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Beyond School Community Challenge

The Beyond School Community Challenge is a flagship initiative of The Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Association of Nigeria in collaboration with United States Mission to develop entrepreneurial mindsets of young people between 13-17 who are predominantly in both public and private secondary schools across Nigeria.

The Challenge identifies top finalists annually from the pool of applications received across Nigeria, where top finalists selected are invited to pitch and exhibit their entrepreneurial ideas at the
National Youth Leaders’ Summit.

National winning teams are awarded prizes in form of project and educational grants, Teacher/Mentor Prizes as well as certificates of recognition for both teams and their schools/educational institutions.

The 2020 Beyond School Community Challenge is a Web and STEM-based hackathon on COVID 19 solutions to help Nigerian communities survive the COVID 19 pandemic. The Hackathon topics will be based on case studies on Medicine/ Health and Wellness, Education, Agriculture, Women and Girls Development, Entrepreneurship and Sports for communities during the COVID 19 pandemic. The Hackathon will hold virtually for selected teams across Nigeria.O

The main objectives of the Beyond School Community Challenge are to:

● To identify viable technology-based entrepreneurship concept/pilot ideas emanating from high schools, prospective entrepreneurs in the provision of COVID 19 solutions to address their challenges presently and in the post- COVID future they are yet to see, through funding and mentorship.

● Design a holistic approach to quality technology-based entrepreneurship education and its practices as enshrined in the national school curriculum in both secondary schools and tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

● Provide an environment for experiential learning and learning beyond the classrooms through panel discussions, interactive sessions, networking and collaborative learning practices for these budding entrepreneurs to thrive outside their traditional classrooms.

● To deploy Education and Entrepreneurship as catalysts to advancing United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria.

ELIGIBILITY

  • Applicants must be a team of 4 consisting of 3 young people between the ages of 13-17 years and a Teacher/Mentor, aged 20 years and above.(Applicants can all come from different schools/Educational Institutions but must agree on a team name and be willing to work together during the hackathon under their mentor in proffering community-based solution to the COVID 19 pandemic).
  • All Teams, schools or Educational Institutions must be based in Nigeria
  • Applicants must have access to strong and reliable internet.
  • Applicants must be willing to grant both print and electronic media interviews if selected.

JUDGING RUBRIC/MODALITIES

1. Applications would be received by Teams via e-forms to promote inclusiveness for both schools and other educational institutions.

2. The application would be basically judged within the ambit of social and business solutions for the COVID 19 pandemic.

3. Top 20 Teams/Applications would be selected by the review selection committee for further review. To ascertain the authenticity of every application process, there shall be coordinated phone conversations, live interview via zoom for every team shortlisted for the hackathon.

4. A one week Hackathon would take place for all 20 teams, and the 10 shortlisted teams would be invited for an elevator pitch, exhibition and voting process by the audience at the virtual Summit with 3 Top Teams/Finalists emerging as winners.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

The Call for Applications opens on the 24th of August 2020 and closes at 11:59 p.m on the 12th of September 2020. Eligible Applicants should apply.

Click Here to Apply

Picture of Nkwuka Kosi

Nkwuka Kosi

Nkwuka Kosi is a volunteer at Teens Going for Gold Network. An internet entrepreneur with a passion for Copywriting and a holder of a degree in History, Kosi spends his time focusing on helping teens reach the best God expects them to be.
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Board of Trustees

Dr. Waheed Awonuga

Member, Board of Trustees

Waheed Oyetola Awonuga is a trained Medical Doctor with five years of ongoing practice experience, specialising in Family Medicine. He is also an entrepreneur with a knack for developing ideas that are not only bankable but profitable.

Waheed attended Santa Maria Private School in Mushin and Government College Ikorodu. He holds a Diploma in Data Processing from Olabisi Onabanjo University and completed his medical education at the University of Sierra Leone, graduating with MBChB (Medicine and Surgery). He passed the West African College of Physicians Primaries Examination at UCH, Ibadan.

Waheed is an alumnus of the Young Africa Leadership Initiative (YALI), Africa Cohort 2. He owns Infinity Creative Media, a media consultancy firm in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Infinity Print House, a general print firm also based in Sierra Leone.

Waheed is an avid reader and writer who enjoys travelling and spending time with his family.

Management Team​

Hon. Tobi Olatunji

Executive Director

Hon. Tobi Olatunji serves as Executive Director of Teens Going for Gold Network, providing strategic leadership across TGFGN’s programmes and institutional partnerships.

He oversees programme delivery across all five active states and drives the organisation’s evolution into an institutional peace education body, ensuring that TGFGN’s work remains responsive to the complex social realities facing Nigerian youth today.

