Programme

Springboard Road Show 2025

Techiman Youth Urged to Tap Opportunities in Agriculture – MCE Kwaku Adjei Mensah at Springboard Road Show 2025

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The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Techiman, Hon. Kwaku Adjei Mensah, has urged young people to explore opportunities in agriculture, describing the sector as a key driver of innovation, employment, and national development. He made the call at the Springboard Road Show 2025 held in Techiman, the sixth stop of the nationwide youth empowerment tour under the Ghana Grows programme. The event brought together young people, traditional leaders, and local authorities to discuss skills development, entrepreneurship, and mental well-being. Hon. Mensah noted that agriculture remains one of the most promising sectors for the country’s youth, offering vast potential for enterprise and self-employment. He encouraged participants to acquire practical skills and leverage both government and private-sector interventions to improve productivity and livelihoods. “Agriculture remains one of the most promising sectors for our youth. It offers vast potential for innovation, employment, and enterprise,” he said. “I encourage every young person to acquire practical skills and take advantage of interventions in agriculture to improve productivity and livelihoods.” The Techiman edition marked the transition of the Road Show from Ghana’s northern and savannah zones to the middle belt. The initiative, expected to cover all 16 regions and engage over 500,000 young people, focuses on empowering youth through innovation, inclusion, and mentorship. A key session on mental health and psychosocial support emphasized emotional resilience and self-care as vital elements of personal and professional success. Facilitators also highlighted the availability of free counselling services under the Ghana Grows programme. Two members of the Ghana Grows Girls Club shared how the initiative had transformed their lives. Ellen Anyaki said e-mentoring sessions on entrepreneurship and food processing helped her start a garlic and ginger paste business after winning the 60-Day Backyard Farming Challenge. “Through e-mentoring on entrepreneurship and food processing, I was able to start a garlic and ginger paste business,” she said. “Winning the 60-Day Backyard Farming Challenge gave me a starter kit and financial support to expand my venture.” Haggar Sackey, a participant of the Empower360 training, said training in soap making inspired her to establish Evert & Co., a youth-led enterprise that trains senior high school students in soap production and entrepreneurship. “The soap-making training gave me the confidence to start my own business,” she said. “The programme gave me purpose and direction.” Traditional leaders, including Nana Adwoa Akwaabea Sika (New Krobo Hemaa), Nana Kwadwo Yeboah (Atipimhene, Krobo Kyidom Traditional Council), and Nana Afia Yeboaa (Atipimhemaa, Krobo Kyidom Traditional Council), graced the event. Nana Kwadwo Yeboah, also a Ghana Grows Youth Ambassador, said his training at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) had enhanced his knowledge in agriculture and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET), enabling him to mentor young people through Career Clinic sessions. The Springboard Road Show 2025 continues its mission of nurturing a generation of skilled, confident, and purpose-driven young people. From Techiman, the nationwide journey proceeds to the Bono Region, carrying forward the message of enterprise, innovation, and empowerment for every young person ready to grow. Marketing and Communications Springboard Roadshow Foundation

Hangout

From Two Pupils to 215: How Springboard Inspired a teacher to Build a School in Zorko

