HR: 0800h
AN: ED11A-1097    [Abstracts]
TI: Science education in Africa; A critical time for critical thinking.
AU: Murabona, S
EM: smurabana@yahoo.com
AF: Cosmos Education Kenya, Nairobi, Nairobi, 12345 Kenya
AU: Daka, O
EM: onealobrien@yahoo.com
AF: Cosmos Education Zambia, Lusaka, Lusaka, 12345 Zambia
AU: Chileshi, M
EM: mulengachileshi2003@yahoo.com
AF: Cosmos Education Zambia, Lusaka, Lusaka, 12345 Zambia
AU: Darrow, J
EM: wheeler4523@hotmail.com
AF: Cosmos Education USA, PO Box 11102, Stanford, CA 94309 United States
AU: Tung, A
EM: tungsten@stanford.edu
AF: Cosmos Education USA, PO Box 11102, Stanford, CA 94309 United States
AU: Wanless, E
EM: ewanless@stanford.edu
AF: Cosmos Education USA, PO Box 11102, Stanford, CA 94309 United States
AU: * Hand, K
EM: khand@stanford.edu
AF: Cosmos Education USA, PO Box 11102, Stanford, CA 94309 United States
AB: The change toward industrialization and a technologically advanced society is occurring at an ever increasing rate in developing regions of the world. Such change brings with it both the benefits of access to medicine, water, and food, and the negative effects of pollution, the destruction of natural resources, and the loss of both cultural and biological diversity. In many developing regions the human population is uneducated and incapable of playing an active role in the changes occurring around them. Here we discuss the work of our small non-profit, Cosmos Education, and our efforts to improve basic science education in sub-Saharan Africa. The mission of Cosmos Education is to foster global sustainable development through improved science and technology education in developing regions of the world. Our guiding vision is quite simple: Youth are the future. Education is the key. Cosmos Education aims to make a sustained and effective difference by working from the ground up - reaching individual students and teachers and making a difference in the classroom. We focus on science and technology education and the role of science and technology in health, the environment, and sustainable development. Our model is grassroots development from within; we want the youth in developing regions of the world to decide how their nations develop. In order to be able to do this, the youth must have the knowledge and skills needed to understand the rapidly changing world around them. They must be inspired, empowered, and engaged in their education. By working directly in classrooms, making learning fun with hands-on experiments, and providing the students with talented role-models from their own geographic region, we hope to excite students about their potential drive development from within and to catalyze development that will have a positive effect on the biosphere.
DE: 0805 Elementary and secondary education
DE: 0820 Curriculum and laboratory design
DE: 0855 Diversity
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005