Science Spaza Archives - Jive Media Africa

Public Communications of Science & Technology (PCST): Hip Hop and Science in the Spotlight.

The 14th Public Communication of Science and Technology conference will be held in Istanbul from the 26th-the 28th of April. Robert Inglis, director of Jive Media Africa, heads to the annual event where leaders in science communication gather to network and develop strategies to further the goal of getting the public to engage with science and technology. Director Robert Inglis will be presenting the Hip Hop Health Research, Rhythm and Rhyme initiative to the conference to demonstrate its effectiveness in encouraging the youth to engage with science and health. The use of music, specifically hip hop, as a medium through which the material is analysed and the information is disseminated has yielded very positive results. The Hip Hop Science Spaza programme results in songs which are used to empower researchers into active roles as scientists in society. It shows that solutions to the issues that their communities face can be found through science so it is important to involve young people in the public communication of science. These success stories will be shared with the science communication community at the conference. For more information on Science Spaza visit www.sciencespaza.org.

Inglis will also be presenting on another initiative of Jive Media Africa: Agent Zee. This is a platform for the upliftment and development of women in science and is aimed at high school seniors and tertiary students. Female scientists remain under-represented in leadership positions in South Africa and so Agent Zee seeks to combat this by providing information on education and career opportunities as well as profiling role models and inspiring success stories for aspiring female scientists. If you’d like to find out more about Agent Zee, visit www.agentzee.org.

April 1, 2016/by Jive Media

Music Communication, News, Public Engagement

Music of the Stars: Jive Media Africa and the SKA collaborate on Hip Hop and Science

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA), developer of the world’s largest radio telescope, in partnership with Jive Media Africa recently engaged learners in Carnarvon in the Northern Cape through the Hip Hop Science Spaza programme. Grade 6 and 7 learners from Carnarvon Primary School were treated to hands-on science activities through which they learned more about the SKA, radio telescopes and astronomy. The activities included the creation of art focused on the theme of astronomy and the electromagnetic spectrum, a visit to the site of the MeerKAT telescope and an international Skype session that allowed the learners in Carnarvon to engage with learners at the Jodrell Bank telescope in the United Kingdom. Through the Science Spaza Hip Hop initiative, the SKA and Jive Media Afica then hosted an awesome collaboration with learners, scientists and popular music artist, iFani, putting on a show to engage the Carnarvon community all about radio astronomy and the ‪‎SKA through the power of music! Following the event, the songs were packaged along with interviews from the scientists and musicians for community radio stations to share even more widely.

Science Spaza is a science engagement initiative of Jive Media Africa to improve science literacy by bringing curriculum-linked science to disadvantaged schools around the country. Science Spaza has established a network of science clubs throughout the country, supported with appropriate resources and tools, encouraging learners to engage in fun and interactive science, and to support educators in the teaching of science in an enjoyable manner. To find out more visit www.sciencespaza.org

March 8, 2016/by Jive Media

Music Communication, News, Public Engagement, Science Communication, Science Engagement

National Science Week 2015

SAMA award winning Hip Hop artist iFani jetted in to KZN to collaborate with star scientists and learners from Edendale Technical High School to kick off Hip Hop Science Spaza 2015.

Learners, who had been preparing and practicing their songs on light, met up with leading SA scientists from the CSIR National Laser Centre and the International Square Kilometre Array project before putting their songs under the spotlight.

Hip Hop Science Spaza is celebrating the International Year of Light and Light Based Technologies – raising awareness of the importance of light in our lives – including its role in scientific discovery and numerous applications which affect our lives form data transmission to health diagnostics.

Also featured were the “Ionic Bonds”, Durban based science learners and runners-up in the 2014 Hip Hop Science Spaza competition along with beatboxer Lungelo. iFani was accompanied by up-and-coming Hip Hop artist, KZN’s Lex LaFoy who reflected on the role of the social sciences and the power of Hip Hop to change lives.

To find links to the interviews and the music go to www.sciencespaza.org

The event was featured on SABC’s Morning Live as well as Hectic Nine-9 (SABC2) during National Science Week. You could pick up the interviews and recordings on community radio stations nationally or online every day during National Science Week 2015.

The Hip Hop Science Spaza Project is a national collaboration between popular music artists and learners in science clubs around South Africa to make science accessible to the general public. See www.sciencespaza.org. Science Spaza is an initiative of Jive Media Africa.

National Science Week is an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology managed through the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA). Find out more at www.saasta.ac.za

August 4, 2015/by Jive Media

Music Communication, News, Public Engagement, Science Communication

Hip Hop Health: Research, Rhyme, and Rhythm for Healthy Communities

Hip Hop Health: Research, Rhyme, and Rhythm for Healthy Communities is a collaboration between members of Science Spaza science clubs, popular music artists and health researchers to address health challenges facing South African communities.

The project’s purpose is to enable young people to engage with health research, and in this project specifically research around water and water-related disease. This will be done by firstly mentoring the science clubs on research methodologies and research ethics. And secondly, then to undertake one of three research projects on water-related disease in their own communities. Upon completion of these research projects, the clubs will turn their new knowledge into hip hop and rap songs with a prominent Hip Hop artist which will then be performed for their communities, recorded and filmed for wider distribution.

Project leaders are Ms Hilary Kromberg Inglis BMus (Hons) Music Communication and Dr Neil McKerrow, Head: Paediatrics and child health, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health.

