BrainSTREAM: Future-focused Approach to Learning

According to the World Economic Forum, children need 5 essential skills to be ready for the future as successful and well-rounded adults that can contribute positively to the world around them. These skills are problem-solving, digital skills, collaboration, global citizenship, and environmental stewardship. In the local education space, an organization called BrainSTREAM, exists to provide a solution that touches on all these critical areas of childhood development –BrainSTREAM. BrainSTREAM is a center for innovation that teaches children 21st-century skills. Through Science, Technology, Robotics, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STREAM) education, the program integrates multiple disciplines to provide a hands-on learning experience.

This problem-solving approach fosters and supports the development of curiosity, creativity, cognitive skills, communication skills, social and emotional skills, problem-solving abilities, and time consciousness. BrainSTREAM, located in Gaborone's Extension 11, is strategically designed to provide various exciting programs and activities. They offer courses for children aged 4 to 18 that provide a solid foundation for implementing STREAM education, allowing them to become innovative and internationally competitive leaders in the next 5 years and beyond. To learn more about this future-focused educational programme, The Responsible Citizen enjoyed a discussion with BrainSTREAM’s Head of Education Mohit Lohani.

TRC: Please state your vision with BrainSTREAM – why such a programme and why now?

ML: With the speed at which technology is advancing, our education system needs to catch up quickly. It becomes difficult for individual schools to go beyond the curriculum that was designed decades ago and develop or try to teach things which are relevant now and for the future. So, to bridge the gap in terms of what today’s industries want, it is necessary to educate and expose children to technology and innovation that will be needed in the future at an early age.

BrainSTREAM's core mission is to help learners across Botswana achieve their innovative potential and equip them with the skills they need to be more employable and ready to meet the current labour demand. According to predictions, 80% of jobs in the future will require STREAM skills. Whether a person wants to be an astronaut, an accountant, a fashion designer, a painter, a chef, or any other profession, BrainSTREAM places an emphasis on holistic learning that is necessary for all careers.

TRC: How has the roll-out of this programme been in the Botswana educational space?

ML: Our facility is a first of its kind in this region, and every parent who’s walked into our facility understood the need for it. It has been a year since we opened our doors and so far, we’ve had exposure to more than a thousand kids. This shows that both parents and children appreciate and understand the importance of future skills our programmes can bring. Over the last few months, we have also extended our programmes to learning institutions locally to ensure inclusion and a wider reach. With an understanding that currently, our facility can only accommodate so many learners, we saw this outreach as an opportunity to drive both awareness and encourage the adoption of STREAM education.

TRC: What is the core business of BrainSTREAM?

ML: BrainSTREAM has developed its curriculum for the ages of 4 to 18-year-olds. We cater to many schools with an offer to conduct STEM and robotics sessions. We conduct after-school classes on designing, coding, constructing, 3D printing and drones. All aspects of science, technology, robotics, engineering, arts and mathematics come together in a single class. The BrainSTREAM curriculum has been developed, using input from international best practices. These have been implemented with the top education elements from leading brands and suppliers (Apple, Lego, Stempedia, Blix, and Drone aviation) to form a programme that is exciting to our learners, beneficial to their educational development, and enthralling for teachers - all of which lead to a happy learning environment.

The curriculum is age-appropriate and ensures that each age group learns unique skills that can be used in other spheres of school life. Furthermore, our team has substantial experience supported by rigorous training and brings together expertise in education, engineering, and program design.

TRC: What are some of the activities and initiatives you have undertaken to create an impact in the lives of Batswana?

ML: We have brought in international expertise to train and equip Batswana with the necessary skills and knowledge to be STREAM trainers. As kids are still learning the concepts of STREAM it will take time before they are able to showcase their skills. We are proud of our students and can confidently say that we have ignited the spark of Curiosity, Creativity and Problem-solving in young minds. Our parents and staff have witnessed with pride, a spark and joy, when our children create their own projects and try to solve a real-life problem at the end of our termly classes. It is a beautiful fest to experience when little hands and hearts challenge big problems with the knowledge gathered at BrainSTREAM. We have great expectations from our BrainStream students.

TRC: What are some of the activities and initiatives you plan on undertaking soon to create an impact in the lives of Batswana?

ML: This education is a necessity for each child whether they become a thinker, a leader, an innovator, a chef or an artist. In other parts of the world, STEM & robotics labs are integral to a school curriculum. We want to help private and public schools set up labs and train the teachers to impart 21st-century skills to all the students in every school. We have already made headway with reaching out to some of the schools to gauge their need in terms of the implementation of STREAM into their curricula.

For us, we invest a lot in showing different players in the education space the value of STREAM education. STREAM education ties learning to practical application. Rather than treating robotics, engineering, the arts, and mathematics as separate subjects, stream education treats them as a cross-disciplinary method of problem-solving. Technology is emphasized in Stream Education, and subjects are integrated in ways that link various academic fields and make connections between them. Children can learn from their mistakes and correct them using what they've learned and experienced. It encourages kids to ask "Why?" and goes beyond simple test results in terms of developing high-level thinking skills. STREAM skills are crucial in the rapidly evolving world of innovations and innovators.

TRC: What impact has BrainSTREAM noted since its roll-out?

ML: The inception of BrainSTREAM was inspired by a big need for STREAM education in Botswana. While many children are exposed to a lot of techs, a lot of people weren’t aware of Stem, steam, or stream education, especially for early education. It was believed that programming and robotics were for older children, mainly at the tertiary education level. Parents are slowly becoming aware of STREAM education since BrainStream was established in 2022. Parents of especially academically challenged kids or kids who simply aren’t fond of the schooling system have found that their kids have potential and abilities in a different kind of education and are finding ways to unleash their creativity and capabilities.

By virtue of their exposure since early ages, children of today naturally gravitate towards playing with gadgets. That innate curiosity about how things like that operate is sparked very early in their lives. It is unfortunate that some parents have to suppress their curiosity with the tightly structured curriculum that does not allow them to ask questions and be creative. To make our Batswana children future leaders and innovators in the world, we have to take initiative to let their creativity flow and expose them to technology with the right amount of fun. We believe that by equipping these young minds with the right tools for the future they will ultimately contribute positively to the world around them. The learning approach that allows learners to be proactive in seeking solutions means that they will always know how to navigate even the most intricate challenges. This is why BrainSTREAM exists essentially.