ABOUT US

The Centre for Science and Technology Innovations (CSTI) is a Trust registered in 1998 by the Registrar of Societies under the Trustees Act Chapter 167, Laws of Kenya. It is located at the Kenya National Academy of Sciences, Utalii House, Utalii Street, 8th Floor, Nairobi, Kenya.

It has six Trustees, namely:
  • Prof. Shem O. Wandiga - Managing Trustee
  • Prof. Eric O. Odada - Trustee
  • Justice Prof. Jacton B. Ojwang - Trustee
  • Dr. Maggie Opondo - Trustee
  • Dr. Dan Olago - Trustee
  • Dr. Gilbert Ouma - Trustee

 

The Centre for Science has been working towards the improvement of science teaching and learning by holding training workshops for teachers in different provinces in the country.

 

The Centre is appealing for donors to help needy schools purchase the kits, on its part, the Centre will facilitate the training of teachers and technical back up on the microscience kits and experiments at no extra cost to the donor or the school.

 

How to Budget for a School

  • Ideally one equipment kit per learner; the minimum recommended ratio is 1kit to four learners. The cost of one kit is Kshs. 640/-
  • One Chemical Kit will suffice for 50 - 100 learners for a period of one year. Individual bottles may also be replenished. The cost of one Chemicals Kit is Kshs 6,500/-
For more info contact Prof. Shem O Wandiga

 

The aims of the Centre are:

• To promote innovation in science teaching at the secondary and tertiary education levels through the incorporation of new trends in the sciences.

• To enhance the transfer of science and technology research to distressed communities of Kenya for economic development.

• To promote constructive linkages between science and industry for the enhancement of economic development.

• To carry out any other or further activity that is incidental or ancillary to the above.

• To promote the effective use of science and technology in the food production process.

• To facilitate initiatives to achieve greater efficiency through the adoption of good scientific principles in the provision of various categories of service.

• To promote the use of information and communication technology in the promotion of science and technology.

• To collaborate with other centres with similar objectives and aims.

• To act as a clearing house of knowledge and skills between researchers/research institutions and end-users, including policy makers.

• To perform any other duty furthering the development, promotion and dissemination of science and technology.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OTHER LINKS

PROJECT PLAN

Major Achievements Include:

OTHER LINKS

Microscience Learning And Teaching Materials: Towards New Trends In Chemistry, Physics and Biology Teaching
The microscience learning and teaching materials was introduced to Kenyan schools by offering teacher training workshops and donation of the microscience kits to schools. The project was designed to meet the high demand for sciences by utilizing more intensely and more rationally the limited available resources to improve science education in Kenya.

Class Session


The teaching and of basic sciences, biology, chemistry and physics in Kenya is faced with the following problems:
  • lack of learning materials, books, equipment, refurbishing consumables and laboratory space;
  • shortage of science teachers;
  • inadequate training of teachers;
  • lack of support for teachers;
  • poor motivation of teachers and students;
  • professional isolation;
  • language barriers-inability to express scientific concepts in local languages;
  • compact curricula whose planning does not allow enough time for science;
  • lack of comparative competitiveness within a region/world;
  • suppression of innovation/creativity by the syllabus due to over emphasis on passing examination;
  • lack of financial resources for science subjects;
  • inadequate and inappropriate allocation of resources by principals of schools to science teaching;
  • unfavourable students/staff ration in some schools;
  • emphasis of rote learning/recall over evaluation/conceptualization.
Microscience offers
  • reduced costs to schools and parents,
  • does not require built laboratories,
  • running water or electricity to conduct laboratory practicals.
  • It is friendly to the environment and gives the students the opportunity to have hands-on learning experience,
  • laboratory practicals take short time to complete,
  • students have chance to do exercises at school or at home and concepts are easily understood.

A class of 40 students require only US$ 164 for chemicals and microkits per year compared to a normal cost of US$2784.
To construct a laboratory costs between US$ 63,291 for schools near a major road and US$ 189,873 for schools far from highways. To supply such laboratory costs between US$ 6329 and 18,987.

Examples of the microchemistry kits are shown in the figures. Microphysics kit uses the same principle for electricity, magnetism, semiconductors etc.