The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs has received $108,554 from The Rotary Foundation to improve science education at the junior high and high school levels in Senegal. These funds are used to buy textbooks, supplies, and computers.

Senegal has its own science curriculum. Textbooks that align with this curriculum are published in Senegal. However, few rural schools have textbooks. Teachers often teach from their college notes. Rotary has provided over 1400 biology, chemistry and physics textbooks to three high schools in Senegal this year.

When the schools have no textbooks, the teachers draw pictures on the board and dictate lessons. Students copy and memorize the lessons. Although most of the science teachers have an adequate understanding of science theory, few have any practical experience. Physics teachers teach simple electronic circuits, but they have never seen resistors, diodes and capacitors. They have never used a voltmeter.

Teacher training is emphasized to insure that the impact of the program continues long after the end of the formal program. A Rotary training team, which includes Linda Carlson (Rotary Club of Canon City) and Jean and David Smith (Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs) travel to Senegal where they conduct teacher training workshops. This year, 60 teachers were trained to perform simple laboratory experiments that align with the Senegalese science curriculum. In addition, 21 high school science students were trained to present Science Day to nearly 300 sixth grade students.
 
Economic development is the long term goal of this program. In Senegal, as in Pagosa Springs, a trained workforce is essential for economic progress. The Senegalese government has made science education a high priority because it recognizes the necessity of high quality science education for training a workforce that can compete for jobs in the global economy.

Senegal is located on the west tip of West Africa. It is about the size of Nebraska, but has a population similar to that of New York. Economic development has been slow in Senegal because most of the land is arid and barren. It looks like the flat, dry areas of our southwest. Unlike most countries in Africa, Senegal has a stable government. Its citizens, which are predominately Muslim, are known throughout West Africa for their peaceful nature.
 
Rotary has 1.2 million members distributed among 33,000 clubs in 200 countries. There are two Rotary Clubs in Pagosa Springs. The Rotary network makes it possible for our clubs to connect with communities in distant parts of the world. Our financial resources and our expertise are used to alleviate poverty both in distant communities and here in Pagosa Springs.