Reaching out with Science

The KZN Science Centre recently travelled down the South Coast to the Thanda Village (a non profit involved in rural initiatives within the Umzumbe Municipality of the Ugu district) where they conducted interactive science workshops as well as practical’s with both their facilitators and the young learners who visit their after school programme.

The CEO of the KZN Science Centre, Ms Candice Potgieter said this was an exciting opportunity to join forces with a fellow NGO and to reach out to the Provinces children from disadvantaged backgrounds where they can help them improve their marks in critical disciplines such as science & mathematics.

“We believe that this is a significant opportunity to assist fellow non profit organisation such as Thanda. We welcome this opportunity to reach out to deep rural communities with our message of science, education and awareness. Our mission is to inculcate the importance of education in learners, educators and the general public using funded learning projects, curriculum based resources and interactive exhibitions”, said Potgieter

The support provided to Thanda by the KZN Science Centre outreach team included a focus chemistry capacity building programme amongst other educational workshops and activities. “Facilitator’s were shown the interactive side of chemistry via practical workshops and activities that they will be able to replicate with their learners”, Potgieter explained.

During this initiative The KZN Science Centre team also engaged with the 460 learners from the surrounding community via two curriculum relevant programmes – Earth & Beyond which focused on astronomy and Matter and Material which focused on molecular chemistry. All participants were then treated to a signature KZN Science Centre science show.