THE community outreach programme ‘STEM 4 ALL,’ globally recognised for advancing digital inclusion and STEM education, has been named a 2025 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes Champion.

Led by St. Joseph University in Tanzania (SJUIT), the achievement marks a significant milestone for Tanzania and African innovations.

At a press conference in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Prof. Eliab Opiyo, SJUIT Vice Chancellor, expressed great pride as he announced the award, highlighting the university’s commitment to innovation and education and its growing presence on the global stage for impactful work in STEM education and digital inclusion.

“I am pleased to officially announce that our university’s ‘STEM 4 ALL’ programme has been selected as a WSIS Prizes 2025 Champion. This recognition was conferred at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), hosted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and its UN partners in Geneva, Switzerland,” he said.

He added, “Out of hundreds of submissions worldwide, SJUIT’s STEM 4 ALL stood out as one of only 20 projects recognised for excellence in digital innovation and inclusion.”

Prof. Opiyo noted that Dr T. X. Ananth, president of the SJUIT Council, represented the university at the Champions Ceremony held in Geneva on 7 July 2025. The event brought together global champions, innovators, and stakeholders from the international ICT community to celebrate projects demonstrating outstanding impact.

He also expressed sincere thanks to Jerry Silaa, the Minister for Communication and Information Technology, who attended the award ceremony in Geneva, reflecting the Tanzanian government’s commitment to digital innovation.

Prof. Opiyo acknowledged the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) for their support in facilitating SJUIT’s participation and visibility on the global stage.

“Let us continue to serve with purpose and lead with impact,” he urged.

Launched on 17 January 2022, STEM 4 ALL is a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative designed to provide community services by teaching science and mathematics subjects in secondary schools across Tanzania.

The programme focuses on improving teaching and learning in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, and ICT.

It recruits high-performing graduates from SJUIT’s Bachelor of Science with Education degree on contract to teach in secondary schools across various regions. These teachers work under the supervision of SJUIT’s academic staff to ensure quality education delivery.

In its previous phase, STEM 4 ALL employed 18 teacher interns and was implemented in 18 schools across seven regions: Mbeya, Mwanza, Kagera, Arusha, Zanzibar, and Dar es Salaam (specifically in Ubungo and Temeke districts). To date, the programme has benefited over 15,000 learners.

This year, SJUIT launched a new phase targeting Ubungo District, currently reaching 36 secondary schools.