UniZulu Science Centre Workshop, Richards Bay, 21-22 May 2014
News category: Newnano
(Front Row): Yuki Ishida (University of Limpopo Science Centre) and Alfred Tsipa (Unizulu Science Centre). Second Row: Mthuthuzeli Zamxaka (SAASTA), Thandamanzi Mtsweni (SAASTA) Jacob Moloantoa (University of Limpopo Science Centre), Siphesihle Bukhosini (Isibusiso Esihle Science Education Centre), Ancilia Van Staden (National Museum), Muneerah Jacobs (Cape Town Science Centre) and Reona Sooknannan (KZN Science Centre). Back Row: Anton Binneman (SAASTA), Andries Makwaai (National Museum), Guy Lynton (Cape Town Science Centre) Kesigan Govender (KZN Science Centre) and M.J. Schwartz (Unizulu Science Centre).
NPEP in partnership with the Unizulu Science Centre organised a two day nanotechnology workshop that took place at the science centre in Richards Bay on the 21-22 May 2014. Through a grant from SAASTA|NPEP, the Unizulu science centre developed a number of resources on nanotechnology.
The intention was to train practitioners from other science centres and distribute the resources to each centre for maximum utilisation. SAASTA invited the science centres that participated in the previous financial year grant cycle to be involved in this capacity-building intervention. These were the Unizulu Science Centre, Cape Town Science Centre, KZN Science Centre, National Museum Bloemfontein and University of Limpopo Science Centre. Two Northern KZN-based science centres, ArcelorMittal Newcastle Science Centre and Isibusiso Esihle Science Discovery Centre, based in Richards Bay, were also invited to participate in the workshop.
The science centre practitioners were trained to conduct different nanotechnology workshops such as the “crazy carbon” workshop, share methods of best practice, and encourage participation, sharing and confidence building in communicating nanotechnology. Skills transfer was a major focus, aiming to encourage participants to design their own workshop concepts. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive with calls for greater cooperation between all science centres.
“I would like to thank SAASTA for allowing us this opportunity… We learned a lot and shared with one another. A strong request from all was that all science centres must join hands and help each other”. – Muneerah Jacobs from Cape Town Science Centre.
“…the workshop was good, formative and inspiring for basic knowledge introduction to the learners in crystallography. The structures that were done during the workshop as activities, e.g. the bucky ball and the nanotube, were highly fascinating and will also stimulate learners’ creativity.” – Jacob Moloantoa from University of Limpopo Science Centre.
Writers: Mthuthuzeli Zamxaka and Sizwe Khoza