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We’re a growing, agile children’s museum in Johannesburg, South Africa. We empower and equip all children and families for the future through #play, #creativity, #innovation & #connection.

In October, more than 350 children in

Johannesburg’s inner city participated in a dynamic #STEM learning that aims to be

accessible, entertaining and fun.

The Science Film Festival aims to inspire a new generation of scientists through film

screenings and related play-based learning activities. Taking place at 13 different locations over 8 weeks, it brought the wonder and awe of scientific

subjects directly to children in their own classrooms and communities.

Play Africa, a children’s museum based at Constitution Hill, used the film screenings

and related activities to promote science literacy and build awareness of scientific,

technical and environmental issues through films and hands-on educational activities.

“To help create the South African scientists of tomorrow, we are making science

fun and accessible to all children,” said Play Africa programme manager Mpho Tsele.

“Through Play Africa’s partnership with the Science Film Festival, we are showing

children that they don’t need a lab coat to be a scientist. Science is all around us.

It’s in the colours of the rainbow, it’s in how our food grows, it’s in the water we

drink and how we recycle. ”

Since its inception by the Goethe-Institut Thailand in 2005, the Science Film Festival

has become one of the biggest film festivals worldwide, with over 1 million visitors. It is

organized in each country by the Goethe-Institut in close cooperation with local

partners.

 

“The Science Film Festival presents scientific issues in an accessible and

entertaining way to a broad audience and demonstrates that science can be fun for

children from all ages,” said Dr. Nadine Siegert, Head of Culture and Development at

the Goethe-Institut South Africa. 

“Through the festival, we are continuing our work

in the field of science education as we did with the I am Science project from

2016-2019. We are very happy to have found a project partner in Play Africa who is

as enthusiastic about children’s education as we are.”

The programme received additional support from Rand Merchant Bank, Constitution Hill and Care for Education. This year’s theme is the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),

which were created to be a “shared vision of humanity and a social contract between

the world's leaders and the people.” The ambitious goals to fix climate change, end

poverty and fight inequality and injustice were designed to motivate citizens, not just

policy-makers.

“Play Africa wants all children to know they can be changemakers,” said Play Africa

CEO Gretchen Wilson-Prangley. “We see children as full citizens in our society, who

are learning the skills today to tackle the challenges of tomorrow. We want all

children to know they can play a role, however small, in responding to the

Sustainable Development Goals.”

 

This is the second year that Play Africa has partnered with the Goethe-Institut South

Africa to bring the Science Film Festival to children in Johannesburg. Wilson-Prangley

said the team had to get creative in an era of COVID-19.

“Last year, we welcomed children and families at public screenings at Constitution

Hill,” Wilson-Prangley said. “This year, due to COVID-19, we’ve developed an innovative solution by

partnering with inner-city housing companies, so we can offer relevant, meaningful

STEM education experiences to children in high-rise apartment buildings. We want

children to know that science is all around them, wherever they are, and that a

lifelong passion for science can be ignited anywhere.”

For more information about this programme, contact info (at) playafrica {dot} org [dot] za.