morning!
I’m so pleased to be here at the invitation of the Ghana Robotics Academy Foundation to participate in this year’s awards ceremony and to honor the achievements of this year’s competitors.
The last two years have not been easy for anyone. I’m sure all of you had challenges in transitioning to online and virtual competitions. But today’s awardees have gone above and beyond to excel in robotics projects and competitions. Congratulations to all the students who competed this year!
We know that Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education is extremely important for today’s students and for the careers of tomorrow. We know also that students need to be challenged and inspired to apply what they’ve learned in real life. That’s where GRAF and these robotics competitions come to life. They challenge students to apply what they’ve learned to real life scenarios, while building the skills they will need in future careers.
The U.S. Embassy has supported GRAF and its mission almost from the start. We believe in the potential of young Ghanaians to learn, apply, innovate, and succeed. We’re living in a world driven by science and technology. Even those of you who will not work directly in a STEM field in the future will need STEM-related knowledge and skills.
Studies from around the world show that STEM fields will continue to offer increasing employment and career opportunities far into the future. So STEM is not just fun – like these competitions – it also can provide you a strong and successful career path. I’m happy to see girls represented among this year’s winners – and I’m especially proud to see women coaches of some of these teams.
But we need more girls and women involved in STEM. And it can start with you – encouraging and inviting your female classmates to join your team or to compete against you.
That might intensify the competition a bit, but it will also make you a stronger competitor. I also want to encourage all of you –each of you who competed in robotics competitions this year – to become familiar with EducationUSA.
EducationUSA is the U.S. Government’s advising service for students who want to study in the United States. We have many of the best STEM schools in the world. I encourage all of you attend an EducationUSA information session to find out more about opportunities to study in the United States.
You can find more about EducationUSA on the Embassy’s website or by following us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter @ USEmbassyGhana. I’m excited to hear more about these projects and the competitions over the past year. I’m even more excited to hear about what you do in the future and how you apply what you’ve learned to change the world for the better.
This reminds me of the adinkra symbol, “Nea Onnim No Sua A, Ohu,” which means that “He who does not know, can know from learning.”
Thank you for your kind attention. Ayekoo … to everyone who competed this year!
