Using AI to Make Stem Education More Inclusive for Children with Disabilities: Lucretia Dreyer, South Africa

Recognizing the need to enhance her technological skills and knowledge, Lucretia sought opportunities for professional development. This led her to the UNITAR Developing Essential Digital Skills for Women and Youth in Africa programme. The programme, which ran from November 2023 to March 2024, aimed to enhance the employability and competitiveness of 7,000 African women and youth in the global workforce, readying them with the “4th Industrial Revolution” and future-of-work digital skills in a digital-driven world. The programme, funded by the Government and People of Japan, focused on 24 Anglophone African countries.

The UNITAR programme proved to be transformative. The first phase, an online training, provided Lucretia with a solid foundation in AI fundamentals. “When we say AI, we tend to think of robots that do something. But I learned about emerging technologies such as computer vision, neural networks, deep neural networks, and machine learning. And I realized that we could use computer vision and smart glasses to teach learners with visual impairments subjects such as math, coding and robotics”, she explained.

I learned about emerging technologies such as computer vision, neural networks, deep neural networks, and machine learning. And I realized that we could use computer vision and smart glasses to teach learners with visual impairments.” —Lucretia Dreyer, UNITAR alumna, South Africa 

Lucretia developed the idea as her self-led project in the second phase of the programme, while also learning how to use design thinking and incorporating strategy and process into her planning. She was also one of 25 top participants who were chosen to join the in-person workshop in Phase 3, which was held in Nairobi.   

“Travelling and seeing a new country, meeting up with new people – it was more impactful than [the organizers] could ever imagine,” Lucretia notes . The workshop not only gave her insights into sustainability and community leadership but also let her foster valuable connections with participants from diverse backgrounds.