Colorado State University

LSOP and B2Gold Namibia are celebrating a 10-year partnership! In 2015, Sherri Lytle with B2Gold Namibia approached us about starting an informal science outreach partnership. We journeyed to Namibia in January 2016 and worked with the B2Gold Education Center to present teacher workshops and programs for secondary school students. These programs lead to a long-term partnership where we have since both visited each other in-person and virtually to exchange ideas on hands-on science learning.

B2Gold Education Center in Namibia is continuing to push the boundaries of hands-on learning and moving into their next phase, long-term sustainability. Three representatives from the B2Gold Education Center visited us at CSU in September: Ignasius Awaseb, Paulo Samuel, and Adelheid Hoeses. It was wonderful to host them during the academic year; previously, they had only visited in the summer. The group experienced a workday with our undergraduate students and a school visit at Frontier Academy Elementary in Greeley. Ignasius, Paulo, and Adelheid also had the opportunity to experience CSU outreach and engagement programs like the CSU Bug Zoo and Muscles Alive, visit the CSU Powerhouse Campus, and meet representatives from the CSU Africa Center. I was inspired to hear the ideas for future collaborations and visions for new hands-on experiments and activities. At the end of their stay, we traveled to the Alpine Visitors Center in Rocky Mountain National Park (elevation 11,796 ft or 3,595 m) and were dazzled by the beautiful views, the fall colors, and some snow. For Adelheid, it was her first time seeing snow.

We are excited for Ignasius, leading the B2Gold Education Center into this new era! We look forward to continuing our partnership with B2Gold Namibia.