My name is Giewee Hammond, Principal of Wahjay- STEM.  I hold a Master degree in Analytics from Texas A&M, and a Master degree in Actuarial Science from Boston University. My undergraduate degree was in Mathematics from Abilene Christian University.

I started Wahjay - STEM because I want Liberian students to be extended opportunities that would include them in the world's rapidly changing economy.  Liberians had two civil wars, which lasted 20+ years combined. Liberia is young, most of Liberian nationals are under the age of 35.  Liberians are looking for opportunities to avoid the hardships that arise from low literacy, poor mathematic aptitude, and poor technological skills. Young Liberia desires to be a member of the middle class or beyond, but their lack of exposure to modern STEM subjects and soft skills training make that desire difficult to attain.

I want Liberian students to have resources available to them to pursue their dreams. Every student needs a fundamental level of technological competence, regardless of the career that they pursue.  Early exposure to STEM fields has a substantial impact on each student's intent to engage career paths that require critical thinking, mathematical aptitude, and computer coding competence. STEM curriculum is a gateway to fields in accounting, engineering, graphic design, medicine, teaching, and other areas.

Because STEM is a fundamental gateway for various careers, I developed Wahjay- STEM to ensure that Liberian students have a foundation to develop an advanced competency for the careers that they desire to pursue.

Through the proof of concept, students at the Buchanan Demonstration School will learn about using practical & scientific knowledge to create solutions for identified robotic based challenges. Specifically, students will work hands-on in teams to design, build, and program a VEX Robot while learning about beginner level motor control, gear ratios, torque, sensors, timing, and program loops.

Curriculum will commence September 2016 and conclude May 2017.