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Bill Nye the Science Guy – Ethiopian Style

Bill Nye the Science Guy’s creative, enthusiastic ways of making learning about science fun haven’t yet arrived in the horn of Africa. But imagine1day is making up the difference and this past weekend your field team spent three days giving 90 teachers from 30 different schools Science Kit Training.

Working with three Science Kit Trainers from Abi Adi Teachers’ College in Northern Ethiopia, we were able to deliver dynamic, engaging training about how to use the 180 pieces of each Science Kit effectively.

“Science Kits and the training are important because science shows you practically what you can do in your home,” says imagine1day’s Community Development Officer, Lule. “The teachers know the theory from their books but learning to visually explain concepts to the students gives a hands-on approach that is very successful in helping them understand the ideas. Science Kits bridge the theoretical and practical sides of science.”

Haile Mariam, Social Science teacher from Tsehafti Grade 1-8 Community School (an imagine1day supported school) was one of the many teachers who relished the opportunity to develop their teaching skills.

“Science Kit Training was very good for me,” he said after the training. “Before imagine1day I did not know much about how to mix Science Kit materials with locally available materials to explain concepts to my students. But now I have a pedagogical center full of models and experiments where I teach my students everything from how to filter water to how electrical circuits work.”

Tsehafti is in a remote part of Northern Ethiopia where things like electricity and oranges are not available. Many of Haile Mariam’s students have not seen either and by building little electrical circuits with batteries and light bulbs and making papier-mâché oranges he is preparing them to explore the world beyond Tsehafti’s borders.

“What we learn in Science Kit Training seems simple,” he says. “But sometimes when resources are limited it seems like we can’t do anything. But we can. imagine1day is helping us to learn how to be clever with basic materials. For example, an old oil canister full of water with a connecting hose makes a simple, effective way to explain what a volcano is!”

To learn more about Science Kit Training and other important elements of imagine1day’s Quality Classroom Program please visit: http://www.imagine1day.org/quality-classrooms-2009-updates.htm

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