The SmartKids community in front of the JOY Standard College.
Amongst many Kids, the International Project Coordinator; Kees Hoogendijk. Furthermore the chairman of the foundation in Ghana, Mrs. Comfort Acheampong, the National project coordinator Dr. Mariama Ross and the entire Junior Board, chaired by Elizabeth Atulley.
(photo by Marc van den Heuvel)
SmartKids 2010 Annual Meeting by Kees Hoogendijk
The SmartKids 3rd annual meeting, organized in Kumasi on June 26 and 27, was very successful and great fun.
On Saturday the actual annual meeting took place, filled with speeches, verbal reports and occasional lighter issues, like a play by the SmartKids Happy Genius Literary Club; authors and directors: 15 year old smart kids Felix Nsoh and Gordon Putota.
The main difference for me personally however was the fact that this time I was a guest and not a co-organizer anymore. So most of the time I could just sit back, relax and enjoy everything that was going on.
More than 70 of our 80 smart kids were present, some of them traveling all across the country to take part. Apart from the kids, around 35 other guests made their appearance, some for the full length of the program, others just for an hour. All 105 T-shirts were in use in the end, disappointing some late comers.
Among the guests present were Ghanaian Chairperson Comfort Acheampong from Accra, national coordinator Professor Mariama Ross, Penelope Onuman of the Happy Genius Literary Club, SK webmaster Marc van den Heuvel from Holland and Deputy Regional Manager of Education Osei Wiafe, who was one of the first members of The Ghanaian SmartKids Board in 2004.
Master of ceremony was 13 year old smart girl Miata Kuyichiana.
Although some were organized on Saturday, most workshops took place on Sunday, alongside two quizzes. Social Media by smartkids student Francis Addai, a role playing workshop for the younger ones on visiting district directors of education (bringing about lots of laughter) and one on how to address head teachers when selecting new smart kids.
Can’t wait for the 2011 annual meeting.
Kees Hoogendijk.
