The Tech Interactive’s Flagship Program Expands Across Kenya

The Tech Interactive, Silicon Valley’s premier science and technology center, is scaling its premier engineering design program to new heights with Tech Challenge Kenya 2025, featuring back-to-back showcases in Kisumu and Nakuru and nearly 5,000 student participants from 1,000+ schools.

Since 1986, the Tech Challenge has inspired thousands of young innovators in Silicon Valley to tackle real-world problems through engineering design. In 2023, the program debuted internationally in Kenya with 750 students. The 2024 event drew 2,700 participants, and this year, student participation in the Challenge is expected to nearly double, and it has expanded to a second location for the first time.

Silicon Valley Meets Silicon Savannah

“In the face of shrinking global aid, The Tech remains committed to expanding opportunity where it’s needed most,” said Katrina Stevens, President and CEO of The Tech Interactive. “This year’s Challenge reflects our belief that innovation knows no borders—and that every student deserves the chance to become a problem-solver.”

This expansion is a natural extension of The Tech Interactive’s mission to inspire the innovator in everyone, by bringing immersive STEAM education to communities often overlooked by traditional systems.

A key to the program’s success is a train-the-trainer model rooted in peer-to-peer mentorship, with support from the Kenyan government. Kenyan educators participate in remote training courses led by The Tech Interactive to build their skills in engineering design-based learning. These teachers then mentor their peers, creating a powerful ripple effect across classrooms and communities.

This approach ensures that the program isn’t just imported—it’s locally owned and sustained. To date, this teacher network has strengthened the STEAM instruction of more than 19,000 educators and benefited over 568,000 students across Kenya. The result is a scalable, culturally relevant model for innovation education—built by educators, for educators.

“As Africa becomes the world’s next innovation engine, The Tech is proud to support the creative potential of young learners across the continent,” said Dr. Shikoh Gitau, CEO of Qhala and international board member of The Tech Interactive. “This kind of learning—hands-on, high-stakes, and human-centered—is what’s needed to create sustainable change.”

The 2025 Challenge: Drop & Dash

This year’s challenge is rooted in real-world urgency. Turkana County is experiencing a severe drought, and vital emergency supplies are often dropped into fields by planes and drones. Unfortunately, they don’t always reach people in remote or hard-to-access areas.

Student teams are asked to design a device that can survive a drop and deliver supplies to a designated target area—without using batteries. Through months of teamwork, testing, and refinement, students will develop and document their solutions, culminating in a dynamic two-day public showcase.

“This challenge is more than an engineering task—it’s a way to empower students to think critically and creatively about ways to address real challenges facing their communities,” said Shital Patel, Director of Kenya Expansion at The Tech Interactive. “We’re seeing future engineers, entrepreneurs, and leaders emerge through this process.”

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