Stars and STEM Stories
GLOBE Visits Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and Ethiopia
Between August 23 and September 9, Dr. Rebecca Boger, GLOBE Deputy Director for International/U.S. Partnerships and Outreach and International Project Scientist, visited four countries in East Africa - Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and Ethiopia. In each of these countries, Dr. Boger met with numerous representatives of the National Ministries of Education and Environment, United States Embassies, universities, National Meteorological Services, and non-governmental organizations. "GLOBE in this region is expanding and many people in these countries see GLOBE as an important means to build the science, math and technology capacity of students. Universities and National Meteorological Services are eager to work with GLOBE schools, partly because they see that the use of GLOBE improves the educational systems and provides valuable environmental data for research and weather prediction", said Dr. Boger.
At her first visit toTanzania, Dr. Boger worked closely with Mrs. Mary Kivaria, GLOBE Country Coordinator, to hold a workshop for 16 teachers in the Dar Es Salaam region. Mrs. Kivaria, an environmental education specialist within the Tanzanian Ministry of Education, became the Country Coordinator in 2003. She has been assessing effective ways to support existing GLOBE schools and to expand GLOBE into new schools. Mrs. Kivaria will work closely with the teachers who attended this workshop to identify successful applications of GLOBE materials to schools throughout Tanzania.
Next, Dr. Boger visited Kampala, Uganda. Please welcome a new Country Coordinator for Uganda, Mr. Patick Sempala in the Ministry of Education. Mr. Sempala, an environmental education specialist, will be working with others in the Ministry of Education and National Environmental Authority, and other organizations to develop a GLOBE pilot project involving selected schools in Uganda.
After Uganda, Dr. Boger visited Rwanda, a country that recently joined GLOBE. Please welcome Dr. Bonfils Safari, Director General in Charge of Science, Technology and Scientific Research in the Ministry of Education, as the new GLOBE Country Coordinator. Rwanda is working toward becoming a center of excellence for communication and technology. GLOBE is seen as an important component of improving science, math and technology in the education system.
Dr. Boger finished her journey in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Ethiopia is currently not a GLOBE Partner; however, government officials are working on an implementation plan. Working with Daniel Balzer and Moges Worku at the U.S. Embassy, Dr. Boger met with various officials to discuss aspects of GLOBE and applications within Ethiopia. The U.S. Ambassador, Aurelia E. Brazeal, graciously held a luncheon that included over 12 officials from the Ministry of Education, Meteorological Service, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopian Science and Technology Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Embassy.
15 November 2004