Engaged in the sciences
A solid footing in science coursework and a genuine interest in going deeper than the syllabus.
Our flagship program
The Sankofa STEM Fellowship
An immersive research fellowship where senior high students do real science alongside working scientists, at no cost to them or their families.
Not a field trip. A fellowship.
Fellows don't watch science happen. They do it. Modeled on the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory's summer research fellowship and adapted for Ghana, the program puts students at the bench: designing experiments, collecting data, and presenting their own findings.
Everything is free for every fellow, from lab supplies to lunch to daily transportation, because talent is everywhere and opportunity should be too.
SSF 2026 Happening now
Twenty fellows from KNUST Senior High School and Ejisuman Senior High School are spending August 3 to 14 at the Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR) on the KNUST campus, doing hands-on biomedical research in bacteriology, parasitology, and entomology. Working scientists mentor every project, and the fellowship closes with a research symposium where fellows present their work, then a certificate ceremony.
SSF 2026 runs in collaboration with our partner institutions: KCCR, Colby College, and MDIBL.
Where it started: SSF 2025
Our pilot ran for three weeks at Kinbu Secondary Technical School in Accra. Twelve fellows worked from the scientific method up: microscopy, DNA extraction, statistics, scientific illustration, and career workshops, ending with six research projects the fellows designed and presented themselves.
By the end, what changed wasn't just skills. Fellows left with a newfound confidence that science is something they can do.
12fellows in 2025
6student research projects
20fellows in 2026
2partner schools in 2026
Who we look for
Fellows are recruited from our partner schools with three things in mind.
Curious and self-driven
The students who ask questions and keep chasing the answers, in class and beyond it.
Most in need of the chance
Priority goes to students who would not otherwise have access to research experience. Financial need is never a barrier.
Be part of the next one
Planning for the next fellowship begins after SSF 2026 wraps up. Volunteer opportunities will be listed on our Get Involved page, and if your school or institution wants to talk, reach out.