Comments

Comments from NYS Host Institutions about the NYS Programme

Bokamoso
“Comment on the NYS programme: it is a good programme just depends on the enthusiasm of the individual on how keen are they to utilise this offer to successfully fulfil their future careers. If used effectively the volunteers can serve as role model for the youth of our country.

Benefits of the centre from NYS: availability of staff on full time basis to complete the programmes that were left due to lack of staff. These are the people who can command the good future of the institution.

Drawbacks: Our science centre is small and with less resources which when shared carefully and economically all will survive. “

Sasol Trac Lab QwaQwa
“I think the NYS project is a great idea to help the volunteers to see something about the teaching and challenges of science in schools.  I hope this will be a continuous program”

FOSST Discovery Centre, University of Fort Hare
“… the project is definitely needed in our region. The financial assistance by DST is highly appreciated and needed for the continuation of this programme. In the period we have been with the DST volunteers, we managed to reach out many districts we could not go to due to manpower. Their assistance is invaluable in our centre. The only challenge we have had was the high turnover of DST volunteers and their time spent away from the University on training but that is understood since they got jobs and are now stable. We highly appreciate the assistance done by NSTF. We will also appreciate to have more volunteers as almost all of them have left.”

Giyani Science Centre
“As for Giyani science centre there are no draw backs we can identify for this programme only the benefits could be identified as the centre is under severe shortage of human resources. This programme has come as a savior for our centre, and we wish it could continue”

Hermanus Magnetic Observatory
“The Programme has assisted the HMO tremendously as staff is always a challenge. The HMO Science Centre recommends that the programme be continued.”

Mondi Science Centre
“As a centre, we definitely appreciate their presence. They are very much helpful, for example when we have other matters to attend to, even if it’s away from the centre, we are no longer suspending the school visits, because they are  always there for us. This is a wonderful programme indeed. I do not think that there are any drawbacks from this programme because the knowledge that they gain from us can still be applied in future. The volunteers feel that they are doing something that is not relevant to their career path but most of them end up enjoying working with us since they always learn something new.”

MTN ScienCentre, Cape Town
“The NYS Programme is an excellent idea in terms of providing experience to the volunteers. As it has been observed at our ScienCentre, the volunteers really needed this experience. I feel that the main benefit of this programme is that when they leave the programme they are equipped with real hands on work experience that will definitely help them in a job situation. 

SAASTA
“The centre is at the moment suffering in terms of lack of enough permanent staff. As a result volunteers play a vital role as they do perform some of the duties we were not going to be able to do without staff. The following were achieved due to their presence:

• The number of visitors reached
• Some of the reports written (SCCB)
• Maintenance of exhibits
• Building of exhibits
• Facilitation of visitors
• Transport of exhibits
• Manning of exhibition areas at Festivals
• Packing of materials for visitors
• Dismantling of exhibits”

South African Mathematics Foundation
“On behalf of the SAMF, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the NSTF and DST for this great initiative”

SciBono Discovery Centre
“The Science Centre industry is a fairly new industry in South Africa, funding for some institutions is very negligible. Thus this programme aids immensely in helping capacitating and running these institutions. Volunteers are of great help to institutions they bring in youth, refreshed ways of thinking and moreover learners get to interact with young science graduates.”

SciEnza Science Centre, Pretoria
“These young scientists and science communicators have lifted the quality of our programmes, were instrumental in increasing our visitor numbers during 2008 and made it possible to engage in more outreach projects and activities. The NYS Programme was the best project implemented by DST for the Capacity Building of Science Centres in South Africa. Sci-Enza science centre is very grateful for the allocation of these volunteers to the centre and is supporting all the projects and inputs of NSTF towards this initiative. “

University of Limpopo Science Centre
“The volunteers are playing a very prominent role.  Due to the extra manpower, we could really enlarge our outreach to schools and even better our SLAP programme.  We also started a Science club.

One of the main drawbacks are that the very good interns always leave and receive permanent offers.  This leads to a lot of time spent by other interns training the new ones.

We are however very thankful to DST for these interns as we could never go back to a situation without them.”

 UniZul Science Centre
“The NYS Programme is one of the best things that have ever happened in our centre since we started many years ago. In 2008 we saw a record number of visitors, purely because of their availability and input. They have played a significant role in doing things we had always planned for but could not do. Our outreach capacity increased from about 30 000 to 70 000 in just one year. Their presence has increased the staff morale as the workload has now become more manageable. The economic wellbeing of this volunteers has changed drastically and their work in the centre has unearthed latent skills. I am very sure that each one of them is ready and capable to take up a job in the private or public sector. They now have a work ethic and skills necessary to open many vocational doors for them. This NYS programme was a brilliant masterpiece and we at Unizul Science Centre highly recommend that it should continue. We are still seeing a lot of qualified graduates coming through our doors looking for employment and I strongly believe that science centres are good training ground for the job market.”

University of Venda, School of mathematical and natural sciences – Vuwani Science Resource Centre
“We had an acute shortage of staff to run our centre activities. The NYSV programme has come in a big way to alleviate these problems. The volunteers made a good impact and their services are also acknowledged by the community around the centre. The NYSV programme will greatly assist our youths to acquire some skills which they can use at their work place in the future. The NSTF is taking all necessary steps to run this programme effectively and efficiently and as such we do not come across any major drawbacks.

“We express our sincere thanks to NSTF for their support and we will try our best to avail the services of the volunteers to uplift the academic standard of the learners in science and technology through our science centre.“

Last updated: 9 November 2009