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crespire

Creatively Inspire Pte Ltd

SCALING STEM ACCESS IN THE PACIFIC

OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES, AND THE ROLE OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

crespire.com

TRACK: ACCESSIBILITY WITH LIMITED RESOURCES

PRESENTER: AKSHAY DEO — FOUNDER, CRESPIRE

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The Pacific Context

Reality!

80% + usage in some nations

what actually blocks access

Digital literacy gap

Connectivity challenges.

Language barrier.

When we talk about STEM access in the Pacific, we have to start with the reality: we are a region of scattered islands, vast distances, and diverse cultures — but also of uneven infrastructure.

Yes, mobile phone usage is high — in some countries over 80% penetration — but digital literacy is a different story.

I’ve met students who are active on social media but struggle to fill out a basic online form.

I’ve seen teachers trying to deliver lessons while juggling connectivity issues and a lack of devices.

In some islands, assessments are conducted in the local language, which makes sense culturally, but creates a challenge when we shift to online platforms that are mostly in English.

Even in Fiji, which is ahead in some aspects, digital skills gaps remain — and this is where I believe we need to focus our energy

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Why This Matters

Digital literacy is a foundational skill in the modern world, enabling individuals to navigate, evaluate, and create in a digital landscape

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Current Efforts in the Region

Digital Literacy Survey?

🎓 Teacher training

📖 STEM curriculum development

📊 Regional literacy/numeracy assessments

💻 Digital pilots in classrooms

Live Quiz, Polls
TV classes
Live online classes

(Slido, Canva, Google Classroom, etc)

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Global STEM Innovations

Maker spaces, hackathons, community STEM hubs

Hackathons solving community problems

Adapt, don’t reinvent.

Solutions must fit Pacific realities.

Maker labs in primary schools

Solar-powered STEM hubs

Government Agencies: Entities like the National Research Fund (NRF) and the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) organize hackathons, often with a focus on specific national challenges like cybersecurity and food security.

https://nrf.go.ke/hackathon/

Large-scale problem solving: The Smart India Hackathon is a nationwide initiative that gathers students to provide innovative solutions to the pressing problems faced by ministries, industries, and various departments. Implemented projects have addressed issues in areas such as healthcare, disaster management, and education.

http://www.sih.gov.in/

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Opportunities for the Pacific

Starlink, Solar, AI in classrooms

Starlink Satellite Dish → Connectivity anywhere

Solar Panels powering a classroom → Reliable energy

AI Tutor / Chatbot → Personalised learning

Tools need skills to make an impact

Two technologies excite me for the Pacific right now:

First — Starlink. In remote areas where internet has been unreliable for decades, suddenly we have the possibility of high-speed, low-latency connectivity. Yes, regulatory challenges exist, but the potential is huge. not just for STEM learning but for teacher training, health services, and disaster response.

Second — solar power. I’ve been to places where the lights go out mid-class because the generator ran out of fuel. A basic solar setup can keep a small lab running for hours — and combined with Starlink, you’ve just solved two of the biggest barriers: power and connectivity.

And then there’s AI. Yes, it’s a buzzword — but when used well, AI can give personalised tutoring, help with lesson planning, or translate materials into local languages

But again, these tools are only as useful as the digital skills of the people using them.

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My Observations

What If?

“What if we assessed digital literacy every year alongside reading and numeracy?”

“What if every STEM project included entrepreneurship?”

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Wasted Opportunities in Schools

🎓 Career Classes:

Too often treated as “free periods.”
Rarely focus on real guidance beyond the old doctor/lawyer/teacher path.
Could instead host industry talks, entrepreneurship sessions, alumni sharing.

💻 Computer Classes:

Often limited to typing speed tests or hardware basics.
Should focus on digital navigation, online safety, study tools, AI for learning, even business-building basics.

🔄 The Challenge:

Teachers may not have the knowledge themselves → teacher upskilling is key.

“One thing I’ve noticed, is how much potential is wasted in supplementary classes.”

“Take career classes for example. When I was in school, career class was basically a free period. And even today, in many schools, it’s treated the same way — students doing their own thing, teachers catching up on work. But this is such a missed opportunity. Imagine if instead, career classes brought in industry leaders, entrepreneurs, or alumni to share their stories. Imagine exposing students to the real opportunities out there — beyond the old mindset of doctor, lawyer, teacher as the only ‘top’ choices.”

we could match students with mentors based on interest (science, coding, art + tech, entrepreneurship, etc.)

“Then there are computer classes. I still remember my computer class — and the highlight was trying to beat each other’s typing speed. There was no real learning about navigating online, no digital safety, no exploring tools that could help us study or even build businesses. And honestly, this hasn’t changed enough in many schools.”

“These classes could be powerful — showing students how to use technology to learn better, to innovate, to connect. But instead, they’re often wasted.”

“Of course, part of the challenge is that teachers themselves may not have the training or confidence in these areas. Which is why teacher upskilling has to go hand in hand with student learning.”

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Accessibility with Limited Resources

Limit in the Pacific	Potential Digital Solution
⚡ Unreliable power (classes interrupted by outages, reliance on generators)	☀️ Solar-powered labs — Rwanda’s solar STEM hubs keep learning continuous.
🌐 Weak or no internet (remote islands disconnected)	🛰️ Satellite internet (Starlink, etc.) — already connecting schools in rural Philippines and Kenya.
📱 Few devices per classroom	💻 Low-cost shared devices / offline-first tech — Teacher-in-a-Box in PNG uses offline servers to serve whole classrooms.
🌏 Language barriers (English-dominant tools vs. local languages)	🤖 AI & EdTech with translation/localisation — e.g., SIL Pacific working on localised learning tools.
👩‍🏫 Teachers not digitally trained	🎓 Micro-training + peer-learning — India’s Akshara Foundation scaled maths teacher training with small digital modules.

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Gamified & Interactive STEM for the Pacific

We need engaging resources. Not just textbooks moved onto screens, but tools that actually gamify STEM — interactive content, videos, quizzes, even simple game-based challenges that reflect our Pacific realities.

In New Zealand, for example, the STEM Online platform combines animations, experiments, and interactive lessons into one digital resource. Why not build something similar here in the Pacific — a platform built around our stories, our context, our languages?

To give you a sense of what’s possible, the video on this slide took me just 30 minutes to create with the help of AI. It’s a simple simulation: a planting game where students make choices and immediately see how those affect plant growth. Too much water? The plant wilts. Too little sun? Growth stalls. It’s a fun way to teach balance in ecosystems and decision-making

— but also shows how accessible gamified learning can be if we start experimenting with these tools.

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Introducing TalaStory

Talanoa + Story = Practice, Voice, Opportunity

Culture as the Multiplier

www.talastory.com

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WHAT’S ONE THING WE CAN ALL DO?

Big question

LOOK FORWARD TO:

HACKATHON (OCTOBER)
AI AND CODING CAMP (DECEMBER)

QUICK TIP IDEAS:

Record audio and video (Auto transcribe discussion and summarize)
Create quizzes, polls, and surveys (Google Forms, Slido, SurveyMonkey, Tangerine, Survey Solutions.
Brainstorm, mind map, and collaborate (Miro, Google Drawing )
Present, engage, and inspire (Canva)
Create and store documents or assignments (Google Drive, One Drive, Dropbox, Intranet setup)
AI Tools (ChatCPT, Copilot, Gemini, Grok)

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THANK YOU

QNA

End Slide

crespire

AKSHAY DEO

Director

AkshayD@crespire.com

www.crespire.com

+679 9042847