Management Team​

Ola Olaoluwa

Co-Founder

Olawumi Olaoluwa is a graduate from the Economics department of the University of Benin, Nigeria. He is also the Creative Director of JOSEL kolektionz, a clothing line.

Vocationally, he is a writer, content developer, actor, and leadership enthusiast. One of the pioneer volunteers of Teens Going for Gold Network, Olawumi has over five years of experience in teen mentoring and coaching. He currently serves as Director of Human Resources.

In his own words: “The opportunity Teens Going for Gold Network presents me with to impact teenagers with qualitative and sustainable education is the main attraction the organisation holds for me.”

Board of Trustees

Dr. Mala Mustapha

Member, Board of Trustees

Dr. Mala Mustapha is an academic and development professional with deep expertise in conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and institutional governance.

His scholarly and practitioner experience spans multiple Nigerian states and regional contexts, providing TGFGN with critical insight into the structural dimensions of peace and security in Northern Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin region.

Board of Trustees

Idayat Hassan

Chair, Board of Trustees

Idayat Hassan is a leading expert in security, governance, and democracy in West Africa. She serves as the Director of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), one of the region’s foremost policy research and advocacy organisations.

Her work spans election monitoring, conflict prevention, and democratic institution building across Nigeria and the broader West African sub-region. She brings decades of governance expertise to TGFGN’s Board of Trustees.

Management Team​

Godsgift Chayil Obi

DEPUTY DIRECTOR

Godsgift Chayil Obi serves as Deputy Director of Teens Going for Gold Network, supporting organisational management, programme coordination, and operational delivery.

In this role, she works closely with the Executive Director and management team to ensure that TGFGN’s programmes achieve their intended impact across all active states, maintaining the quality and consistency of delivery that has defined the organisation’s 12-year track record.

Board of Trustees

Dele Olomide​

Member, Board of Trustees

‘Dele Olomide currently leads the Human Resources and Admin function of Clarke Energy Nigeria, the largest authorised distributor and service partner for Jenbacher gas engines and a leading brand in the power and utility sector in Nigeria. His interests are Leadership Development, People Development (Coaching and Mentoring), Organisational Development and Change, Strategy and Growth.

‘Dele is an HR professional with approximately 10 years of generalist experience spanning Manufacturing, IT, Gaming and Energy. He is also an Associate Pastor with El-Shaddai Covenant Church, Lagos. Before now, he has worked with two multinationals, three start-ups, and a Secondary School.

He graduated from the University of Ilorin where he studied Mathematics/Statistics and holds an MBA in Marketing Management. He is an Associate Member of the Nigerian Institute of Training and Development and an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management.

Board of Trustees

Adedolapo Osuntuyi

Member, Board of Trustees

Adedolapo Osuntuyi is a children and education advocate. She is the founder of Dolly Children Foundation, a nonprofit organisation that equips the African Child to adopt twenty-first-century skills through education, capacity building and advocacy programmes.

Inspired by her upbringing, she has a passion for empowering and creating equal opportunities for children from low-income backgrounds. Dolapo has developed organisational strategy and management processes in the Foundation that have impacted over 22,000 children in 25 communities in four states.

Dolapo has over a decade of experience in child protection, early childhood and community development programmes. A graduate of Botany from Lagos State University, she also holds a master’s degree in Child Health and Social Care from the University of Central Lancashire, Preston, United Kingdom.

In 2015, she received an Africa-America Institute Scholarship to study Social Sector Management at the Enterprise Development Centre, Pan-Atlantic University, Nigeria.

Board of Trustees

Adebanke Ilori Oyeniyi

Secretary, Board of Trustees

Adebanke Ilori Oyeniyi is a lawyer and development professional. Her professional experience spans across politics, inclusive governance, and legislative reforms. She serves as the Executive Director of Raising New Voices Initiative and as the Managing Editor of Lawyard, a platform for interactions around the practice of law in Nigeria.

In 2019, Adebanke led New Voices to conduct the national #BreakTheHold campaign providing resources to competent young people under 35 contesting to be members of the Federal House of Representatives. As a woman in politics, she was appointed as the National Publicity Secretary of Kowa Party — making her the youngest female to occupy the position in Nigeria.

As an advocate for social equality, she has championed the right of prison inmates to education in line with the UN Minimum Standard Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, and has worked for the implementation of laws to promote the rights of children and prevention of violence against persons.

As a Pan African, she has facilitated extensive deliberations at the African Union on the importance of youth integration in the actualisation of Agenda 2063.

Adebanke holds a bachelor’s degree in law from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, a Certificate in Public Management from Bridgewater State University, Massachusetts, and is pursuing her Master’s in International Development and Policy at the University of Chicago. She is a 2019 Mandela Washington Fellow.