Did you know that in 1928 penicillin was discovered in petri dishes that had actually been discarded; the world's first liver transplant took place in Cape Town in 2004; and smallpox killed as many as 500 million people during the 20th century? These are but a few of the scientific milestones showcased in the Hip2B2 Road Show that is travelling to each major city in South Africa, in order to encourage more than 50 000 high school pupils to persevere with the study of maths and science.
The lively multimedia presentation, produced and performed by youth marketing theatrical ensemble Three Ring Circus, takes pupils on a time-travelling journey through the last 150 years of science history, using a combination of animation, on-screen information and live actors.
“The road show communicates to pupils in a thoroughly modern, exciting way, using multimedia and laughter to break down barriers and raise awareness of STEM (science, technology, entrepreneurship and maths),” says Kate Evans of BSquare Communications.
"Aim to inspire"
“We aim to inspire and show pupils how STEM is interesting and useful, how it underpins everyday lives. Our lives would be rather different today if the great brains of this century hadn't channelled their maths, science and technology skills into creating cell phones, iPods, MP3 players and the Internet. The road show aims to show pupils that if it wasn't for their passion and experiments, they would live in a world without MySpace, MXit and Facebook.”
According Evans, when Mark Shuttleworth returned from space in 2002 he realised that he wanted to give something back to the South African youth - a powerful message: you can do anything that you set your mind to and that the sciences provide you with the biggest opportunity for personal and professional growth - and equips you with a crucial advantage upon leaving school.
“We know that there is loads of talent right here in our high schools, and that pupils have it within their grasp to be at the cutting edge of technology and innovation. What they do with their time and energy right now will influence their whole life,” says Evans.
Go to www.hip2b2.com for the Hip2B2 Road Show regional schedule.