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Dr. Thomas Abugre, Founder of Zimas Grace International School in Zorko, Upper East Region, credits a single encounter with the Springboard Road Show in 2010 for transforming his life and inspiring him to establish the first private school in his community. Speaking on the Springboard Hangout with Comfort Ocran, Dr. Abugre recounted how attending the Road Show sparked a vision to create opportunities for children in Zorko, a community that previously only had public schools. “Hearing Reverend Albert Ocran say it doesn’t matter where you are, you can make it, I was moved to act,” he recalled. According to Dr. Abugre, the school started in a rented single room with just two pupils, the children of his colleagues. By the end of the first year, enrolment had grown to 10. Today, Zimas Grace International School boasts 215 pupils and 12 teachers, offering classes from kindergarten through junior high school. The school also runs an affordable feeding programme, ensuring pupils receive daily meals, a factor Dr. Abugre says has improved attendance and retention. Beyond founding the school, Dr. Abugre has pursued his own education relentlessly, progressing from a Cert-A teacher to earning a first degree, a master’s, and a PhD specializing in early childhood development. “The Springboard Road Show changed my mindset about being a village champion. If I can rise to this level, so can others,” he said. Despite its success, the school faces significant challenges with infrastructure and land ownership. Zorko’s traditional landowners do not sell land to non-natives, so Zimas Grace currently operates in rented spaces, including a community centre. This limitation has prevented the school from fully utilizing its computer lab, despite receiving 15 computers through a donation facilitated by Springboard. Despite these obstacles, Dr. Abugre says the school has made a lasting impact, inspiring the emergence of other private schools in the area and reducing the need for parents to send their children to Bolgatanga for private education. Looking ahead, he hopes to track the progress of his pupils over the next decade and expand facilities to support their growth. He urged young people and the public to support the school’s infrastructure needs, either through the PTA or its bank account. “If there is anything you can get hooked on, get hooked on the Springboard Road Show. It has transformed my life, and it can transform yours,” he advised. The visit to Zorko was part of the 2025 Springboard Road Show, which is touring 16 cities and engaging over 500,000 youth in one amazing experience. About Springboard Hangout Springboard Hangout is a funducative, youth-centered show hosted by Comfort Ocran. It features inspiring stories, practical skills, and real-life experiences to educate, entertain, and equip the next generation. It airs every Saturday on Joy Prime TV and on the Springboard Channel (YouTube) at 4 pm. Marketing and Communications Springboard Road Show Foundation

Virtual University

17 Years On, Springboard Still Graduates a Nation of Doers

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Springboard marks its 17th year with Thinkathon, a seven-week ideas series inviting Ghanaians to think boldly, act responsibly, and build a culture of integrity. Seventeen years ago, a simple on-air conversation at Joy FM became a movement. Springboard, Your Virtual University, hosted by Rev. Albert Ocran, has grown into one of Ghana’s most trusted platforms for thought leadership and practical capacity building. Reflecting on the journey, Rev. Ocran said “This broadcast was born on the evening of August 4, 2008, when Comfort and I sat in the studios of Joy FM to discuss building a good society. Seventeen years later, it is remarkable to reflect on how far we have comewith the broadcast, the number of platforms it now serves, and the millions of lives it has positively impacted. To God alone be the glory. We thank all our sponsors, stakeholders, listeners, and viewers. You make Springboard, the Virtual University.” Across the years, Springboard has hosted some of the nation’s most influential voices, including Pastor Mensa Otabil, Archbishop Palmer-Buckle, Dr. Patrick Awuah, Bernard Avle, Kwami Sefa Kayi, Azumah Nelson, and Anita Erskine, sharing ideas that shape mindsets and inspire action in business, governance, academia, sports, and faith. The impact is echoed by national figures. Actor Adjetey Anang notes, “What Springboard Virtual University gives you is social skills. It helps you set yourself apart and be street-smart.” Veteran stateswoman Joyce Aryee calls the programme “relevant” and “timely.” And Professor Pikay Richardson urges young people to tune in, emphasizing Springboard’s role in democratizing knowledge: “In the knowledge economy, knowledge is power…this is one programme where you can actually get knowledge, virtually for free.” To mark the anniversary, Springboard has launched Thinkathon, a seven-week series convening experts to test bold ideas for national progress. For nearly two decades, Springboard has functioned as a “national classroom,” translating insight into action for listeners across generations. It airs every Sunday at 7:00 p.m. on Joy FM and Springboard Zone (YouTube), and at 9:00 p.m. on Joy News TV. With Thinkathon, Springboard widens the conversation, equipping Ghanaians with ideas, practical guidance, and the motivation to lead in their communities and workplaces.