GBS STEAM Virtual Exchange
Messy Science: Making Science Instruction Dynamic and Fun!
Ghana Beyond Subsistence
provides virtual exchanges in Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, and Mathematics (STEAM) to assist teachers and students to meet and exceed Ghana Education Service (GES) educational standards. Presenters enhance student understanding of scientific processes by demonstrating scientific principles and outlining experimentation skills that students can duplicate in the classroom.
STEAM Virtual Exchange Guiding Principles:
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Enrich education by inviting international STEAM practitioners into the JHS classroom.
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Establish genuine relationships between Ghanaian teachers and other STEAM educators.
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Listen and learn from one another.
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Focus on the benefits and challenges of Project Based Learning.
The benefit of the GBS STEAM Virtual Exchange is to instill in students the love and respect of the scientific method, curiosity, and wonder about the world around them. GBS exchanges help to build listening skills, research skills, and presentational skills. Virtual exchanges have the power to help students see the world beyond their own hometown.
International Presentation Team
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Zack Matesich, PhD
Assistant Professor, Chemistry
The Ohio State University, Wooster Ohio
Dr. Zack Matesich is a Chemist and an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University, Wooster Campus in Wooster, Ohio.
In his introductory and organic chemistry classes, he makes extensive use of active learning strategies and is always working to find more ways to incorporate student feedback.
Zack's research is an extension of this classroom work as he focuses on chemical education and finding new methods to diversify and improve the classroom learning experience.
He also incorporates chemistry into other aspects of his life - cooking & gardening! In the kitchen, he is always working on some new combination of spices (some are more successful than others) and uses his time in the garden to experiment with soil and additives to supply his cooking inspirations.
Alphounce Wordu
Assistant Head Teacher, Integrated Science and Mathematics, Kpenoe Junior High School
Alphounce Wordu attended Foso College and is currently reading Mathematics in University of Education, Winneba.
He teaches teaches Integrated Science and Mathematics at Kpenoe MA Junior High School and is currently serving as Assistant Head Teacher.
Alan Jaffee, MSChE
Chemical Engineer (Retired)
Johns Manville Corporation
Alan M. Jaffee is a retired Chemical Engineer with broad international experience in process engineering, product development, and technical service in the building materials industry.
He has been an educational grant reviewer for the National Science Foundation and volunteered with educators to develop and present science demonstrations for K-8 classrooms and science museum audiences. In addition, he has mentored and judged middle school science fair projects for over four decades.
Alan earned a Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from The University of Toledo. He holds 32 US patents.
He is a licensed Private/instrument rated airplane pilot and SCUBA diver. He is also active as a volunteer USA Swimming national referee, home builder for Habitat for Humanity, and science educator presenting demonstrations regularly at science museum and community events for the Imagination Station.
Sloan Eberly Mann
Chief Education Officer
Imagination Station, Toledo Ohio
Sloan Eberly Mann is the Chief Education Officer at Imagination Station, a science center in Toledo, Ohio. Sloan has been with the science center for 17 years, working in different capacities within the organization.
Sloan graduated with Honors and Distinction from the Ohio State University and received her Masters in Anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
She serves as the Chair of the Catharine S. Eberly Center for Women at the University of Toledo and on the Toledo Public Schools STEMM Advisory Board. She was recognized as an Ohio Academy of Science STEM Exemplar in 2015 and a 20 Under 40 Toledo nominee in 2019.
She lives in Sylvania with her husband and two sons, Noah (12) and Oliver (9).
