Rodney Priest
I speak French and Swahili adequately for this project and have visited several coffee processing factories in Europe and East Africa. Through life-long membership of the ASE (Association for Science Education) and RSC (Royal Society of Chemistry), the latter active in East Africa, I have kept in touch with current educational practice, policies and concerns e.g. recruitment and retention of committed science educators in schools. In 2016-7, I completed the first year of an EdD postgrad course at the University of West of England, Frenchay site, in Bristol.
Much of the emphasis at UWE was on the ethics of educational research and the origin and uptake of national educational policy decisions. A particular area of interest is participation of currently under-represented groups in STEM education and careers. During a life-time in secondary science teaching I have also visited several chemistry based factories with the RSC “Industry Study Tours“ scheme. After one of them, I helped write the RSC monograph, “Zinc and Zirconium”.
Janet Priest
I started my career in nursing, firstly going in to orthopedics, followed by general nursing before I finally ended up in paediatric nursing. While I was on the paediatric ward, I met and not long afterwards married Rodney. Two years later, we had our beautiful daughter Naomi.
My elderly father then moved in, and lived with us for seven years until he passed away. He had been a manufacturing woodworker with his own business.
After the birth of our daughter, I went back to nursing, and worked in a care home in Box for around seven years, but following a whiplash injury, which was causing migraines, my GP said I had to give up nursing, which I didn't want to do. My GP then found me employment caring for a lady who had M.S. I stayed working for her until she passed away around ten years later, by then I was due for retirement.
I'm now Rodney's laboratory assistant in his workshops and I enjoy the challenges and meeting the wonderful people we meet and work with in Africa.
Janet(L) with our friend Murebwanayo Ruth. Janet is currently helping Ruth with her university fees studying business and tourism in Kigali, Rwanda.
Allan Hodgson
I graduated from the Universtiy of London with degrees in Chemical Engineering and my career has been predominantly in food processing. I have also taught chemical engineering at Loughborough University. I have been involved in both large scale food processes, process improvement, research and development of new processes from very large industrial operations to small independent operators. I have worked in East Africa with small edible oil producers for yield and quality improvements in local environments.
I will provide a practical, pragmatic perspective on the learning associated with science teaching based on the principles of 'Science through Coffee Plus'
Claire Garven
I trained as a secondary school teacher at St Mark and St John in Plymouth between 1978 and 1982. I taught Science in a couple of secondary schools in Plymouth, and then taught at Horton primary school for 13 years. In 2004 I became a university lecturer at the University of the West of England in Bristol where I taught Science, Music and RE to trainee teachers. I was there for 13 years until I retired in August 2019.
Due to a change in life circumstances in early 2012 I decided to train with VSO in the autumn of 2012/2013, who eventually gave me a placement in Uganda where I lived for a year. I worked for the NCDC (National Curriculum Development Centre) based in Kyambogo. My role was an inclusion development consultant. I was required to look at the Science and Technology curriculum in general and lessons specifically for secondary schools and to help adapt plans with the staff at NCDC and teachers so that they were inclusive for all students enabling them to participate fully in these subjects.
I worked alongside the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoE&S), other Government officials, university lecturers and primary and secondary school teachers. To begin with I undertook training with secondary school teachers in Science and Technology focusing on the need for inclusion, and how to implement this practice through adapting plans and activities, providing opportunities in which the teachers could experience them for themselves. I also believe that working collaboratively is also of importance and extremely beneficial.
I then progressed to organising and running workshops for secondary school teachers on a larger scale which eventually developed into running large conferences for members of Education and Sports, Government officials, university lecturers and secondary and primary school teachers providing practical workshops including activities and opportunities in which they could be personally involved. The intention was that the teachers would feel more confident and knowledgeable so that they would implement these new found activities in their teaching. I then visited the teachers in their schools providing help and advice when needed.
I feel that inclusion and working collaboratively is vitally important and that providing opportunities through which students can learn and develop practical skills, as well as academic skills, is a must. Enabling students to develop their understanding of market share, financial risks as well as how to be profitable thus enabling them to develop their individual entrepreneurial skills is vital if local communities are to flourish.
John Sumner (retired)
I met Chemistry at the age of 12, and it immediately became my favourite subject. After leaving school, I was fortunate enough to spend a few months working in Analytical Chemistry at Harwell - the UK’s Atomic Energy Research Establishment.
Then at Cambridge University I read Natural Science – a course that required me to learn some Biochemistry and Cell Biology as well.
But after University, I moved into Pastoral Work, something that connected me with Education at all levels from Pre-Schools in deprived areas of Birmingham, to University in Reading. Besides delighting in meeting Staff and Students in regular visits to these places, I found myself on several Boards of Governors. Most affecting and memorable was my connection to a Special School for HIGHLY intelligent yet hugely physically handicapped teenagers.
And during this time, I found myself helping to start and to register three Charities. The Fourth, STCP, has now come after new Charity Legislation which is designed to tighten up definitions of what is Charitable.
The countries of East Africa in which STCP works have seen much violence, even genocide. Armed conflict in some places still seems a very present danger. Long term peace needs not just the cessation of hostilities, but encouragement of real understandings and friendships. Here, education plays a vital role, particularly when the sharing of common tasks takes teachers across borders and boundaries. And so I believe that the quiet and unassuming work of STCP has a long-term importance beyond our imaginings.
