Title: INVITATION TO HOST SCIQUEST - A TRAVELLING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION
Author: Shadrack Mkansi
Last saved by: trollipk
Company: SAASTA

INVITATION TO HOST SCIQUEST (SQ) - A TRAVELLING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION

The South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement, SAASTA, (formerly: the Foundation for Education Science and Technology [FEST]) makes this exciting hands-on exhibition available to organisations/communities wishing to host it in their region. The objective is to promote public awareness and engagement of science, engineering and technology, especially to underprivileged communities. To allow for maximum exposure, a period of about three months per host is suggested.

Benefiting the cause of Science Centres/Museums: If you already operate a science centre, museum or a similar facility, you may wish to use this exhibition to further promote your centre and to expose your community to the wonders of science. You will also benefit by the experience gained in operating a hands-on exhibition if you do not operate such a facility.

If you intend setting up your own science centre or add a science exhibition, SQ is ideal for showing prospective donors what you have in mind. They will experience first hand just how much visitors, learners and educators can benefit from such a collection of hands-on models and how participants enjoy interacting with science and technology.

Description of the exhibition: SciQuest is an interactive, hands-on, travelling science-educational exhibition, the logistics of which is handled by SAASTA's Science Awareness Platforms. It comprises nineteen different models/exhibits representing a wide range of science and technology topics. Principles covered include optics, engineering, sound, mechanics, aerodynamics, botany, geography, mathematics, physics, spatial perception and bio-feedback. Models are robust, user friendly and encourage visitors to interact with them in order to clarify underlying principles. All age groups (including adults) will find the exhibition stimulating. The financial cost of acquiring the exhibition was high and we are compelled to ensure that it is displayed in secure premises, that it is comprehensively insured during transportation and on site, and that the necessary care is taken by hosts to prevent its deterioration.

Who may apply: This invitation is open to individuals, institutions or organisations interested in promoting SET in their regions. Suitable and accessible accommodation is the main requirement. We thus encourage outlying communities to apply so that those who normally will be unable to visit science museums/centres will have an opportunity to experience this exciting hands-on exhibition. In hosting the exhibition you will be supporting the principle of batho pele and we hope this will in particular, contribute to rural development which is central to the government’s vision. 

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Staffing

	A person responsible for and in charge of the overall exhibition.
	Staff to organise schools and visitors from the community.
	Trainable exhibition ‘helpers’ to assist visitors and to control groups. (This will depend on the number of visitors and group sizes expected ) 
	If available, a technically minded person to do minor maintenance (such as lamp replacements, unpacking, setting up and recrating the exhibits).

Venue: Apart from accessibility, it must comply with certain minimum security standards as stipulated by our insurers: It must be lockable, in a secure area and it must be a building and not a temporary structure or in the open. A secure room sized area will be required to store empty module containers.

A hall ± 150 - 200sqm is recommended to comfortably accommodate the exhibits and allow up to 100 visitors at a time. Venues could be school halls, community halls, industrial warehouses, existing science or resource centres, museums, tertiary institutions, etc.

Costs: 
1	Transportation: Each host covers the cost of transportation to their venue, from the previous venue. We will obtain a quote from our preferred carrier but you are welcome to solicit additional quotes and inform us timely of them. If our carrier is chosen, we will make arrangements for you to pay them directly. If a carrier of your own choice is used, you need to make all the necessary arrangements. You must however supply us in advance with details to the effect that it is a reputable and registered carrier.

2	Insurance (Compulsory): In-transit insurance and on-site insurance on a pro-rata basis for the period concerned are charged at rates negotiated with our own brokers. A cost indication is given on the request form. These rates are extremely reasonable compared to once-off short-term premiums because we negotiate best rates with our brokers, pre-payed for a 12 month period.

NOTE1: On-site insurance cannot be ‘included’ as part of your institution’s normal insurance cover. If however, you are able to obtain lower short term rates then you will have to supply us timely with original documentary proof that the exhibition is insured as a separate entity for no less than its total value and for no less than for all the categories covered by our insurance (namely: Fire, Theft, Electronic Equipment and Public Liability). These items carry enormous replacement costs (in the order of R700 000) and SAASTA strictly has to adhere to the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) (No.1 of 1999 as amended by Act 29 of 1999) and is duty-bound to ensure that SQ (ultimately funded by tax money) is insured as stipulated.

