Background and Vision

STEAM Foundation NPC aims to initiate and facilitate improvement in the lives of and prospects of the poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged through practical, hands-on science education and Experimento programmes that implement co-operative learning in under-resourced schools in South Africa

WHat we do

STEAM Foundation NPC is a non-profit company without members, and with the following objects:

To initiate, partner with, drive and fund practical solutions-based projects that foster innovation, sharing and co-operation, and lead to a permanent improvement in the lives and prospects of the poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged. These projects shall aim to achieve:

Solutions for secure access to basic services that improve the quality of life in poor and rural communities;
Educational outcomes that enable active and responsible participation in society; and
Cultural expression and dialogue that highlight social issues.

WHAT WE OFFER

Governance

The STEAM Foundation NPC is a Non-Profit Company with a small delivery-focused management team and an independent Board of Directors.

It is registered in South Africa as a non-profit organisation (NPO) and a public benefit organisation (PBO). All donations to the STEAM Foundation are tax deductible in terms of Section 18A of the Income Tax Act since it undertakes public benefit activities.

Non-Profit Company. Registration number: 2017/397494/08
Non-Profit Organisation. Registration Number: 200-026 NPO
Public Benefit Organisation: 930059882

Legal and Consulting set-up

Auditor

Accounting and Administration

STEAM Foundation NPC Rooted in Academia

Siemens Stiftung is the seed funder of STEAM Foundation NPC which inherited a long-term national project which had been piloted in five provinces and thoroughly researched by the following academic institutions:

Schools Development Unit of University of Cape Town: http://www.sdu.uct.ac.za/
School of Science and Mathematics Education, University of the Western Cape.

Multipliers:

A variety of highly skilled, passionate and dedicated educators were drawn both from within the conventional educational sector and also from the development/NGO world.

Resources:

While the original Experimento materials were piloted, the research indicated the resources had to be contextualised, CAPS-aligned, and SACE-accredited. The original materials can be found here:

Implementation Plan

The broad initial activities of STEAM Foundation NPC include:

Promoting science education in under-resourced schools via hands-on and discovery-based learning.
Successfully developed a South African kit by modifying the Experimento programme to ensure it is both useful and effective within the South African context.
The generation of CAPS-aligned worksheets which embed co-operative learning principles and practices into the lesson plans. They can enable educators to handle even very large classes.
Improving the distribution, accessibility and viability of science educational materials, driving down costs and maximizing efficiency by the use of locally available materials.
The new boxes and materials were successfully piloted.
Supporting and training educators.
Facilitating and promoting, through research, development and education, the use by educators of current and future technologies. Establishing a data-driven means whereby the impact of the resources can be assessed on a continuous basis.

MORE THAN JUST A BOX

Positive learning environments

Empowering educators