The Tech Challenge Kenya Earns ASTC Leading Edge Award

The Tech Interactive Honored with ASTC Leading Edge Award for Scaling Design Challenge Learning in Kenya

Program has trained nearly 20,000 teachers and reached more than 568,000 students in just three years.

We are excited to share that The Tech Interactive has received the 2025 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Award from the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC)! This recognition celebrates the impact of our Design Challenge Learning (DCL) Teacher Trainer Program in Kenya, which is transforming how students learn and teachers teach across Nakuru and Kisumu counties.

Building Teacher Capacity, Reaching More Students

Launched in 2023 as a pilot, the DCL Teacher Trainer Program was designed to support Kenya’s Competency Based Curriculum, which emphasizes experiential learning over memorization. In 2024, the program expanded through a train-the-trainer model, equipping more than 500 Trainers of Teachers (ToTs).

Since July 2024, those ToTs have gone on to train 19,348 educators, with the program on track to reach 20,000 teachers and more than 568,000 students in grades 4-9 by the end of this year.

The training equips teachers with tools to guide student-led problem solving rather than deliver answers. Its built-in flexibly, through in-person workshops, online modules, and schedules adapted to local school needs, makes it accessible to rural, underserved, and special needs schools.

The Tech Challenge Kenya

The success of this program can be seen in the growing participation in The Tech Challenge Kenya, modeled after our signature San Jose event that began in 1986.

• 2023: 750 students participated
• 2024: 2,700 students participated
• 2025: More than 4,800 students from hundreds of schools joined showcases in Kisumu and Nakuru

This year, students were challenged to design devices, using only recycled materials, that could survive a three-meter drop and deliver a coin up a ramp. The challenge was inspired by a real issue: delivering food and supplies to rural communities.

The results were inspiring. Deaf students presented their ideas in sign language. Rural learners engineered creative prototypes from bottles, boxes, and string. Every student demonstrated persistence, creativity, and teamwork.

Expanding Impact Beyond the Classroom

By training teachers first, the DCL program ensures that the skills and methods spread well beyond showcase events. Students are also being connected to industry partners like Microsoft, IX Data Center, and Zipline, where they can see how STEAM innovation applies to real careers.

“The creativity and confidence these students display shows the power of this approach,” said Shital Patel, Director of Kenya Expansion at The Tech Interactive. “By investing in teachers, we are building a system that will continue to inspire new generations of innovators.”

Looking Ahead

As we expand to additional counties, our mission stays the same: to inspire the innovator in everyone from Silicon Valley to the Silicon Savannah and beyond.

We are grateful to ASTC for this recognition and to the many educators, students, and partners who make this work possible. Together, we’re building a future where hands-on STEAM learning is accessible to all.