Providing Children in Tanzania with Hands-On, STEM-Based Learning Experiences
By Rania Janmohamed ‘25​This summer, I interned at UpStudio Africa, an education innovation studio with a mission to provide a platform for children in Tanzania to engage in STEM-based learning experiences that foster real- world problem-solving skills.
I co-taught holiday camps for children aged 4-8 on topics ranging from “Engineering Champions” to “Food science”. My role included planning and procuring learning materials and supporting children during hands-on learning activities. I also developed new curricula for young learners connecting dramatic play, imagination and art with engineering and science.
Interning at UpStudio enriched my academic and professional passions to connect design thinking, universal design, and culturally responsive pedagogy to create sustainable and inclusive educational ecosystems. I experienced the joy of being able to listen, scaffold and support children as they problem solve. Through co-teaching and professional development sessions, I gained a nuanced understanding of bilingual teaching, design thinking practices, project based learning and computational thinking frameworks. While observing teaching practices, I applied and reinforced concepts learned in my Education classes at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ in an East African context.
Internship funded by the McKinley, Thomas & Hannah, Scholarship & Entrepreneur Grant.