STEM Scholarships for African Girls

The Visiola Foundation provides scholarships for high potential girls to study science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). 

Eligible candidates can apply to the Visiola Foundation’s Scholarship Fund through Lead City University and Ashesi University.

For more info, please visit http://www.visiolafoundation.org/scholarships

High-Tech Toothbrush That Corrects Common Brushing Errors

There are few things more routine than brushing your teeth: At least twice a day, every day, you stand in front of the mirror and go through the motions. So it might come as a surprise to learn that most people are probably doing it wrong. Now, a uniquely designed toothbrush aims to guarantee that brushers get it right.

Most people have heard that they should brush their teeth for at least 2 minutes, twice a day. But it's perhaps less well-known that the way you brush is just as important. The American Dental Association recommends holding the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle away from the gums and brushing in short, downward strokes.

More commonly, people hold their toothbrushes perpendicular to their teeth and gums, said Alexander Kandemir, inventor of the new iBrush 365. The gums should make a tight seal with the teeth, but holding a toothbrush perpendicular to the teeth pushes the gums upward and makes them start to pull away, he added. This makes brushing less effective and can contribute to oral problems like gum disease.

The new iBrush 365 aims to correct bad brushing behavior by allowing people "to brush in ways the dentist wants, without changing our old habits," Kandemir told Live Science. The electrical toothbrush has a cylindrical head that is loaded with more than 13,000 soft "micro bristles" (compared to the 2,500 bristles in a standard toothbrush) that can effectively clean the entire mouth in less than a minute.

In practice, using the brush feels a lot like using a regular electric toothbrush. You hold it perpendicular to your teeth and move it from side to side. The rotating head ensures that teeth are brushed in a downward direction and that the bristles are at a 45-degree angle to the gums, the company said. The toothbrush's head can rotate in either direction, changing with a simple push of a button so that the movement is always directed downward.

The cylindrical head also cleans more than just the teeth. "Clean teeth doesn't mean a clean mouth," Kandemir said. "You need to brush your gums, tongue and cheeks, too."

The iBrush 365 was tested on more than 300 people, and Kandemir said the results show that the device is the most effective brush on the market.

The iBrush 365 is equipped with a lithium-ion battery that lasts six weeks on a single charge, the company said. Users can charge the device with a USB power cord and a universal wall plug that works from 110 to 240 volts.

The project raised more than $29,000 through a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. The brush is now available for preorder on the company's website for $79, and orders will begin shipping this month.

Source: livescience.com

The STEM Prize for Young Cameroonians

The STEM Prize was established to encourage young Cameroonians and Africans, especially girls and young women to pursue careers in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. This competition brings together young scholars from both secondary and tertiary schools (between the ages of 13 and 21 years old) to design projects that have the greatest potential of positively changing their communities. Based on the recommendations of the evaluators at the Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation, winners will be chosen and prizes presented to them.

Goal of The STEM Prize Competition

Science and technology are becoming the most pervasive forces in our global economy and modern society. In other words, the growth and ultimately the success of any economy in these modern times depend heavily on their investment and improvement in the fields of science and technology. As our society becomes increasingly environmentally aware, health conscious, and reliant on technology, it is normal it becomes more dependent on students pursuing studies in STEM.

A few years ago, the Government of Cameroon (GoC) launched its strategy to make Cameroon an emerging economy by the year 2035. For this vision to be realised, Cameroon needs to produce more professionals in the field of STEM by increasing the number of youths studying courses in STEM from 10% to at least 30%.

Hence the aim of the STEM Prize Competition is to raise awareness on the importance of STEM to an economy and encourage more youths to get into careers in STEM, consequently, building a foundation for Cameroon’s 2035 vision to be achieved.

Program Design

The STEM Prize competition will consider applications from teams/groups of 2-5 members age between 13 and 21 years old. Each team will design a project that has the greatest potential of positively improving their communities. The best projects will be chosen and the teams will be invited to spend 3 days at the Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation where they will participate in several educational trainings. Prizes will be given out to the successful teams at the end of the competition.

Eligibility to Participate

To be eligible for The STEM Prize Competition, applicants must be between the ages of 13 and 21 years old and be citizens of CEMAC countries (Cameroon, Chad, Central Africa Republic, Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea). An application must be made by a team or group of at least 2 people or at most 5 people.

Project Requirements

Project proposals will follow the outline below:

• Names and Community(ies) of applicants
• Title of project
• Identification and elaboration of community problem
• Proposed solution and illicit method of solving problem based on recommendations
• Budget Planning
• Partners and timeframe of project realisation
• Evaluation of project.

Invitation to Top Teams

The top teams as chosen by the evaluators/judges will be invited to the foundation’s headquarters in Yaoundé to participate in an intensive 3-day workshop full of training on research, career guidance, and project implementation. These trainings will be carried out by experts in these fields.

Prizes

A total of 5,000,000 FCFA (approximately $10,000 USD) will be awarded in prizes and will be distributed as follows:

• Winning team: 1,500,000 FCFA ($3000 USD)
• 1st Runner Up: 1,000,000 FCFA ($2000 USD)
• 2nd Runner Up: 500,000 FCFA ($1000 USD)
• Other individual prizes: 2,000,000 FCFA (? $4000 USD)

The foundation will work with all winning teams to get their projects up and running.

