A continent-wide technology workshop was held in Côte d’Ivoire for robotics, coding, and information technology teachers from across Africa. The event was organised by the Türkiye Maarif Foundation, following the successful hosting of Science Fest Africa (SFA).
The Africa Educational Technology Workshop gathered participants from 27 African countries who had participated in the Science Fest Africa programme on April 21.
The workshop was attended by senior officials, including Deniz Erdoğan Barım, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Abidjan; Mahmut Mustafa Özdil, President of the Türkiye Maarif Foundation; Zeynep Arkan, Member of the Board of Trustees; and board members Ahmet Türkben and Halime Kökce.
Designed as an intensive, hands-on training, the workshop focused on strengthening skills in algorithmic thinking, physical programming, problem-solving and classroom implementation.
‘Highly important educational dimension’
The delegation visited training sessions and met with participants, with Ambassador Barım highlighting the importance of post-festival training initiatives and wishing the teachers success.
President of the Türkiye Maarif Foundation, Mahmut Mustafa Özdil, in his assessment of the workshop, said: “All of Africa has come together here. Science Fest Africa is an event with an exceptionally sincere and highly important educational dimension. I hope that through this initiative, we will contribute to raising academic and pedagogical standards. This is a genuine opportunity for learning and sharing.”
Participants engaged in a broad curriculum covering the fundamentals of algorithmic logic, block-based coding, gamification applications, digital design processes and physical programming. Teachers also developed interactive projects using sensors and circuit components, while exploring the use of digital assessment tools in classroom evaluation.
Ahmet Türkben, Member of the Türkiye Maarif Foundation Board of Directors, underscored the importance of continuing engagement beyond the festival, saying: “Science Fest Africa has ended, but we could say the real festival begins after it closes. We are running a full-day workshop on robotics coding and artificial intelligence with our IT teachers from different countries. These training sessions will continue through both online and on-site work, and preparations for the next festival have already begun.”
He added that the foundation was leveraging experience gained from its educational activities across 66 countries to support learning initiatives on the African continent.
‘Future innovation’
Yusuf Sert, Coordinator of the Curriculum and Accreditation Department, said the training reflects forward planning tied to future innovation.
“We aim to start our training sessions immediately with teachers who are developing projects in science and technology, and to produce next year’s projects. By sharing with our teachers the expertise Türkiye has developed in its fields of specialisation, we will continue to produce projects that will make an impact across Africa,” Sert said.
At the end of the programme, participating teachers were said to have strengthened both their technical expertise and pedagogical skills, equipping them to integrate Science Fest Africa outcomes into their classrooms.
Officials of the Türkiye Maarif Foundation said similar workshops will be organised in other countries, positioning Science Fest Africa not only as a festival but as an evolving educational ecosystem aimed at long-term impact across Africa.
