For two weeks this summer, young learners gathered for a STEAM Summer Camp themed “Rooted and Rising,” organized by Lead for Good Africa at its Skill Empowerment Center in Ojo, Lagos Center. The camp presented learning opportunities, creativity, mentorship, leadership development, foundational coding, and digital skills acquisition to 50-plus learners ages 12-19 in the Ojo/Okoko community, Lagos, Nigeria.
This initiative, supported by Oracle Academy and designed by Lead for Good Africa, focused on helping participants build strong foundations in character, purpose, leadership, and digital skills, while developing the confidence and mindset to become responsible and solution-oriented young people. Lead for Good Africa is a leadership development and impact consulting social enterprise committed to eradicating poverty in Africa through human capital development. Participants explored topics like basic coding and technology awareness, introduction to STEAM concepts and problem-solving, character development and positive values, critical thinking and problem solving, leadership and teamwork, career discovery and future planning, and self-awareness and self-esteem, among others.
As part of the camp closing ceremony, participants visited the Oracle Nigeria office to gain firsthand exposure to the intersection of technology, education, and career opportunities. The experiential visit was designed to give participants an opportunity to connect their learning from the STEAM program with real world experiences.
One of the key moments of the visit was a participant reflection session, where the teenagers had the opportunity to share what they had gained from the STEAM program. The session provided a platform for the young people to reflect on their experiences, the skills they had developed, and how their perspectives had changed throughout the program. Participants like Aishat Olakin, Faisoh, and Ajoke spoke about learning coding, leadership and problem solving, as well as developing a stronger understanding of how they can contribute to positive change within their communities.
In a career journey session, Bekere Amassoma, Oracle Academy Program Manager, SSA, shared with participants her personal journey of building her skills, developing her career, and eventually joining Oracle. Her story provided participants with a practical perspective on the process of building a career in the technology sector and the importance of continuous professional development.
An interactive storytelling session, “Change It: From Idea to Story,” was facilitated by Fausat Arilewola, a senior marketing and communications professional based in the United Kingdom who guided the teenagers through the use of storytelling as a tool for driving change. The session focused on helping participants understand that having a good idea is only one part of creating impact; they also need to be able to communicate their ideas in ways that connect with their audience and inspire action.
Through an interactive approach, participants explored how to communicate an idea clearly, identify the audience they want to reach, and develop stories that can encourage people to respond. The session complemented the technical focus of the STEAM program by introducing communication and storytelling as important skills for leadership and social impact.
The experiential visit helped participants gain understanding of technology and career opportunities, allowing them to interact with professionals and experience a technology workplace directly.
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