December 11, 2025
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Learning Upgrade & Our Future Prize Bringing Connectivity, Education, and Opportunity Through Starlink for Good
What if every child — whether in the heart of Accra or tucked away in a remote village — could tap into the world’s knowledge? What if no child’s potential was blocked by lack of internet?
In 2025, Learning Upgrade, in partnership with Our Future Prize, Starlink for Good, local partner, Friends of Adaklu, and the Ghana Ministry of Education’s Ghana Education Service launched a groundbreaking initiative to connect the unconnected across Ghana.
Through satellite-powered Starlink connectivity, inclusive learning tools, and community-centered deployment, this project is reshaping how education works in underserved areas — bridging the digital divide, one school at a time.
From Vision to Reality
In September of 2025, in just six days, our teams deployed 52 Starlink kits across four of Ghana’s 16 regions — Volta Region, Oti Region, Eastern Region (New Tafo), and Central Region (Elmina and Cape Coast):
Each installation includes:
- A Starlink kit and one year of connectivity service
- Training for local headmasters, teachers, and ICT coordinators
- Integration of the Learning Upgrade digital platform — delivering courses in English, math, and job-readiness skills
Impact on Students, Teachers & Learning: Digital Transformation in Action
With connectivity now in place, schools have begun to harness digital tools in ways previously inconceivable:
- Access to Online Lessons: Students now participate in interactive, self-paced modules on the Learning Upgrade platform, aligned with national curriculum and reinforcing classroom instruction.
- Empowered Teachers: Educators can now access digital libraries, access global best practices, and peer networks, lifting the quality and scope of instruction.
- Digital Literacy Foundation: Reliable internet builds tech confidence and 21st-century skills for teachers and students alike, nurturing skills like research, coding, and information navigation.
- Equity in Education: Rural students now access the same digital opportunities as peers in urban areas, opening doors to competitive opportunities and future careers.
“We’ve seen students light up the first time they log into a Learning Upgrade lesson. The world just got bigger — and so did their dreams.”— Friends of Adaklu Coordinator
Boots on the Ground: Local Skills for Lasting Change
Our approach centers on community empowerment — ensuring sustainability long after the first installation. Each local deployment team included:
- Community Champions – raising awareness and mobilizing support
- Installation Experts – completing setups in minutes
- Local Tech Support – maintaining systems and training schools
- School Coordinators – managing Learning Upgrade platform and tracking learner data
This “train-the-trainer” model builds local capacity and ensures each community can sustain and expand its own digital network.
“Now, we are not just going to see computers — our pupils will benefit from real connectivity.”
— Municipal Chief Executive, Jasikan, Ghana
Partnerships that Power Progress
From ministers to mayors, district officers to school heads, the effort is powered by a national coalition of stakeholders who believe in education equity.
The ecosystem at work:
- Local Government & Regional Authorities: The Volta Regional Minister Hon. James Gunu affirmed that “every child must have access to educational infrastructure.”
- Local NGOs and Community Advocates: Organizations like Friends of Adaklu lead local coordination, awareness, and integration into community structures.
- School Heads, Parents, PTAs, Village Chiefs, and Community Leaders: Engagement at the grassroots ensures the installations align with community needs, and promotes stewardship for sustaining the infrastructure.
- Government Entities: Official meetings to get commitment from the Ministry of Education’s Ghana Education Service and other government officials were vital in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the initiative.
- We were honored to share our results with national leaders, including Ghana’s Vice President, Her Excellency Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang.
Official Initiative Launch with Ghana Ministry of Education’s Ghana Education Service Team
Building on Success: Measurable Learning Results
In just six months, the first six Starlink-connected schools in the Volta Region integrated Learning Upgrade’s digital platform into daily teaching, thanks to our partners on the ground, Friends of Adaklu. These early results affirm that connectivity plus structured curriculum can catalyze meaningful learning even in resource-constrained settings. The data tells a powerful story (Data collected from March to September 2025).
Teachers have reported higher student motivation, improved attendance, and renewed excitement in math, reading, and life skills.
Spotlight: Akatsi Demonstration School — Inclusion in Action
One of the most powerful moments has been seeing how connectivity transforms inclusive education. At Akatsi Demonstration School, home to a special unit for students with hearing and speech disabilities, Starlink internet is making a profound difference. disabilitynewsgh.com
“Even deaf students in Akatsi will no longer be cut off from the global classroom.”
— Akatsi Deaf School leadership
Before Intervention
- Computers existed, but no reliable internet meant lessons stayed theoretical.
- Teachers and students had to buy their own data if they wanted to access online tools.
- Deaf students were cut off from digital resources used by their peers elsewhere.
After Intervention
- Free one-year Starlink subscription through Starlink for Good and Our Future Prize.
- 214 students (including deaf learners) and 19 teachers are now online.
- Access to sign-language dictionaries, visual learning tools, and interactive platforms.
- Teachers now deliver real-world computing lessons, virtual field trips, and multimedia learning.
Impact
- Learning has become hands-on, inclusive, and inspiring.
- Deaf students now see role models with hearing disabilities succeeding online.
- Stigma is fading, confidence is rising, and students are dreaming bigger than ever.
“The installation is already helping reduce stigma, raise aspirations, and expand what students believe is possible.” — DisabilityNewsGH
In the Spotlight
From national news coverage to launch ceremonies with regional ministers, the program is capturing attention and imagination (articles linked below).
The initiative has been covered by Ghana News Agency, Modern Ghana, News Ghana, and Disability News GH and endorsed at regional launch events attended by ministers and education officers.
What’s Next: Scaling Across Africa
Connectivity is not just an infrastructure upgrade—it is a foundation for empowerment, equity, and innovation. When young people in remote areas can access the global knowledge economy, their communities flourish.
“This isn’t just about Wi-Fi. It’s about possibility — giving every learner the chance to connect, learn, and thrive – no matter where they are.” — Ghana Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service Member
Our long-term vision:
- Capacity Building: Train more teachers, ICT coordinators, and local administrators to manage the digital ecosystem.
- Curriculum Integration: Embed Learning Upgrade and digital pedagogy into Ghana’s national education strategy.
- Sustainable Connectivity: Ensure long-term usage and sustainability by blending local PTA contributions, district allocations, and grants to keep each site online.
Regional Expansion: Expand into community centers, hospitals, and other public institutions; Replicate and extend the Ghana model to other countries such as Kenya, Malawi, Sierra Leone, and Zambia, where partners are eager to get started.
Join Us on This Journey
The story of Ghana proves what’s possible when innovation meets collaboration. Together, we can connect the unconnected — and unlock the brilliance of every learner.
📩 Partner with us: Contact Haneen Khalaf at haneen@learningupgrade.com
Related Coverage & Further Reading
- Akatsi Deaf School: Starlink Internet Elevates Student Learning
- Every Child Must Have Access to Educational Infrastructure – Volta Regional Minister
- Agotime Senior High School Site Visit
- Starlink & Our Future Prize Connect 30 Volta Schools
- Starlink Internet Boosts Digital Education in Jasikan
- Links Across Borders Ghana
- Adaklu Dawanu Salvation Army Basic School
- Volta Regional Minister Hon. James Gunu
- Starlink Partners Connects 30 Volta Schools to High-Speed Internet – GNA
- Starlink Internet Boosts Learning at Tanyigbe Senior High School
- Jasikan Pioneers Ghana’s Rural Digital Revolution Through Strategic Starlink Partnership
- Starlink Partners, connects 30 volta schools to high-speed internet
- Learning Upgrade donates Starlink internet service to Adaklu Kodzobi Basic School
- Our Future Prize X Post
- Starlink X Repost
