CalBank has hosted a visit by Right to Dream Academy's robotics team, showcasing the students' remarkable achievements in STEM education and highlighting a partnership that is shaping Ghana's next generation of innovators and leaders.
The session, held at CalBank's offices on June 25, featured a live robotics demonstration by the students, led by Mohammed and Theresa, who programmed a miniature robot to construct a wooden bridge, drawing applause from management, staff, and journalists in attendance.
Speaking at the event, the Deputy Managing Director of CalBank, Johnson Oware, said the partnership with Right to Dream was a deliberate alignment of two institutions committed to shaping future leadership. "CalBank is at the cutting edge of financial technology, and we are looking at the development of leadership in the financial sector innovation, which is the future of banking," he said.
Oware noted that many Ghanaians view Right to Dream solely as a football academy, but the institution is about much more. "It's about shaping leadership for the future, shaping innovators and the people who can take this country to the next level, and that is where this bank is fully aligned with their plans and their aspirations," he said.
He explained that robotics is rapidly transforming the banking sector through robotic process automation (RPA), where high-volume repetitive tasks are automated. "Processes that used to take 45 minutes are now taking one minute to improve services that we give to our customers, and these are all on the back of robotics," Oware said. "The future of banking is going into robotics."
He added: "The robotics achievements that you are making align with the aspirations of CalBank. In banking, robotics is taking over. We need more skills in process design, data analytics, and supervisory work, and the reason is because of the activity of robotics. For us, it is the future that you are shaping, and we align with that future dream."
Ayeley Commodore-Mensah, representing Right to Dream's education department, presented trophies to CalBank as a symbol of appreciation for the bank's sponsorship and belief in the academy's young talents.
"On behalf of the entire Right to Dream family, we are honoured to present these trophies as a symbol of our sincere appreciation for your sponsorship, partnership, and belief in our young talents," she said. "Your support made it possible for our student-athletes to compete on some of the biggest innovation platforms in the world and achieve extraordinary success."
Commodore-Mensah detailed the robotics team's recent achievements, including emerging as the second-best team in the Robofest Senior Challenge in Michigan, USA, and winning the Senior Category of the AI for Good Competition in Ghana, earning the opportunity to represent Ghana at the World AI for Good Summit in Geneva in July.
"The Right to Dream robotics journey began in 2013 through the vision of our Group Head of IT, Christian Taylor, who purchased the first two LEGO robotics kits because he believed our student-athletes could aspire to become more than footballers," Commodore-Mensah said. "He wanted them to see themselves as future engineers, innovators, scientists, and problem-solvers."
She highlighted the inspiring story of Caleb Yirenkyi, who arrived at Right to Dream from Bechem as a young boy and went on to win the Ghana Robotics Championship in 2018. Today, Yirenkyi is representing Ghana at the FIFA World Cup. "His story reminds us that when we invest in young people holistically through education, technology, character development, and sport, we do not simply produce footballers. We develop leaders, innovators, professionals, and ambassadors for Ghana," she said.
Commodore-Mensah expressed gratitude to CalBank for its support, which has opened doors, expanded possibilities, and inspired confidence in young Ghanaians. "There are many more Calebs waiting to be discovered," she said. "Partnerships such as this make that possible. Thank you for believing in our students. Thank you for investing in their future."
The visit concluded with CalBank reaffirming its commitment to supporting Right to Dream's mission of developing future leaders equipped with skills in STEM, robotics, and innovation. As the robotics team prepares to depart for Geneva, they carry the hopes of their communities, partners, and nation, determined to represent Ghana with excellence on the world stage.
