Big plans for the science of the very small

	SAASTA's Mthuthuzeli Zamxaka, coordinator of the Nanotechnology Public Engagement programme (left), and facilitator M.J. Schwarts (back row, right) with the workshop participants
	M.J. Schwarts explains what nanotechnology is all about
	The science of the very small leaves the audience spellbound

SAASTA, in collaboration with the Unizulu Science Centre, hosted a two-day workshop at the University of Zululand in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal at the end of May.

The purpose of the workshop was to train science centre practitioners to conduct nanotechnology workshops developed by the Unizulu Science Centre as part of the NPEP (Nanotechnology Public Engagement Programme) grant in order to encourage participation and sharing between science centres to promote understanding of nanotechnology.

Positive feedback

"The workshop was a great success, and greatly appreciated by all the participants," said SAASTA's Mthuthuzeli Zamxaka, who attended the workshop. Mthuthuzeli is the coordinator of both NPEP and HySA PADP (Hydrogen South Africa Public Awareness and Demonstration Platform).

Two delegates each from the Unizulu, Cape Town, KwaZulu-Natal, and University of Limpopo Science Centres and the National Museum Bloemfontein (all NPEP grant holders), as well as ArcelorMittal Newcastle Science Centre and Isibusiso Esihle Science Discovery Centre (that work closely with Unizulu Science Centre) were selected to participate in the pilot workshop.

Workshop participant Muneerah Jacobs from the Cape Town Science Centre had this to say: "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 participants was that all science centres should join hands and help each other, especially during these programmatic weeks."

Science centre capacity building programme

SAASTA's Science Awareness Platform unit was represented by Thandi Mtsweni, who plans to incorporate the workshop in the programmatic support grant whereby science centres can plan to have this workshop funded for their visitors.

"This workshop can benefit other science centres that are not part of the NPEP grant holders by means of the science centre capacity building programme for science centre staff," says Thandi. "I think the Introduction to Nanotechnology workshop at their centres could add even greater interest to their programmes." The Science Centre Capacity Building programme is managed by SAASTA on behalf of DST.

SAASTA's Audience Analyst Anton Binneman assisted in this process by designing a review questionnaire aimed at determining the relevance of the workshop before it is rolled out to other science centres.

SAASTA would like to thank Derek Fish, Director of the Unizulu Science Centre, for opening up the platform for knowledge sharing, and M.J. Schwarts, one of the NPEP grant holders, for facilitating the fruitful and informative workshop.