From Silicon Valley to the Silicon Savannah, The Tech Interactive's signature program is doubling in size with Tech Challenge Kenya 2025, engaging nearly 5,000 students in designing solutions to real-world problems—proof that innovation truly knows no borders. This year's challenge, inspired by urgent humanitarian needs, invites young changemakers to engineer devices that can deliver aid to hard-to-reach areas without using batteries.
SAN JOSE, Calif., June 30, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- , Silicon Valley's premier science and technology center, is scaling its premier engineering design program to new heights with , 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."
Showcase Details
Kisumu
- Division 1 (4th–6th grade) – Saturday, July 5
- Division 2 (7th–9th grade) – Saturday, July 5
- Division 3 (Form 2–Form 4) – Sunday, July 6
Nakuru
- Division 1 (4th–6th grade) – Saturday, July 12
- Division 2 (7th–9th grade) – Saturday, July 12
- Division 3 (Form 2–Form 4) – Sunday, July 13
At the Final Showcase, sponsored by Kenafric, SBM Bank, Gearbox, IX Data Centre, and Tropical Heat, more than 800 teams will present their designs to a panel of volunteer judges, including engineers, educators, and industry leaders representing organizations such as Lish AI Labs, Mastercard Foundation, Microsoft, Moringa School, Save the Children International, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), Zone01, Zipline, Qhala, Kabarak University, Loho Learning, and many others.
For more information about The Tech Challenge Kenya and this year's showcase, visit .
If you are interested in learning more about bringing The Tech Challenge to your community, visit:
About :
The Tech Interactive is a world leader in the creation of scalable STEAM education resources to empower the next generation of problem-solvers locally, nationally and globally. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, The Tech Interactive, a world-renowned science and technology center, serves as an incubator for STEAM education that can be scaled far beyond the museum's walls. Through hands-on activities, experimental labs, and design challenge experiences, The Tech encourages people to innovate with creativity, curiosity, and compassion. Its signature program, The Tech Challenge, now in its 38th year, has engaged tens of thousands of students and educators in real-world engineering design challenges. The Tech believes that everyone is born an innovator who can change the world for the better.
Media Contact
Shital Patel, Director of Kenya Expansion, The Tech Interactive, 1 (408) 795-6216, [email protected],
Katie Barrow, Sr. Manager, PR & Marketing, The Tech Interactive, 1 4087956198, [email protected],
SOURCE The Tech Interactive
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