Foundation empowers 2,000 students with digital, leadership, 21st Century skills
The iLift Foundation, in collaboration with Terra Academy For The Arts (TAFTA), Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, has begun to empower 2,000 students with digital, leadership and 21st Century skills.
At the launch of Digital, Leadership and 21st Century Empowerment Initiative (DLEI), Mrs Mojisola Ojo, Executive Director of the foundation, said that the initiative was aimed to equip 2,000 SS2 students in public schools with essential skills to succeed.
Ojo described the youth as the strength of the nation, emphasising that empowering and meaningfully engaging them would fortify the country.
According to her, the collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Education is to increase efforts at developing the state and the entire nation.
Ojo said that 500 SS2 students in four educational districts across Lagos State would be captured in the programme.
She added: “The idea is to prepare them for transition and augment their academics.
“We realise that the young generation, known as the Gen-Z are on the fast lane. By empowering them with leadership and 21st Century skills, they will understand that there is more to being on that lane.
“In the course of this programme, the students are going to be exposed to leadership and 21st Century skills, graphics, sound web designs, animation, stage lighting, script writing and entrepreneurship.
“Equipping them with these skills will enable them to be useful to themselves and the community at large, and give them the confidence to dream about a brighter future.”
Ojo said that if equipped, the students would be able to effectively transit to tertiary institutions.
“We understand that most of these students are from disadvantaged communities and homes.
“For those, who, due to one reason or the other might not transit to tertiary institutions, they will have the skill and equally set up a business and, then, we can have a safe society,” she said.
The executive director said that the initiative provided a timely and effective intervention to reduce the risk of out-of-school children and vices in the society.
Similarly, Mrs Adegbite Olabisi, Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Education District 2, Maryland, Lagos State, commended the organisers of the programme.
She urged the students to take fulladvantage of the empowerment to add value to their lives.