Press Release:

2,700 Young Innovators Set to Shine in Tech Challenge Kenya October 5-6

Sept. 25, Nakuru, Kenya — The Tech Challenge Kenya 2024 Showcase will take place on October 5th and 6th, marking a significant milestone in expanding STEAM education across Kenya. After a successful first year, the event has grown exponentially and continues to equip Kenya’s youth with the skills and mindsets they need to be innovation leaders in Africa’s Silicon Savannah.

Since 1986, thousands of students in Silicon Valley have participated in The Tech Challenge, an engineering education program for 4-12 grade students that encourages teams to design and create their own solutions to real-world problems. In June 2023, The Tech Interactive, a world-renowned science and technology center in San Jose, California, held its first-ever international Tech Challenge showcase in Kenya, proving that the program could cross cultural and language barriers. Through months of collaboration, students engaged deeply with the inaugural challenge, documenting their progress and refining their solutions.

"This challenge is about more than just engineering. It’s fostering a new way of learning that emphasizes critical soft skills like teamwork, leadership, and the ability to learn from failure," said Shital Patel, Director of Kenya Expansion at The Tech Interactive. "These students are gaining experiences that go beyond the classroom, preparing them to be adaptable problem-solvers and future leaders who can thrive in a rapidly changing world."

The 2024 Challenge: Kuvuka Mabonde - Rock the Ravine
This year’s challenge, “Kuvuka Mabonde - Rock the Ravine,” which invites students to design a device that helps people cross a ravine safely, was inspired by a real event in 2016 in Burgei, Nakuru county, when heavy rains caused a bridge to collapse. The community lost access to a nearby ward, and students couldn’t reach their school. Students have been asked to work as engineers to find an innovative solution, mirroring the real-life needs of communities across Kenya.

This year's event highlights an impressive expansion from 2023, emphasizing the importance of hands-on STEM learning for the country's future. In 2023, the event featured 750 students from 5 schools in Nakuru, supported by 45 teachers and evaluated by 60 judges in a one-day event.

Now, in 2024, the program has expanded to include 2,700 students from more than a dozen school partners across three counties, with 140 teachers and 150 judges from leading companies like Safaricom PLC, Amazon, and Microsoft. This two-day event is the culmination of one year of hard work, designed to encourage critical thinking, collaboration, and creative problem-solving in real-world scenarios.

"The Tech Challenge has allowed us to expand engineering and innovation opportunities for children in Kenya and across Africa, bringing Silicon Valley’s best practices into our classrooms,” said Dr. Shikoh Gitau, CEO of Qhala and the first international board member of The Tech Interactive. “As Africa is set to become the world's workforce, The Tech is positioned to nurture the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers, driving sustainable growth and development in our communities."

At the Final Showcase, more than 500 Kenyan teams from 5th to 12th grade will present their designs, testing their engineering solutions in front of volunteer judges from some of the world’s leading companies. The event, which is free and open to the public, takes place on October 5 and 6 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.at Melvin Jones Lions Academy in Nakuru.

For more information about The Tech Challenge Kenya and this year’s showcase, visit thetech.org/kenya.

Media Contact:
media_community@thetech.org