SKA South Africa and its industry partners are investing in education and connectivity to boost maths and science skills in Carnarvon and surrounding towns and help to train skilled people who will be able to participate fully in the SKA project in future.

The Department of Science and Technology and SKA South Africa will unveil two community initiatives today that will provide exciting new ICT solutions and learning resources to this remote Karoo region. These initiatives have been made possible by generous donations and corporate social investments by the SKA SA's industry partners.

An e-Schools initiative and a community knowledge centre will be officially launched today (19 November 2013) by South Africa's science and technology minister, Mr Derek Hanekom, accompanied by the premier of the Northern Cape Province, Ms Sylvia Lucas, as well as the provincial MEC for education, Ms Grizelda Cjiekella.

"We are deeply grateful for and appreciative of the generous support we have received from the private sector," said the Minister of Science and Technology, Mr Derek Hanekom. "This support will enable the community to participate in the SKA initiative and will certainly bring about improvements in the lives of the local people. We look forward to seeing more and more learners benefit from this initiative and, in future, work on the SKA project itself as engineers, technicians and scientists."

The industry partners are represented at today's event by Mr Alfie Hamid (CISCO regional manager of corporate affairs, Sub Saharan Africa); Ms Videsha Proothveerajh (Intel South Africa country manager) and Mr Ahmed Ismael (director at SIYAFUNDA Community Technology Centre). Local dignitaries, including several mayors, councillors and headmasters from the region, are participating in the event.

Several thousand residents from Carnarvon and surroundings towns are expected at an imbizo that will also take place today (19 November 2013).

Launch of e-Schools initiative

The SKA SA e-Schools Initiative will deliver ClassMate laptops, connectivity and training to five schools near the SKA SA project. The laptops are pre-loaded with innovative learning materials, lesson plans and tutorials focused on mathematics, physical science, life science and astronomy.

The total value of the e-Schools initiative is about R2,5 million, made possible by the following donations:

VSAT dishes to provide internet connectivity for four schools donated by Stratosat (Nico Bekker Intermediate School; Van Wyksvlei Intermediate School, Carnarvon High School and Carnarvon Primary School
VSAT connectivity provided by the Department of Rural Development for Williston High School, and the recruitment and training of two community members as IT facilitators for each school through the Department of Rural Development's NARYSEC (National Rural Youth Service Corps) programme
350 ClassMate computers and five laptop computers for educators, as well as network cabling, wireless systems and servers, donated by Intel
A science cart for Carnarvon High School, donated by Intel. (A science cart is mobile teaching resource that combines conventional laboratory equipment with relevant ICT content. Each cart is fitted with a computer and digital projector and set up to help teachers deliver curriculum-supported science lessons.)
Computer hardware for laptops donated by Diesel Electric Services
Teacher training and educational software for project management training provided by Intel and Smartlabs
Computer licenses and software donated by StratoSat and Brink & Heath Civils (Pty) Ltd
Six IBM Smart Kidz early learning units to the pre-school centres at Carnarvon Primary School; Rooi Miere Playgroup and Marcia Louw Playgroup, donated by IBM
The SKA SA project is confident that this kind of support for "feeder" schools in the local area around the South Africa's SKA project will help to interest students to pursue maths, science and technology at tertiary level and possibly join the SKA project in future. "Developing a sustainable educational ecosystem around the SKA project will not only benefit the community, schools, teachers and learners, but, in the longer term, the SKA project as a workplace and South Africa as a nation," explains Tracy Cheetham of SKA SA.

These investments are in line with the SKA SA human capital development programme's concept of creating a pipeline of skills required for the project in conjunction with the project's local social upliftment plan.

New community knowledge centre

The new community knowledge centre at the Bonteheuwel Library in Carnarvon will give the community access to computers, internet and other digital technologies that will enable them to gather information, create, learn, and communicate while they develop digital skills.

It has been made possible by the following donations:

19 computers, hardware, data projector and a printer from Cisco
Optic fibre cable installation to the value of R75 000 from CBI Electric (Pty) Ltd
Software, training and ongoing support and maintenance of the centre from Siyafunda CTC
Furniture donated by Dimension Data
36 ClassMate computers from Intel
Building security, electricity and water provided by Kareeberg Municipality
Internet connectivity, security alarm and two IT facilitators and centre manager from SKA SA
The e-Schools initiative and community knowledge centre add to earlier investments already made in the local community, including a Cyberlab at Carnarvon High School, made possible by donations from The Universal Services Agency, Optic 1, Microsoft, Learnthings and SKA SA.

Brink & Heath Civils (Pty) Ltd has also contributed R50 000 for the upgrading of the hot water facilities at the Carnarvon hospital.

Additional notes for editors: update on activities at SKA SA site

The KAT-7 telescope is now fully operational and used for research, leading to publications in highly rated scientific journals. It is also being used as a test-bed to develop systems for the MeerKAT telescope.
Infrastructure progress:
The extensions to the existing Dish Assembly Shed and Pedestal Integration Shed are complete;
The RFI shielding installation in the Karoo Array Processor Building is complete. This will prevent signals from electronic equipment on the site interfering with the very faint radio signals from the Universe which will be detected by the highly sensitive MeerKAT dishes.
The new, all-weather landing strip near the SKA site is complete and the first aircraft touched down at the site on 11 September 2013. This landing strip makes it easier, quicker and safer for engineers and scientists who frequently visit the remote radio astronomy site in the Karoo. The landing strip will also be required for the international SKA Organisation to deploy the SKA radio telescope and its associated infrastructure.
The Karoo Array Processor building and adjacent power facility, including the building management system and Local Area Network (LAN), will be complete by April 2014.
The first MeerKAT antenna foundation was poured on 14 August 2013 and the construction team is now busy with the remaining foundations, each consisting of 78 m³ concrete and 9 tons of steel. All 64 antenna foundations will be complete by the end of February 2014.
Installation of the first MeerKAT antenna on the site will start at the end of 2013 and it will be handed over early in 2014. The rest of the MeerKAT antennas are scheduled as follows:
4 constructed on site by the end of 2014; engineering verification completed by mid-2015.
32 antennas will be installed by end of 2015 and engineering verification completed by mid-2016.
All 64 antennas will be installed by the end of 2016.
Images and videos

Infrastructure under development for MeerKAT - video clip by Aurecon and Boogertman & Partners
Latest photos (2013 collection) of progress at SKA SA site in Karoo
Keep in touch with SKA SA

Web: www.ska.ac.za
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.ac.za/skasouthafrica
Twitter: @SKA_Africa