Setting up your Science Club

Starting a science club can seem daunting however the most important tool here is communication. One needs to communicate with an educator or a group of learners at a particular school. The golden rule is to start with a very small group or alternatively link with an already existing club or contact Sivuyile Manxoyi at sivuyile(at)saao.ac.za for a science club manual and more ideas to get started. He has also been helping in an establishing and supporting science by facilitating school cluster workshops in leadership, organizational development as well as program design and implementation.

What has also proved successful is holding an initial kick off event such as inviting a popular speaker or demonstrator or a number of exhibitors. After the event, one can start recruiting members through placing posters around the school and by advertising in assemblies. This can be done through short talks or even regular short demonstration during assemblies.

One and the initial group will also have to consider the following practical matters:

Timing and duration of activities

wWll the club run during lunch times? Weekends? The school day/ week is crowded with many activities so one has to choose the timing of activities judiciously to avoid compelling the members choosing between science activities and other extra mural activities.

Name and club identity

The name is not so important, it can be decided by members of the club however many clubs tend to use name of their school. Use of badges acceptable to school governing bodies have proven popular to many learners

Extra help

Assistance can be sought from local existing clubs, universities, and science centre, science research institutes. Otherwise contact Sivuyile.

Preparation

It helps to develop a schedule of activities or a program for the term. Be prepared and know exactly what you are going to do for each session.