South African educator Nadine Smith has been awarded the 2025 EDGE in Tech Athena Award for Early Career Leadership, recognising her work in transforming science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, and making it more inclusive and accessible.
STEM subjects are the backbone of the ICT industry, providing the necessary technical knowledge and critical thinking skills to learners.
Smith, a coding and robotics educator at ADvTECH, a local private education provider, was honoured by the Centre for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute (CITRIS) at the University of California (UC).
The international award was presented during a ceremony at UC Berkeley, where Smith was the only recipient from Africa.
She was one of only 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 are:
- Executive leadership: Susan Lyne, co-founder and managing partner at BBG Ventures.
- Academic leadership: Isabel Montañez, distinguished professor and chancellor’s leadership professor of earth and planetary sciences at UC.
- Early career leadership: Nadine Smith, coding and robotics educator at ADvTECH.
- Graduate student leadership: Zhe Fu, doctoral student in transportation engineering at UC Berkeley.
“It is incredibly important to recognise the people doing the difficult work of expanding access to essential tech fields,” says Jill Finlayson, MD of the CITRIS Innovation Hub, which oversees the awards.
“Those who champion on-ramps into STEM, fair workplaces and welcoming cultures are critical to the development of innovative technologies and help ensure new solutions will work well for everyone.”
“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Nadine Smith for her well-deserved 2025 EDGE in Tech Athena Award,” comments Desiree Hugo, academic head at ADvTECH Schools.
“Her passion for empowering students through coding and robotics education is transforming lives and inspiring a new generation of innovators. We are incredibly proud of Nadine’s global recognition and her unwavering commitment to making STEM accessible and inclusive for all.”
Reflecting on the award, Smith says: “I believe every child deserves to see themselves in STEAM [science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics]. Through coding and robotics, I strive to ignite confidence, curiosity and creativity in learners, especially those who don’t yet realise they belong in tech.
“This award is not just a personal milestone, but a reminder of the importance of creating inclusive learning spaces where all young minds can dream, build and lead.”
Smith, who also leads edtech initiatives and trains fellow teachers in integrating emerging technologies, has been widely recognised for her leadership, innovation and commitment to education transformation in South Africa and beyond, says ADvTECH.
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