The KNUST Photonics Student Chapter (KPSC) and the KNUST Astronomy and Space Science Society (KASSS) collaborated to organize an outreach activity at the International Community School (ICS) at Kumasi. Not only did this collaboration bring together both student organizations but it also allowed for an increase in capacity and impact building in areas related to optics, photonics, and space science.

The teams led a total of two-hundred and fifty ICS students through mid-level and advanced photonics and space science concepts. The students participated in practical sessions that involved interferometry, Arduino and basic electronics, microscopy, telescopes among other interesting hands-on demonstrations, one of which involved the KASSS team helping the students observe sunspots using an astronomical telescope.

The aim of this outreach activity was to create awareness in the field of optics, photonics, and astronomy, opening doors to academic and career opportunities in these fields. In raising these young scientists, we hope to produce problem solvers that will enrich the scientific community and build the next generation of innovators.

The students recounted that the outreach was a huge help as it did not only bring their classroom theories to life but also prepared them for their upcoming academic exams, since the activities aligned perfectly with their academic curriculum.

The KPSC under the Ghana Photonics and Optics Laboratory (GPOL) and the KASSS aims to keep this collaboration alive to drive the initiative of education and impact in the fields of photonics and space science across Ghana and the West African sub-region.