In-Transit insurance: The carrier normally charges for this as a percentage of the value of the items transported and this is in the order of between 1.8% and 3%.  This is very high (more than R10 000). You will notice that our negotiated rates are much lower. The hosting organisations will be invoiced for insurance cover by SAASTA after the exhibition period.

NOTE2: Assistance: Consideration will only be given in exceptional cases based on individual merit to assist smaller organisations or very poor communities after receiving compelling motivation supporting their financial plight and after due consideration has been given by the organisation of NOTE 3 below.

NOTE3: If you are doubtful about costs, consider charging a small visitors fee. Many hosts have done so successfully and recovered all expenses plus enough to pay for volunteers. Contact us for more advice and suggestions. Also bear in mind that charging a small fee will indicate that a visit is well worthwhile and commit you to give your visitor an experience to remember - especially if you work out a structured programme and/or present guided visits.

3	Rental:  No rental is charged for the exhibition.

Electrical Power: Seven of the exhibits require standard 220VAC mains input. All cables are supplied and include safety features such as built-in earth leakage trips.

Promotion: You will be required to promote the exhibition in your region so that the maximum number of visitors may benefit from it. This promotion will have to start before the exhibition is delivered so that the first groups can be accommodated as soon as possible after set-up.

Reportback: Statistics and Feedback. Careful records of attendance, statistics and demographics will need to be kept in order to evaluate the exhibition's impact and interest generated. A short report, giving feedback on the success or otherwise of the exhibition, general comments by yourselves as well as suggestions and critique and visitor views, etc, will be expected at the end of the period. A standardised form is included herewith on which relevant data can be recorded and returned to us after the exhibition departs your venue..

Receiving and setting up the exhibition: Arrangements will be made in advance with the receiving organisation as to dates and times of delivery. The exhibits are very easy to uncrate and setting up ought to take no more than two hours - even if you have never seen the exhibits before. In exceptional cases and as discussed with the prospective host in advance, SAASTA’s SAP unit may send someone to assist.

Please inspect the exhibits when uncrating and setting up. If all items are not found to be in a satisfactory, clean and working condition, please immediately report this to SAASTA’s SAP unit. A form is included for this purpose which must be returned to the Museum after uncrating and initial inspection. If you fail to do so, the onus will rest with you and not the previous host or the carrier. 

Manual: A manual explaining individual exhibits and advising on basic maintenance accompanies the exhibits.

Breakdown/Damage: If major breakdowns occur while in your care, please contact the Museum. Cost of repair/replacement of exhibits damaged due to negligence on the part of a host will be bourne by the host (including travel and accommodation costs if technical staff need to be sent out to affect repairs).

Please Note: No changes or modifications are allowed to any module. No stickers or  labels of any kind are allowed to be placed on the exhibits by a receiving host.

Onward journey: Near the end of the period, SAASTA’s SAP unit will contact you to determine a time and date for collection. Re-crating is a minor task and it is expected of the host organisation to see to it that the exhibits are clean and in working order before re-crating. Please make sure that the USER’S MANUAL is placed in the pocket it came in.

HOW TO MAKE A REQUEST: To apply for the exhibition, please complete the Request Form and return it as soon as possible so that your venue may be included on our list. (Email preferred.) If you do not have e-mail, print out the form and fax it to (012) 392 9316 and post the signed original to the above address. A copy of the completed and signed form should then be posted to: The Coordinator: S&T Festivals & Events, SAASTA: Science Awareness Platform, PO Box 1758, Pretoria, 0001. 

Main objective to bear in mind: The goal is to stimulate an interest in things scientific and technological. You therefore need not be intimidated by the models or feel your scientific knowledge is inadequate to handle them. Models are user friendly, self-explanatory and lend themselves superbly as starting points to investigate or to explain any number of principles on many different levels.

ADDITIONAL UNDERTAKINGS: The host agrees, for publicity purposes, to use SAASTA logos on all materials (this includes educational material) produced for your project during the presence of this exhibit.  These logos can be downloaded from: http://www.saasta.ac.za/imagelibrary/index.shtml. The host undertakes to submit the design of these materials for SAASTA’s approval prior to print. The host agrees that SAASTA is entitled to publish details of your project (including, but not limited to, the host’s name, organisation, title of project, location and brief summary of project) in printed and electronic form. The host confirms and acknowledges that SAASTA has the right to closely monitor the activities of this project at any given time and agrees to facilitate access to the project for such monitoring activities by SAASTA.
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