Toco Science Week

Opening Remarks by 
Mrs. Maureen Manchouck, 
President, NIHERST

The Launch of NIHERST Community Science Week, 
Toco Composite School, 
Tuesday June 24th 2003.

The Honourable Roger Boynes, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs and Member of Parliament for Toco/Manzanilla; Ms Jennifer Sampson, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education; Mr Michael Als, Founder and Project Director of the Toco Foundation; distinguished guests; members of the Media; members of staff; all school children, teachers, and residents present.

NIHERST is extremely pleased to be here in Toco as part of this collaborative initiative with Toco and the surrounding communities intended to increase awareness of the impact of science and technology on the daily lives of people in the community in the broader context of economic and social development in this part of the country.

The achievement of developed country status rests to a great extent on our ability to eliminate rapidly the rural/urban divide in the provision of opportunities to deserving communities in the nation. This is necessary so that all people in all parts of the country can have equal opportunities to self-actualise and reach their fullest potential.

This is the broad goal of our Community Science Week programme which aims not only at science and technology popularisation but more importantly at challenging the creativity, and resolve of the communities we engage with to assume greater responsibility for influencing the course of development in their areas.

We have come to Toco encouraged by the experience of the first Community Science Week held in La Brea earlier this year. Each experience has its own challenges and I am sure that Toco Science Week which lasts from June 24-29 will add significantly to our collective understanding of the factors that make for success in the mobilisation of effort in communities such as Toco and surrounding communities in making science and technology more exciting understandable and relevant to your needs and interests.

Toco Science Week is a good example of partnership among stakeholders and interested parties in the organisation of a comnprehensive programme of activities which includes, among others, a career day for secondary school students, teacher creativity workshops, and evening lectures on health and business topics organised around the thematic areas – Agriculture and the Environment, Health, Careers, Entrepreneurship and Construction. There will be ample opportunity for children and young adults to explore areas of interest and to test their creativity. Every age group will be challenged and catered for.

The Science Week is truly a collaborative endeavour. It has been organised by NIHERST/NGC/National Science Centre in conjunction with the Non-governmental organisations in the Toco community with support from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education and the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs. Such collaboration reflects recognition of the participatory nature of sustainable community development. I am sure that this will be a factor in the success of the Community Science Week here in Toco and in the others that will be organised.

I wish to thank all those institutions whose contributions have just been acknowledged for trying to make Toco Science Week an historic milestone in the development of the community. I would also like to thank all who have contributed in one way or another to the successful implementation of this activity.

NIHERST looks forward to staying the course with your community in its efforts to lead the way towards its own development.

I wish you all a most enjoyable and productive week.