Teacher honoured with prestigious global STEM innovation award

TRAILBLAZING SA educator, Nadine Smith has been awarded the prestigious 2025 EDGE in Tech Athena Award for Early Career Leadership, recognising her groundbreaking work in transforming STEM education and making it more inclusive and accessible.

- STAFF REPORTER

Nadine Smith, a Coding and Robotics educator at ADVTECH, South Africa’s leading private education provider, was honoured by the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute (CITRIS) at the University of California.

The international award was presented during a special ceremony at UC Berkeley, where Smith stood out as the only recipient from Africa, and her recognition marks a proud moment for the country. She was one of just four global recipients of the award, which celebrates individuals leading the charge in creating more diverse, equitable, and impactful technology ecosystems.

This year’s EDGE in Tech Athena Award recipients include:

• Executive Leadership: Susan Lyne, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, BBG Ventures