IMPLEMENTING AGENCY: INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY FOR THE GIFTED LTD/GTE.

HOST INSTITUTION: TAI SOLARIN UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION

“Geniuses are made, not born” – Laszlo Polgar.

‘Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered either by themselves or others’ – Mark Twain.

“There is a genius in every child, right approach brings it out” – Adewale Solarin.

International Academy for the Gifted (IAGIFTED) is a Non-Governmental Organization comprising of seasoned educationists who are committed to the identification, classification, stratification and fortification of the gifted black children in Africa and the Diaspora. www.iagifted.org .

In the pursuance of some of these mandates, IAGIFTED has been running gifted camp and powering international competititions, like American Mathematics Competitions (AMC), Kangaroo San Frontieres (KSF). Many of  our gifted pupils represented Nigeria in various International Science Olympiads, including International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO), International Physics Olympiad (IPhO), International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO), International Biology Olympiad (IBO), winning medals.

The International Olympiads are a group of worldwide annual competitions in various subject areas. The competitions are designed for the 4-6 best high school students from each participating country selected through internal National Olympiads.

The Olympiads themselves are separate competitions each with its own organising body, even though they are loosely grouped together as “IOs”. The aims of each IO are to promote a career in the subject; to challenge the brightest students from around the world; and to compare the various teaching systems of each country.

Several top ranking universities scramble for the medalists to give automatic scholarships because there is direct correlation between the medals and Nobel prizes and Fields Medals in Mathematics. The case of Terence Tao is a classical example.

IAGIFTED has successfully identified gifted Nigerians who represented Nigeria in the various Olympiads with resounding success. Moreover, almost all the candidates who represented Nigeria in these Olympiads finished with first class honours degrees in universities in Nigeria and abroad. In 2019, we collaborated with UNESCO to organize a workshop titled #GirlCrackTheCode: CAPACITY BUILDING IN STEM FOR THE GIRL CHILD. Also, in 2012 we collaborated with UNESCO to organize a workshop titled #GirlCrackTheCode: CAPACITY BUILDING FOR WOMEN STEM TEACHERS. IAGIFTED had agreed with UNESCO to organize a nation-wide STEM competition for girls as one of the follow up activities. Consequently, we decided to introduce the project: CROWNING THE NIGERIAN GIFTED STEM QUEEN.

The project aims to identify Gifted Nigerian girls in Secondary Schools who are interested Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and build them up to become world-class geniuses and leaders.

This will be achieved through forming an enduring partnership network amongst academics in Nigerian Universities on one hand and Nigerian Academics in Diaspora, Leadership Development Agencies, on the other. The immediate interests are on enhancing mentorship programmes for all gifted youths identified through annual NATION-WIDE TALENT SEARCH COMPETITIONS for Secondary Schools, using various instruments designed by IAGIFTED, like intelligent tests, puzzles and Rubik’s cube solutions. The focus of the project will be on training workshops and Gifted Camps in relevant subjects, Citizenship and Leadership Development, using the latest internationally acclaimed best practices in Gifted Education for the gifted children. The approach will include mainstreaming into regular curriculum, online and holiday camping. The project will also organise training workshops for teachers in schools that host the identified gifted pupils.

The project’s main goal is to improve the quality of GIRL-CHILD participation in STEM Education in Nigeria in order to make Nigerian identified gifted girls achieve their highest potentials and be able to compete favourably with gifted youths of the world in achievements. Also, this Project will produce a new generation of Nigeria knowledge-based leadership, who will have internationally acclaimed reputations.

Our Certification

To achieve these aims, the project will specifically:

• Organise nation-wide competitions to identify gifted Nigerian girl-child at the senior secondary school level (SSS1).
• Organise online training workshops for teachers and mentors of gifted girls.
• Monitor the performance of the various stakeholders.
• Organise local and international linkages for identified girls.
• Provide a 10-year mentoring/monitoring programme for each cohort.

Planned Activities:

1. Nation-wide online STEMcompetition for SSS 1 Projected participation 1,000,000.
2. It will be conducted in three stages:

• Stage 1: All participants:

200 multiple-choice problems:

Including (i) Aptitude Test (ii) Biology; (iii) Chemistry (iv) Computer Science; (v) Mathematics and (vi) Physics.

Time Allowed: 210 minutes.

TOP 1000 WILL BE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GUINNESS WORL RECORD EVENT.

• Stage 2: Top 10% of participants:

100 mixed problems:

Including (i) Biology; (ii) Chemistry (iii) Computer Science; (iv) Mathematics and (v) Physics.

Time Allowed: 180 minutes.

• Stage 3: Gifted STEM Camp: Top 20 girls will be invited to a 2-week STEM and Leadership Training Camp to produce the following:
• Gifted STEM Queen,
• Gifted Biology Queen,
• Gifted Chemistry Queen,
• Gifted Computer Science Queen,
• Gifted Mathematics Queen,
• Gifted Physics Queen.

Proposed Budget:

STAGES 1& 2

• SECRETARIAT/LOGISTICS BUDGET   =N= 10,000,000.00 (Ten million Naira only)

2-WEEK GIFTED CAMP

Board and Lodge @ N=12,000/day x 15 days N=180,000.00

Transportation N=30,000.00

Tuition      N=90,000.00

(Honorarium for lecturers, textbooks, software, T-shirts, face caps, bags, etc)

20 pupils  @ N300,000.00/pupil   N6,000,000.00

GRAND TOTAL: N16,000,000.00 (Sixteen million Naira only).

PROJECT TEAM

1. Prof A. R. T. Solarin NMC, Abuja   (Team Leader)
2. Akinsanya, Director, TASUED Consult, TASUED.
3. O. J. Adeniran, FUNAAB, Abuja.
4. Lewis Obagboye, NMC, Abuja.
5. Patrick Ezepue, AFRIHERO, UK.