The Kenyan Science Café Experience: Challenges and Opportunities Ruth Wanjala and Juliette Mutheu

Origin of the KSC Why they begun About the KSC KSC 2008 Opportunities Challenges Lessons Learnt 2009 KSC Input from you Kenyan Science Café (KSC)

Origin of the KSC

Why they begun

About the KSC

KSC 2008

Opportunities

Challenges

Lessons Learnt

2009 KSC

Input from you

Science Café is a science communication model that provides a forum for discussing or debating important and interesting scientific issues in an informal accessible manner. 250 Science Cafés in 40 countries around the world!

In 1997 , Marc Sautet started Café Philosophique In 1998 , Duncan Dallas replicated the idea to Café Scientific/Science Café In 2007 , 23 young African science communicators introduced to the Science Café concept, here in South Africa, British Council seminar In 2008 , two young Kenyans set-up the fourth-country Science Café (after South Africa, Ghana, Uganda) Origin of the Kenyan Science Cafés

In 1997 , Marc Sautet started Café Philosophique

In 1998 , Duncan Dallas replicated the idea to Café Scientific/Science Café

In 2007 , 23 young African science communicators

introduced to the Science Café concept, here in South

Africa, British Council seminar

In 2008 , two young Kenyans set-up the fourth-country

Science Café (after South Africa, Ghana, Uganda)

Why Kenya why Science Cafés? Meaningful scientific information shelved and was not getting out to the public Kenyans asking questions and not really getting answers Frustration with improper/incorrect media coverage on health and science research Novelty and Informalities of Science Cafés

Meaningful scientific information shelved and was not getting out to the public

Kenyans asking questions and not really getting answers

Frustration with improper/incorrect media coverage on health and science research

Novelty and Informalities of Science Cafés

About the KSC… Informal dialogue forums on topical scientific issues in Kenya Held in Coffee houses within Nairobi Weekday Evenings from 6-8 PM Provide an informal platform for scientists and the public to debate and demystify science. Introduction>Questions>Discussion

Informal dialogue forums on topical scientific issues in Kenya

Held in Coffee houses within Nairobi

Weekday Evenings from 6-8 PM

Provide an informal platform for scientists and the public to debate and demystify science.

Introduction>Questions>Discussion

Kenyan Science Cafés 2008 First Science Café 17 th April 2008 HIV Vaccine (Professor Omu Anzala of Kenya Aids Vaccine Initiative) Second Science Café 11 th September 2008 Malaria the research in Kenya and East Africa ( Dr Willis Akwale, Dr Elizabeth Juma and Dr Andrew Nyandigisi of Division of Malaria Control, Ministry of Health, Kenya) Third Science Café 23 rd October 2008 Climate Change (Dr. Musonda Mumba, (World Wide Fund (WWF) )

First Science Café 17 th April 2008

HIV Vaccine (Professor Omu Anzala of Kenya Aids Vaccine Initiative)

Second Science Café 11 th September 2008

Malaria the research in Kenya and East Africa ( Dr Willis Akwale, Dr Elizabeth Juma and Dr Andrew Nyandigisi of Division of Malaria Control, Ministry of Health, Kenya)

Third Science Café 23 rd October 2008

Climate Change (Dr. Musonda Mumba, (World Wide Fund (WWF) )

Pictures

Opportunities Access to Scientists and the public Building of Database of Scientist from across the board Probability of integrating the media in Science Café Opportunities to work with school children in junior Science Cafes. Funding: Duncan Dallas, Burness Communication, Wellcome Trust* and Nation Media Group*

Access to Scientists and the public

Building of Database of Scientist from across the board

Probability of integrating the media in Science Café

Opportunities to work with school children in junior Science Cafes.

Funding: Duncan Dallas, Burness Communication, Wellcome Trust* and Nation Media Group*

Challenges Juggling jobs and Science Café Planning report writing Follow-up on queries of guests Funds, -if you made Kenyans pay to attend a SciCaf attendance would be low and not Getting the media involved Current Science Café attracting upper middle class.

Juggling jobs and Science Café

Planning report writing

Follow-up on queries of guests

Funds, -if you made Kenyans pay to attend a SciCaf attendance would be low and not

Getting the media involved

Current Science Café attracting upper middle class.

Lessons Learnt from the 2008 KSC The media can be an ally We can partner with scientific organizations to offer budgetary support to host Science Cafes e. g IAVI There is a lot of interest from the Public There is a necessity to control and moderate discussion at the café Have more than one speaker at the café to break monotony

The media can be an ally

We can partner with scientific organizations to offer budgetary support to host Science Cafes e. g IAVI

There is a lot of interest from the Public

There is a necessity to control and moderate discussion at the café

Have more than one speaker at the café to break monotony

Kenyan Science Cafes 2009 2009 Calendar Planning (12 months) Budget Registration of Kenyan Science Café as an organization Formation of an advisory Committee Create a scientists database Run junior science cafes Plan on hosting rural Science Cafes Partnerships Develop a structured evaluation sheet

2009 Calendar Planning (12 months)

Budget

Registration of Kenyan Science Café as an organization

Formation of an advisory Committee

Create a scientists database

Run junior science cafes

Plan on hosting rural Science Cafes

Partnerships

Develop a structured evaluation sheet

Input from you