WAAW (Working to Advance Science and Technology Education for African Women) Foundation is an international non-profit organization (501(c) EIN: 20-8576703) founded in 2007 and registered in the United States, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and headquartered in Mckinney, Texas.
Our Mission
To empower African women and girls to become transformative leaders through STEM Education, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship training while making a significant impact on the world.
Our Vision
To create a world where African women are formidable global leaders, transforming lives through technology, science, and innovation.
Our Core Values
- Empowerment
- Creativity
- Growth-mindset
- Passion
- Transformative Leadership
- Accountability
- Localization
- Culture-Awareness
Our Initiatives
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Need-based scholarships are awarded to African female undergraduate college students studying STEM disciplines in Colleges in Africa (Age focus is 18 -32 years). We provide $500 to support underprivileged girls such as orphans, girls impacted by HIV, or girls from low-income families who demonstrate proven financial need while studying a STEM-related degree course. Scholars are mentored to become college-to-secondary STEM advocates, leaders, and change agents, who give back to their communities and promote technology innovation for problem-solving.
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College-to-secondary STEM outreach and mentoring program, which bridges the secondary-to-college continuum. (Age focus is secondary girls 12 – 18 years, and female college fellows 18 - 32 years). The outreach and mentoring program establishes chapters within Universities across Africa consisting of about 10 – 15 African undergraduates who are trained and supported to perform weekly STEM outreaches to secondary schools in their communities. WAAW provides training, stipends, monitoring, and evaluation. The program aims to influence secondary school career selection toward STEM and trains African female undergraduates to develop an avocation for leadership and community development by contributing to secondary education.
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STEM training for secondary school teachers. WAAW offers an engaging, rigorous teacher professional development model that provides tools to empower teachers and their students and transform the classroom into a collaborative space where STEM content comes to life. WAAW trains teachers to develop cutting-edge STEM curricula for their classrooms using affordable locally available resources, training in digital literacy, and employing technology and free online resources to enhance learning and engagement in their classrooms. We provide resources for continued learning for STEM teachers and facilitate communities and networks for peer support, mentoring, and continued engagement. We also facilitate STEM competitions that motivate teachers to keep innovating in their classrooms.
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She Hacks Africa Software Development Coding Boot-camp (age focus is 18-30 years). The (S)he Hacks Africa Academy is an intensive 4-month boot camp and 2-month internship program designed for African youths to acquire skills in full-stack web development and product design. The Bootcamp is unique in its laser focus on developing tech products; its ability to connect them to employers with real-world job opportunities; its dedication to design thinking and a project-based framework. We double as a Coding Bootcamp and an Accelerator which means that our developers will never lack where to work as their skills are in high demand.