Also involved are award-winning science communication and science engagement expert and MD of Jive Media Africa, Mr Robert Inglis. Expert consultants are Dr Douglas Wassenaar M.A. (Clin. Psych.) PhD, School of Applied Human Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal as well as Dr Lisa M. Butler, Ph.D. (Education), M.P.H. (Epidemiology & Biostatistics), Ph.D. (Epidemiology) Boston Children’s Hospital, Department of Medicine, Division of General Pediatrics; Harvard Medical School, Department of Pediatrics.

This initiative has been made possible through The Wellcome Trust’s International Engagement Award. The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in health by supporting the brightest minds.

Mehlokazulu Science Club, Sobantu Science Club and Science Spaza staff, Olwazini Discovery Centre

June 16, 2015/by Jive Media

Music Communication, News, Public Engagement, Science Communication, Science Engagement

Hip Hop and Science combine with explosive results!

SAMA award winning rap artist, iFani, jetted into Durban on Saturday, 19 July 2014 for a music event with a difference – the Hip Hop Science Spaza! The BAT Centre (Durban) was the laboratory in which hip hop and science were combined to boost science education with the addition of a little rap.

Grade 10 – 12 learners from Chesterville and Umlazi engaged in practical science activities and then turned new knowledge into rap songs. The event culminated in a hip hop battle for the best science rap. The surprise ingredient was iFani, the hottest name in SA Rap who this year won a SAMA for best rap album and who is incidentally also a computer scientist.

Being the International Year of Crystallography, the workshop started with a lesson delivered by Dr Sphamandla Sithebe, an organic chemistry researcher and lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

viagra discount drug

Learners then developed rhyming lines and raps working with Music Communication specialist and creative director at Jive Media Africa, Hilary Kromberg and KZN based musicians Rooted Souls.

To screams of surprise and delight, iFani arrived on Saturday morning ahead of the local battle. He spent an hour with the stunned learners giving them performance tips and talking to them about his journey from humble beginnings to stardom – answering personal questions about his career as a scientist and musician, as well as his grandmother, Mama Mthembu, who raised him as a single parent and passed away in 2010.

“iFani means ‘not the same’ and Science Spaza is presenting science information in new ways. We’re excited to be collaborating with iFani to bring science to the people – it’s a great partnership.” said Robert Inglis, Director of Jive Media Africa and co-founder of the Science Spaza initiative.

This year celebrates the International Year of Crystallography, 100 years since the discovery of X-Ray crystallography – an advance that allowed scientists to see the crystal structure of molecules. Crystallography is a wide-ranging discipline, which impacts on nearly every field of science and technology.

The two day workshop was filmed for Hectic Nine – 9 the popular youth show on SABC 2, for National Science Week 2014 from the 2nd to the 9th August. National Science Week is an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology administered by SAASTA, the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement.

Click here to view the gallery of photographs

The Jive team with iFani

July 21, 2014/by Jive Media

News, Public Engagement, Science Spaza

Science Spaza inspires and excites high school learners at National Science week!

What a week it has been for Science Spaza, a Jive Media Africa initiative!!

National Science Week kicked off with a great launch at the Royal Show Grounds (Pietermaritzburg). High schools and educators from the uMgungundlovu District Municipality were present including Qoqisizwe High School, Masijabule High School, Mazwendoda Senior Secondary, Bhekiximba High School, Umthonqotho Comprehensive High School and Gobindlovu High School. Science Spaza reached out to approximately 400 learners in what was a truly fulfilling experience for all parties involved: the learners, educators and the Science Spaza team. Everyone enjoyed hands-on activities on Paleontology, Astronomy, Traditional Knowledge, SA Invention, Marine Biosciences and Working Together for Water. The day would not have been complete without the distinguished guest speakers, Mr Shadrack Mkansi of SAASTA, Mr Irshad Motala of the KZN Department of Education, Prof Albert Modi of UKZN and Mr Robert Inglis who both directors of Jive Media Africa. In addition, the Master of Ceremonies Mr Ntokozo Shezi of FameLab 2013 inspired and enthralled the audience. Thank you to our sponsors, namely: The Department of Science & Technology and National Research Foundation/South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement.

August 7, 2013/by Jive Media

News, Science Spaza

Science Spaza at the Royal Show

Our famous Science Spaza featured at the Royal Show Grounds from the 24^th of May to the 2^nd of June 2013. The Royal Show is an event in Pietermaritzburg and attracts an average of 220 000 visitors per year. Science Spaza was fortunate to have been there and reached many young learners and educators who are interested and excited about the field of science.

Science Spaza attracted much attention from learners, educators, the general public and potential partners. This served to be a beneficial and educational experience for learners who received activity based resources and sign-up forms should they want to start up their own science clubs at their schools.

Science Spaza would like to thank it’s partners who share the vision of empowering young minds and making a difference in Science education in SA – Partners in Development (PID), Ground Truth, Makhaotse, Narasimulu & Associates (PTY) LTD and Actus Integrated Management (AIM).

Science Spaza is an initiative of Jive Media Africa. The initiative aims to improve science literacy in schools with the use of fun and interactive activities and resources and to contribute to the improvement and development of science education in South Africa. We welcome sponsors and partners who would like to reach this audience. Please visit www.sciencespaza.org for more information or email info@sciencespaza.org

June 18, 2013/by Jive Media

Tag Archive for: Science Spaza