More 'hands-on' Science Centres Needed...along with Hacker-type spaces

Graham Durant writing in SciDev:

image courtesy of IMLS

Science centres have grown rapidly in the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe, as the value of hands-on experiential learning in science has been recognised. But Africa has yet to see a similar expansion. Of 54 African countries, only four have science centres, and these are not as advanced as elsewhere.

quoting Mohamed Hassan, formerly of the Academy of Sciences...who

called for establishing science centres in every African country, especially those lacking scientific capacity, and linking them with academic institutions."[Science] academies are usually the homes of the grandfathers and grandmothers," Hassan said. "Science centres are the places that delight the young. Linking these is key to creating solutions that will sustain us across the generations."

Science Centres, cafe scientifique's, Maker Faires and Hackerspaces should be seen as mutually self reinforcing. The former more hierarchical and the latter primarily bottom-up. New York Hall of Science's relationship with Maker Faire being an example of such a complementary and symbiotic relationship.