SKAO Council visits Losberg site, attends celebration of Early Childhood Development Support Programme in Carnarvon
Council members of the Square Kilometre Array Observatory’s (SKAO) 12 member states visited the Losberg site to see the progress on the MeerKAT array and SKA Mid on Monday, 4 November 2024.
The visit, attended by more than 50 Council members, took place ahead of the 13th Council meeting held on Tuesday, 5 and Wednesday, 6 November 2024 in Kimberley, Northern Cape. The Council meets three times per year and oversees the Observatory’s funding and strategic direction.
The SKAO Council members on a visit to the SKA-Mid telescope site in South Africa on Monday, 4 November 2024. Credit: SKAO/Bruce Boyd.
Following the visit, the SKAO Council members also attended the launch of the Montessori Early Childhood Development (ECD) support programme in Carnarvon, a collaboration between SARAO and the SKAO aimed at addressing the lack of learning tools and material that hampers the educational development of children in the local towns surrounding the SKA telescope.
The project, a Corporate Social Investment collaboration between SKAO and SARAO, involves the provision of materials, learning aids and training for teachers to apply Montessori principles of developing practical skills, life skills, language development and independence, among others.
Seven educators from Carnarvon, Brandvlei and Williston underwent a Montessori introductory training at the Marsha Louw Early Childhood Development Centre in Carnarvon, to learn more about the Montessori philosophy and how to use the Montessori materials and learning aids, aimed at addressing critical gaps in early childhood education. The training introduced caregivers to the Montessori philosophy, core equipment use, and initial techniques in child development.
An official handover of certificates of completion to the educators were held, followed by an official ribbon cutting by Pontsho Maruping and Prof. Phil Diamond, SKAO Director-General and Beth Morkel, Principal of the Marsha Louw ECD Centre. The ceremony was attended by the SKAO Council Members, SKAO officials, SARAO officials and exco members, members of the community and stakeholders in ECD.
Beth Morkel, Principal of the Marsha Louw ECD Centre, Catherine Cesarsky, outgoing SKAO Council Chairperson, and Pontsho Maruping, SARAO Managing Director celebrates the ECD Support Programme launched at the Centre on Monday, 4 November 2024. Credit: SKAO/Bruce Boyd.
