Mrs Stephanie Akinwoya

Stephanie Akinwoya is an educator and researcher, whose work is centered on inclusive and transformative education in marginalized and displacement-affected contexts. She has over two decades of experience teaching and mentoring young people in underserved communities in the global south. 

Stephanie’s research focuses on how teachers in challenging environments leverage mobile technologies to enhance teaching, professional development, and student learning. Her scholarship places teachers at the center of educational transformation, using participatory action research to co‑create solutions(photovoice) that empower both educators and learners. Her work illuminates how mobile learning can strengthen pedagogical innovation, support instructional resilience, and expand opportunities for students and teachers in low‑resource and crisis‑affected communities.

A passionate champion for STEM education for girls, Stephanie is the convener of Girls‑pro‑STEM, an initiative that inspires girls in public secondary schools to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Through this programme, she partners with international organizations to deliver mentorship, training, and hands‑on learning experiences designed to ignite girls’ curiosity and confidence in STEM fields.

Stephanie’s impact has earned her recognition on global platforms. She was nominated as one of the Top 50 Teachers in the World in the 2023 Global Teacher Prize by the Varkey Foundation and UNESCO. She is also a 2022–2023 Atlantic Fellow for Social and Economic Equity, a 2022 Fulbright Teacher Excellence and Achievement Fellow, and one of the Top 60 Teachers shortlisted for the 2021 Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards. In 2021, she was also recognized among the Top 10 Nigerian educators in the Wakelet Community Impact Awards for her STEM advocacy and her Safe Space Project, which provides mental health education for teens and young adults.

Across all her work, Stephanie remains deeply committed to strengthening teacher development systems, advancing gender equity in STEM, and promoting inclusive pedagogies that support learners living through displacement, marginalization, or adversity. Stephanie continues to champion education as both a right and a transformative tool, driven by the belief that empowered teachers and engaged communities are essential to building equitable learning futures.