We Did It!

We are thrilled to announce that we have met the Science Building Challenge!

Thanks to many generous donors we have raised $60,000 to match the challenge from a very special friend of JAMS. Elisa Kay Sparks lived in Kenya as a teen and when she learned about the innovative methods at JAMS she offered to match donations to reach a total of $120,000 to build a science building and equip chemistry, biology, and physics labs. This donation is in memory of her parents who loved Kenya, believed strongly in girls’ and women’s education, and were both scientists.

Construction of the exterior of the Albert K. and Patricia G. Sparks Science Building was completed in early 2017 and now interior work is in progress. We will post more photos of the progress soon.

At Jane Adeny Memorial School for Girls, our students love science and our teachers are dedicated to showing that girls can do just as well in science as boys, contrary to the gender stereotypes prevalent in Kenya. Many of our students plan to pursue careers in health, agriculture, engineering, and education, for which the sciences are crucial. Once the Sparks Lab is completed and equipped, it will go far in helping JAMS meet the challenge of science education for Kenyan girls!

In Kenya, the national government requires examinations in all subjects which students must pass in order to graduate and receive their Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education (the equivalent of a high school diploma). For the sciences, these national exams include hands-on laboratory work.

The teachers and students at JAMS have been doing well with the limited resources they have; however, fully equipped classrooms and sufficient equipment for each science subject will make an enormous difference in the students’ abilities to do well in science.