News - University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus
GLOBE Welcomes New Partnering Country: The Republic of Botswana
On 26 June 2018, Ambassador of the United States Earl R. Mille, on behalf of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Minister of Basic Education Bagalatia Arone signed an agreement to implement The GLOBE Program in Botswana at a signing ceremony in Gaborone.
“It’s a privilege and a deep honor for me to join you today in this important signing ceremony for our two governments,” Don Brown, who serves as the Regional Environment Officer at the American Embassy in Gabarone, said. “Botswana is the third country in southern Africa and the 27th on the continent to sign this agreement.”
“With today’s signing,” Brown said, “our governments are agreeing to connect students, teachers, scientists, and citizens of Botswana to their peers in the program worldwide to conduct real, hands-on science about their local environment and share their findings. This may even shape their career decisions and allow them to work collaboratively with children on opposite sides of the planet.”
“Given the rich geography and unique geological formations, the opportunities for research here are limited only to the imaginations of our young researchers and their teachers. Botswana is blessed with unique wetlands, drylands, hydrological cycles, and solar radiation potential – all of which are fertile ground for research and study,” Brown said. “Allow me to congratulate the Ministry of Basic Education in its decision to join with us and other partners around the world in a common project benefiting the next generation. We cannot wait to see what these young minds discover and create for your wonderful country.”
Minister of Basic Education Bagalatia Arone agreed that the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement was a momentous occasion. “Nothing excites me as much as the discussion on environmental issues,” he said. “The all-embracing Mother Nature has given human beings some incredibly beautiful gifts of nature. Sadly, there is no part of the world that has not been affected by our actions – so much that our planet’s health, be it in the form of land where we survive and work on, the ozone layer, the water supply, or the wildlife being put under constant threat. It is therefore befitting for us to come up with an initiative like the one to teach our students about the importance of environmental issues and how they can go about protecting the environment.”
The GLOBE Implementation Office welcomes the Republic of Botswana, the 121st country to participate in The GLOBE Program.
type: globe-newsNews origin: GLOBE Implementation Office