Press releases
Mae Jemison U.S. Science Reading Room in Mamelodi hosts students to watch eclipse and study science
January 27, 2009
MAMELODI -- Over 50 Mamelodi school children attended an open day at the Mae Jemison U.S. Science Reading Room, to view the partial eclipse of the sun early on Monday, January 26, under the guidance of three interns from the SciEnza science center.
Afterwards, the students signed up to become members of the Reading Room, which has over 3000 books, magazines and DVDs, Internet computers, science displays, and an auditorium with video-conferencing facilities.
Born out of a partnership between the U.S. Embassy and the University of Pretoria, the reading room is a response to the South African government’s call for better science education for underprivileged young people.
The Reading Room is named after the first woman of color to go in to space, Dr. Mae Jemison, whose historic flight took place on September 12, 1992. Dr. Jemison served as a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut for six years. She is currently the CEO of BioSentient Corporation, a medical technology company and chair of the board of the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence.
For further information, contact Embassy press officers:
Sharon Hudson-Dean 079-111-8276
Ombretta Tanziani 079-111-8259
