NIHERST: About Us

NIHERST offers services to members of the public in the following areas:

Awards for Innovation & Invention

NIHERST administers the Individual category of the Prime Minister’s Awards for Innovation and Invention. This is an open competition to all residents of Trinidad and Tobago. Entrants submit their ideas for an Invention, either a process or a product, and are asked to develop their ideas into a prototype for judging.

Workshops are held throughout the country to give interested persons a better understanding of the awards and to help them in preparing for the competition. Holiday camps in innovation and invention also give children an exposure to creativity and invention.

E-mail: innovation@niherst.gov.tt

School and Family Visits to the NIHERST/NGC National Science Centre

The National Science Centre opens from Tuesdays to Fridays weekly and caters to the needs of individuals, families, schools and communities. The Centre exposes visitors to a world where knowledge has no boundaries: from the exhibition floor with over thirty interactive science exhibits, to the activity arena of fun demonstrations and science shows, to the planetarium with its intimate experience of the splendour of the night sky and intriguing mythological figures… and this is only the beginning.

E-mail: nscyapollo@niherst.gov.tt

Vacation Innovation/Invention Camps

NIHERST conducts several vacation camps during the July/August vacation that focus on Innovation and Invention. These camps are open to children from 8-16 years old and run from one to two weeks. “Create Your Own Toys” for young children and “Young Inventors” for the older age group, introduce participants to the techniques of creative and lateral thinking and basic robotics. These hands-on camps encourage the production of a prototype of every child’s idea.

E-mail: innovation@niherst.gov.tt

Vacation One-day Science Camps

NIHERST, through its National Science Centre, also hosts a series of unique one-day science and technology camps during the July/August vacation. The camps target 8-12 year olds. Each day, participants explore new areas of science. The camps bear delightful names such as:

Each year, new camps are added in order to broaden the range of issues explored.

E-mail: nscyapollo@niherst.gov.tt

Curriculum Based Workshops

The National Science Centre offers curriculum based workshops, which address troublesome modules in the CXC Chemistry, Biology and Physics syllabi. Teachers can also call and speak with a Science Educator to structure a computer assisted learning session in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and Technology Education (includes Lego MINDSTORMS™) at any level (i.e. from pre-school to A-Levels).

E-mail: nscyapollo@niherst.gov.tt

Workshops on Informal Learning in Science

During the year, the National Science Centre hosts a series of informative, exciting and fun filled workshops based on a number of varying themes.

Standard Five teachers can sign up their classes for Post SEA workshops. These workshops create an environment where the classroom meets the playground. Participants are usually having so much fun that they don’t even realise that they are learning key scientific concepts.

On weekends, individuals or groups can book Lego MINDSTORMS™ workshops, which explore robotics. Groups can also book Techworks sessions, which explore various applications, encouraging the use of the computer as a teaching/learning tool.

There are also workshops linked to cultural themes, which investigate the science associated with various cultural events e.g. Light and Divali, Ham making at Christmas, etc.

E-mail: nscyapollo@niherst.gov.tt

Telescope Viewings

A number of telescope viewings are scheduled during the year. Individuals and groups can book in advance to attend. On the night of the viewing, there is a total astronomy programme, which includes among other things, a planetarium show and of course the opportunity to view the night sky through one of the most powerful telescopes in the region with its state of the art GPS equipment.

Groups with a particular interest in astronomy can also call in and speak with a Science Educator about formulating special programmes and viewings.

E-mail: nscyapollo@niherst.gov.tt

Library Services

The NIHERST Documentation Centre offers a reference service to persons researching:

Researchers in these subject areas enjoy reading only access to the Documentation Centre’s collection. A list of NIHERST publications is available on the web site.