IITA–CGIAR is proud to announce the in-person participation of Dr Adewale Awoyemi in the NESST-Smithsonian convening hosted by the Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) in Washington, DC. Dr Awoyemi is the IITA Forest Center Manager, Conservation Biologist, and NESST Scientist Ambassador at the 2025 Network for Emergent Socio-Scientific Thinking (NESST).
The convening was the first since the founding of NESST in 2021, and it was held between 15 and 20 November. More than 100 members of the global NESST network—scientists, teachers, youth, community leaders, and STEM professionals—gathered physically to reimagine education for a sustainable planet.
NESST, with support from the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, is a global impact network united by a shared mission: transforming STEM education for a future shaped by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Its work is anchored on four pillars—scholarship and research, professional community building, youth engagement, and network growth.
A key intellectual discussion during the event was the network’s paper, which introduced the concept of emergent impact networks as a transformative approach to addressing complex socio-scientific challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss through STEM education. The paper further highlights how such networks can unite young people, educators, scientists, researchers, and cultural institutions across borders and generations to advance STEM Education for Sustainable Development (STEM4SD).
As a Scientist Ambassador (and previously a Research Mentor in 2024), Dr Awoyemi continues to make meaningful contributions to this mission, offering insights from over 10 years of field experience in biodiversity conservation, youth engagement, and urban ecology. His engagement provided an opportunity to share IITA’s grassroots-to-global model of conservation learning, particularly the Forest Center expanding into Schools Conservation Clubs.
Today, the Centre forestier de l'IITA proudly coordinates 63 Schools Conservation Clubs across South-West Nigeria, nurturing thousands of young learners who are developing a lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship. These clubs introduce students to forest ecology, climate change awareness, biodiversity protection, and hands-on conservation action—values that resonate strongly with NESST’s vision for emergent, youth-centered STEM education.
Reflecting on his experience, Dr Awoyemi expressed gratitude to the SSEC for the opportunity to represent IITA and Nigeria on the global stage, describing the convening as a powerful platform for learning, exchange, and envisioning the future of STEM education for sustainable development. The experience has strengthened not only his personal leadership but also the entire IITA Forest Center team, broadening our perspective, deepening our collaborations, and reinforcing our commitment to shaping environmentally conscious generations.
As IITA continues to advance conservation education and champion youth engagement through the Forest Center, Dr Awoyemi’s involvement with NESST stands as a testament to the impact of our work—rooted locally, resonating globally, and contributing to a shared transformative future.
Contributed by Folake Oduntan
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