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UNESCO Global Microscience Experiments

The UNESCO Global Microscience Experiments is a hands-on scientific education initiative held in over 80 countries worldwide by the International Basic Science Program (IBSP)of the Natural Science sector (SC) of UNESCO. The project offers a number of miniature scientific laboratory material kits initially free of charge to participating intitutions while targeting multiple levels of education: from the primary, secondary and even certain tertiary academic establishements like the The Department of Chemistry in the Faculty of Science of Chulalongkorn University of Bangkok, Thailand. These kits offer low cost, efficient and environmentally friendly material accompanied by booklets containing protocols describing different levels of scientific manipulations in French, Portuguese and English. The kits are made and offered by the UNESCO-Associated Centre for Microscience Experiments RADAMASTE Centre at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. In order to implement the projects in new regions worldwide, project facilitators and project implementators will travel to the participating institution in order to host workshops and train teachers in the use of these pedagogic materials.

Objectives

The project aims to increase scientific education in disadvantaged regions mostly in least developed countries specifically targeting subpopulations least represented in scientific education such as girls and women. This project thus contributes to capacity building, even in areas where no laboratory facilities, running water or electricity are available. As such, it directly contributing the Sustainable Development Goals (SGD) 4, 5, 9 and 10 imposed by the United Nations to be accomplished by 2030. The concrete goals of the project are as listed below:

1. To promote practical science experimentation using Microscience as an advocacy tool amongst policy makers
2. To improve science curricula by inclusion of hands-on experimentation for a better understanding of science
3. To increase the interest of young people in science so as to promote gender equality, scientific literacy and the choice of a scientific career
4. To promote capacity building for science education and enhance development of scientific thinking and experimentation for pupils

History

The Centre for Research and Development in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (RADMASTE Centre) was founded in 1990 at the University of Witwatersrand. The concept of small-scale science kits for students first emerged in the the year 1993 at the RADAMASTE centre. The initial development of the the Microscience project focused on the needs of secondary school students in Chemistry. Chemistry became a priority for RADAMASTE because consummation of chemicals gave rise to high costs, significant hazard and environmental impact in traditionally scaled labs, particularly so in least developed regions. The Global Microscience Experiment project was launched in 1996 by UNESCO and the International Union for Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) was The kits were then expanded to different levels or education as well as to other disciplines. In 2011, RADMASTE designed another kit covering the Global Water Experiment within the scope of the International Year of Chemistry. The kits are currently endorsed by both UNESCO and IUPAC, distributed within South Africa as well as to many UNESCO member states.

Current Events

As the project continues to grow, new member states are signing on to organize workshops and new disciplines are being added to the roster of those already available. UNESCO facilitators are translating the material into other languages in order to make the protocols and experiments to a majority of participating member states. Currently, workshops are being organized in sub-Saharan Africa with institutions in Nigeria and Mali but IBSP with currently looking for new participating institutions.

Outside Links

Category:International educational organizations Category:UNESCO Category:Science education