Important Timeline

• 02 Jun 2016: Official Online Launching of STEM Prize.
• 02 Jun 2016 – 31 Jul 2016: Registration and submission of proposals by candidates.
• 01 Jul 2016 – 21 Jul 2016: Publicity of program and event through media (TV & Radio).
• 01 Jul 2016 – 21 Jul 2016: Communication using talks, online posts and flyers to student bodies and target groups.
• 01 Aug 2016 – 21 Aug 2016: Review and shortlisting of top projects.
• 23 Aug 2016: Official invitations sent to top teams.
• 14 Sept 2016 – 16 Sept 2016: 3 day training event for shortlisted teams.
• 22 Aug 2016 – 23 Sept 2016: Final planning of award ceremony.
• 28 Oct 2016: Award’s Ceremony

Source: http://www.foretiafoundation.org

UC Berkeley Free Essay Writing Online Course

The University of California, Berkeley is offering an open online course on essay writing. This course is aimed at students who are proficient enough in English to follow an introductory level university course.

This five-week course is an introduction to academic writing for English Language Learners, focusing on essay development, grammatical correctness, and self-editing. The course will start on October 12, 2016.

Course At A Glance       

Length: 5 week
Effort:  5-6 hours/week
Subject: Humanities
Institution: University of California, Berkeley and edX
Languages: English
Price:  Free
Certificate Available: Yes (Verified Certificate for $49)
Session: Starts on October 12, 2016

Providers’ Details

Berkeley is offering MOOCs with edX to develop and foster adoption of Small Private Online Courses (SPOCs) on campuses around the world. SPOCs are designed to supplement and enhance the learning experience of on-campus students, while providing local faculty an opportunity for more interactive activities and more time for “high-touch” pedagogy.

This online platform edX provides online courses from the world’s best universities. edX can empower applicant to build innovative applications, services, and experiences.

About This Course

College Writing 2.1x is an introduction to academic writing for English Language Learners, focusing on essay development, grammatical correctness, and self-editing. The five-week course includes a review of basic grammar terminology and understanding; writing effective sentences and paragraphs; introductions and conclusions; strategies for writing longer texts; and thesis statements. The course materials will be offered via readings and videos. An optional course workbook, in ebook form, may be used for additional writing work. Students will participate in online discussions as well as peer review. Students will complete an essay for this part of the course.

Why Take This Course?

This is a free online course. This MOOC will be offered with Video Transcripts in English.  Applicants can get a verified certificate.

Learning Outcomes

• Basic grammar terminology and understanding
• How to write effective sentences and paragraphs
• How to tackle writing introductions and conclusions
• Strategies for writing longer texts and thesis statements

Instructors

Maggie Sokolik

She is the Director of College Writing Programs at University of California, Berkeley. She received her Ph.D. in applied linguistics from the University of California, Los Angeles. After her Ph.D., she did post-doctoral work in Paris, France, and has been a faculty member at Harvard University, MIT, Texas A&M, and Northern Arizona University.

Requirements

Students should be proficient enough in English to follow an introductory level university course.

How To Join This Course

• Go to the course website link
• Create an edX account to SignUp
• Choose “Register Now” to get started.
• edX offers honor code certificates of achievement, verified certificates of achievement, and XSeries certificates of achievement. Currently, verified certificates are only available in some courses.
• Once applicant sign up for a course and activate their account, click on the Log In button on the edx.org home page and type in their email address and edX password. This will take them to the dashboard, with access to each of their active courses. (Before a course begins, it will be listed on their dashboard but will not yet have a “view course” option.)

Source: https://www.edx.org/

Coventry University Nigeria High Achievers Scholarship for Postgraduates, 2016

Coventry University is pleased to offer High Achievers Scholarships for pursuing full-time postgraduate programme. Students from Nigeria are eligible to apply for these scholarships.

The university provides modern educational and research environments that will enable students and researchers to face current challenges and to focus on knowledge as a principle driving force for development.

Coventry University is leading UK University which is ranked No.15 amongst the UK Universities. Coventry University is the top University for student satisfaction. This university is forward-looking, modern university with a proud tradition as a provider of high-quality education and a focus on applied research.

In order to obtain a Tier 4 student visa, applicants are required to demonstrate that they have the correct level of English language competency to study in the UK. The requirements differ dependent on whether they are applying to study a Foundation or Pre-Sessional English programme or those who wish to study at undergraduate or postgraduate degree level.

Course Level: Scholarships are available for pursuing Postgraduate programme.

Study Subject: Scholarships are awarded in multiple subjects offered by the university.

Scholarship Award: 5 awards of £2000 towards tuition fees available for the best and brightest postgraduate students from Nigeria.

Scholarship can be taken at: UK

Eligibility: The following criteria must be met in order for applicants to be eligible for scholarships:
-The Nigeria High Achievers Scholarship is available to all Nigerian students applying for full-time postgraduate programmes who have submitted an application for study before 22nd July 2016.
-The Scholarships are allocated to applicants on the basis of their academic merit. Allocation will be decided on assessment of the following;
-Academic qualifications (at least a 1st class degree or equivalent qualifications)
-Understanding of the course and motivation to study at Coventry
-Extra-curricular or work experience
-This award is for international fee payers only.

Nationality: Nigerian students are eligible to apply for these scholarships.

College Admission Requirement

Entrance Requirements: Academic qualifications (at least a 1st class degree or equivalent qualifications).

English language Requirements: In order to obtain a Tier 4 student visa, applicants are required to demonstrate that they have the correct level of English language competency to study in the UK. The requirements differ dependent on whether they are applying to study a Foundation or Pre-Sessional English programme or those who wish to study at undergraduate or postgraduate degree level.

UK Scholarships

Supporting Material: The International Office will need the following information in order to make a decision on their application:
– All academic transcripts
– Copies of degree/diploma certificates or work reference if employed
– One academic reference
– The English language tests score
– Personal statement
– Copy of current passport

How to Apply: The mode of application is online.

Application Deadline: Scholarship application deadline is 22nd-July-2016.

Source: http://www.coventry.ac.uk/culc/study/fees-and-finance/september-2015-scholarships-discounts-/nigeria-high-achievers-scholarships