Starlink donation transforms learning at Impact Hub Academy

Impact Hub Academy was officially established in Dzolo Kpuita, a rural community in the Ho West District of Ghana's Volta Region on January 20, 2025.

Since then, the school has made remarkable strides in providing quality early education to local children.

Beginning with just four learners, the academy has grown to accommodate 36 students, ranging in age from one and a half years to nine years old. With a small but dedicated staff of three, including the manager, Sylvia Agbi, the school has remained focused on improving learning outcomes despite several challenges, most notably, limited access to internet connectivity.

For many months, internet access at Impact Hub Academy was inconsistent and slow. Facilitators often had to rely on mobile phones to connect to the internet, using personal data to allow students to explore online resources. The makeshift computer lab currently houses nine desktop computers, which are used for basic computing and research. However, this setup posed serious limitations. When it rained or weather conditions changed, the internet signal became virtually unusable. In some cases, teachers had to leave the school grounds in search of better network reception just to prepare for class. For learners, particularly those from homes without smartphones or stable internet, assignments that required online access often remained incomplete.

In light of these challenges, the recent donation and installation of a Starlink internet device by Friends of Adaklu (FOA) in collaboration with Our Future Prize has brought tremendous relief and optimism to the staff, students, and broader community. Starlink, a satellite-based internet service developed by SpaceX, delivers high-speed broadband internet even to remote areas. Its arrival at Impact Hub Academy has been a game-changer, ushering in a new era of digital learning and connectivity for the school and the surrounding communities.

According to Sylvia Akpih, the manager of the academy, Starlink's installation will significantly enhance both teaching and learning. "We are so pleased that the device is in. It’s going to help our learners and especially the facilitators to access curricular materials that are not exactly in the textbook. It gives us access to a world of learning," she explained. With reliable internet, teachers can now supplement lessons with interactive online content, conduct real-time research, and introduce students to digital literacy at a young age.

The Starlink connection, which also comes with a free 1-year data subscription, is not only benefiting current learners at Impact Hub Academy, but is also opening doors for students from nearby schools such as Salvation Army and EP JHS, all in DzoloKpuita. Arrangements have already been made for students from these schools to come to Impact Hub Academy during their ICT lessons or after school hours to gain hands-on experience making the academy a central hub for digital education in the region.

Delight Teku, a 12-year-old student from Dzolo Kpuita JHS, expressed her excitement about the new opportunities. "We don’t have any computers in our school. But now that we have the computer resources in our community, we will be able to learn computing. I want to become a graphic designer," she shared.

With the Starlink device in place, the school is also preparing to implement the Learning Upgrade program, a digital learning platform aimed at improving literacy and numeracy through interactive lessons. Madam Sylvia believes this will offer students continuous access to learning, both during and after school. “It’s a nice IT tool that will help the kids during classes and after school. The children can come in after regular hours and continue learning,” she noted.

With the installation of internet connectivity, the academy is now poised to become a model for digital education in rural Ghana.

In the words of Madam Sylvia, "We are grateful that the Starlink device has been installed in our school and in our community. It is a big step forward not just for our learners, but for the entire district.”

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