Ananse The Teacher App, a mobile and desktop application that provides a gamified platform which combines learning with fun has hit some 1000 basic school pupils through an educational tour being embark by its creators, Young At Heart Ghana.

The tour which is in partnership with ‘Junior Camp Ghana’ a Ghana Think program and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is purposed to further increase the users of the App while creating awareness on the many educational functionalities and benefits.

tour stop at Bankoe Central RC JHS in Ho, Volta Region of Ghana

‘Ananse the Teacher’ App

This is the maiden app by Ghanaian non-profit organization, ‘Young at Heart’. The organization is exploring ed-tech solutions specially tailored to guide children to discover the brilliance and ingenuity of Africa.

The creators say the app is designed to primarily guide its users to discover practical activities related to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (S.T.E.A.M) found in African folklore themed stories.

According to them, for a very long time, beyond the moral and ethical lessons captured in folklore stories, the brilliant and ingenious S.T.E.A.M lessons have not been explored. This they believe has led to S.T.E.A.M lessons, especially lessons in Science and Mathematics being a regular area of complaint, due to their perceived complex and non-relatable nature.

Therefore, with the aim of changing the existing narrative of abstract learning experiences related to a majority of S.T.E.A.M lessons, ‘Ananse The Teacher App’ engages its users to discover practical activities from the stories they read, and conduct these activities using materials they usually interact with at home.

The approach of using everyday things to conduct S.T.E.A.M practical lessons, allows the user to gain a critical awareness of their immediate environment as an exploratory hub and open laboratory. This inspires curiosity and the mindfulness for innovation.

The App also offers a range of other features including; games on traditional symbol, tourism sites and positive behaviors like recycling.

Ananse The Teacher App’ is available for free on both IOS and Android platforms and has attracted over 3000 engagements and counting.

Targeting Basic Schools

According to the creators of the Ananse the Teacher app, basic schools were targeted because basic school education serves as a fundamental formative period in the lives of children and it is during this stage that children explore, play and enjoy experiential learning which builds a foundation for interests in possible careers in future.

Therefore, drawing on the huge potential digital platforms hold in an ever-evolving technological world, Education Technology (ed-tech) platforms, in recent times, have been explored as viable avenues for exploration and experience-based learning.

The Educational Tour

The educational tour which started in March 2018 and has already been to basic schools in the Eastern, Greater Accra and Volta Regions of Ghana. The Tour which will continue till the end of the year is expected to cover all ten regions of Ghana.

At the end of the year all students who have participated in the Educational Tour or downloaded the App will be given the opportunity to apply for an Innovators competition where they will showcase S.T.E.A.M based projects inspired by the lessons they have learnt through Ananse The Teacher App.

The students and teachers who have been engaged through the tour have expressed a great sense of excitement about the app, describing it as an exciting and practical tool.

The Ananse the Teacher App educational tour is supported by AirtelTigo Ghana, GH-Scientific and CommsAid