Chandigarh Escorts Service 📞8868886958📞 Just📲 Call Nihal Chandigarh Call Girl...
KCA London / Mishkat presentation - delivered by Leila Chapman at ECSITE, Toulouse 2011.
1. The untold story of Mishkat
How did a bunch of passionate creative young believers
create the first of its kind science center in Saudi
Arabia?
ECSITE Annual Conference
Toulouse, France
June 31, 2012
2. Who we are:
Leila Chapman (Schembri)
• I look Arabic, my name is Arabic, but
I am not Arabic
• Introducing KCA London
(www.kcalondon.com)
• Azerbaijan, Syria, Saudi Arabia
• KCA London role on Mishkat:
Design, Content and Operations
• Role as part of the Mishkat team:
Learning Consultant
3. Who we are:
Marwa AlMadani
• All the way from Saudi Arabia!
• Joined Mishkat in 2011
• Content Manager for Mishkat, part
of the Learning Team
4. We are going to talk about:
• Mishkat – the what, the why, the
how
• Staff recruitment and training –
focus on Facilitators
• Keeping staff motivated and
engaged
• The results
• Future challenges & opportunities
5.
6. Introducing Mishkat
The Interactive Center for Atomic and
Renewable Energy
• Initiative by King Abdullah City for Atomic
& Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE)
• The first of its kind in Saudi Arabia, the
first alternative energy focused science
centre in Riyadh
• Super fast design and build programme
• Primary audience students aged 6 to 18
Aug 2010
8. Introducing Mishkat
The Mission:
“...To support Saudi Arabia’s ongoing central role in the energy
economy by inspiring the Saudi youth of today to be the energy
innovators of tomorrow. Bringing together engaging and
interactive exhibitions and events Mishkat will bring to life past
and future innovations in the way we generate and use atomic
and renewable energies, celebrating and inspiring Saudi and
worldwide achievements.”
9. Learning: at the heart of Mishkat
Inspired by:
The Science Museum, London
‘People are the best exhibit’ Taizo Miaki (Ontario)
Choosing a philosophy – attain respect from scientific community
David Pearson (Science North & Laurentian University)
10. Finding our team of inspirers
Our worries:
All recruits had to be Saudi – restricted the pool
Limited work experience
Informal learning an alien concept
No culture of visiting Museums, Science Centres, or visitor
attractions – it’s the mall!
Lack of popular culture references
Needed great boys and girls – two equally good teams!
How do you reach the right people?
11. Finding our team of inspirers
Strategy:
Tapping into youth-focused initiatives: New grads, private
colleges, volunteering based organizations…
Reach them through social networks – BB, Facebook, Twitter
Get to know the candidates as individuals through the interviews
Assess personal qualities What made them tick…
Assess communication skills Presentation exercise
Assess initiative and audience empathy Role play
12. Finding our team of inspirers
Result:
• 120 interviews in 4 days (Phase 1)
• A mixed bag…
• Quality of ladies much higher than males
• Recruited: VSA’s, Communication Officers, Content Manager,
Administration staff, Finance Manager, Network Support
• Found seven candidates with the right qualities to be inspirers
FACILITATORS
13. Facilitator Development
Build Hire them Build
responsibility
enthusiasm
Reward them Inspire them
SUPPORT
CONTINUTY
Build Build
experience confidence
Challenge Immerse them
them
Build skills and knowledge
14. Facilitator Development
Inspire them
• Part of creating Mishkat – onsite whilst being built!
• Familiarity with the exhibits
• Meet the wider project team
• Time with Director and project leaders
• Understanding of, and belief in, Mishkat’s purpose
16. Facilitator Development
Immerse them
Five day training at the Science Museum with constant mentor
Understanding the purpose of Museum’s and science centers
Approach to life enhancing experiences
Learning theory – constructivism
Shadowed explainers, spent time on gallery
Opportunities to be creative
Presentation skills training
21. Discoveries
Notes from the trainer
Constructivist approach to training appealed
Thirst for knowledge
Eager for feedback
Pride in Mishkat and their new role
Biggest challenge: fear of failure and responsibility
Biggest reward: growth as individuals (Moe) and as a united
team that learn from each other
23. Mishkat today
Engaging and inspiring
visitors
(4265) children reached
through school visits so far
Average of (7) visits per day
A host of VIP visits, including
Ministries & Princes
Preparing for family visits in
(2013)
Trial outreach events (2)
25. Keeping going…
Supporting personal growth
• A mission driven environment
• Have forums for sharing experience and ideas
• Encourage initiative and creativity
• Trust and space to take calculated risks
• Accept and learn from mistakes
26. Keeping going…
Supporting professional growth
• Set aspiring targets
• Encourage self assessment
• Development is at the core: 50% development
time, 50% delivery time
• Flexible job descriptions – can try new things
27. Keeping going…
Maximize benefits from staff investment
Recognize what experienced Facilitators can bring to
other projects or areas of the organization
Assign new hires to shadow project team leaders,
seeing Mishkat from a different perspective
28. Keeping going…
Learning from the visitors experience
Building relationships with teachers and special
educational needs groups
Encourage dialogue through social networks.. busy
Twitter feed!
Constant evaluation of experience – quantitative and
qualitative
29. Keeping going…
Children’s feedback
Nice beyond words. And I hope that eventually what the things
Mishkat has will be a reality all over the world.
It is an amazing center. Contains all of the energy types, I got to
learn how to generate energy by a number of ways, which I
found quite enjoyable.
Indescribable definition of awesomeness
Mishkat enabled us to discover.
I want to live here!!!
31. Keeping going…
Teacher’s feedback
What distinguishes Mishkat the most, is the modern and
comfortable ambience; the high-tech facilities; the refined
behavior, reception and arrangement; the encouragement of
scientific thinking and creativity and the relevancy to the schools’
curriculums.
Mishkat is where the young inventor belongs
The auditorium and all the facilities were fun, great and helpful.
The facilities enable love of scientific research and encourage
stimulation of the interest in motivating young generation on the
importance of researching energy through their surrounding
environment.
32. Keeping going…
Feedback about the
Facilitators
The constant engaging of the facilitators helped us
develop new conceptions and thoughts.
Great job with great ideas of teaching. The
employees were cooperative! Perfect!
The staff cheerful and obliging.
Thanks to the facilitators for their prompt
responses to the inquiries of the teachers and
students
33. Future challenges for Mishkat
It’s only just the beginning:
• Travelling exhibition ‘Saudi 2050’
• Mawhiba Gifted Summer Program 2012
• Aramco Summer Program
• Mobily Innovation Event
• Nuclear Power Plant Virtual Tour Film
• Visitor program for teenagers
• Atomic Energy Discovery Box
• Discovery Box for children with special
educational needs…
34. What we have learned
Recommendations
Recruit rapidly yet carefully – not looking for actors, but genuine
inspirers
Have a common belief and purpose, and involve everyone in it
Invest, invest, invest in your staff
Create clear structures, and a culture of support
Don’t expect perfection! Expect growth
Seek partnerships for improvement
Seek new challenges – never ‘that’ll do’, but ‘what else can we
do’
