More information can be found on Sci-Dev net here
There are few science centres that offer hands-on experience for young people in Africa. Support is needed for an expansion plan, says Graham Durant.
Science centres are vibrant hubs of informal educational activity. In 1970, there were only two in the world: the Exploratorium in San Francisco, United States, and the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto, Canada. Today, that number has mushroomed dramatically. There are now around 2,500 science centres globally, with many more being built.
Each year, more than 310 million people participate in both local activities and international networks organised by and through science centres. They can promote a positive view of science, and engage young people in important science-based issues that cross political, economic and geographic boundaries.
The current SCEnaRioS (Science Centers Engagement and the Rio Summit) project chosen by the Association of Science and Technology Centres (ASTC) is one example. Through this project, science centres are running discussions about water issues among secondary school students in Australia , China, Colombia, Singapore and the United States; about health topics with students in Brazil and Mozambique; and about energy with students in Canada, Denmark, Israel and the United States.
More information can be found on Sci-Dev net here