The vision, values, and mission of an organization are evergreen statements that should endure for decades. Together, this set of statements orients the board, staff, supporters, and audiences to understand clearly the purpose of the organization in the world, how the organization behaves, and what it does. All activities of the organization, from strategic plans through individual participants, cascade from this set of statements and make sense as part of a cohesive whole. The core philosophy of Nemayiana is locally rooted, created by the community from which the organization will be created. To this end, the vision, values, and mission were drafted through an iterative process with the founders, stakeholders, and some members of the broader community.
It will be a very interactive experience in the museum that we're envisioning. We want everybody of any age to engage with the different exhibits and actually have an experience that will change them from the deep insight of who they are, in terms of how they see life, and how they see their role in life.
– Dr. Kamau Gachigi
The planning process for Nemayiana involved an inclusive listening process to understand the values and aspirations of a diverse group of community members and leaders, including regional informal learning organizations, universities, schools, NGOs, and individuals invested in the future of learning for Kenya. Through a series of formal and informal interviews, site visits, and a community workshop, many voices came together in the articulation of the vision, values, and mission for Nemayiana.
Nemayiana Community Visioning Workshop:
Two dozen community members and leaders gathered together with Nemayiana leadership in September 2023 in Nairobi to discuss their values, aspirations, and ideas for a new science center.
origin of nemayiana vision statement
This vision statement is based on the intersection of visible signals of change in Kenya and the aspirations of Nemayiana leadership.
Kenya has a booming youth population with a median national age of 19 years and there has been a recent increase in financial and policy investment in both education and technological innovation. There is an enormous opportunity now to build the infrastructure for young people to participate meaningfully in the global economy. As described by the World Economic Forum in the Future of Jobs report, the leaders of Nemayiana see that curiosity and creativity are some of the key characteristics for future success. This statement paints a picture of a desired future in Kenya that is aspirational, yet possible, and orients Nemayiana toward a role it will play in creating this future.
nemayiana
Curiosity, creativity, and innovation are vibrant throughout Kenya, where all learners have the opportunity to be visionaries, scientists, engineers, researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs, and Kenya’s youth will be vital players in the global economy.
The Institutional Core Values
The planning process for Nemayiana involved an inclusive listening process to understand the values and aspirations of
a diverse group of community members and leaders, including regional informal learning organizations, universities, schools, NGOs, and individuals invested in the future of learning for Kenya. Through a series of formal and informal interviews, site visits, and a community workshop, many voices came together in the articulation of the vision, values, and mission for Nemayiana.
Origin of Nemayiana
Core Values
This set of institutional core values emerged
from the key themes of a white paper written by the founders of Nemayiana in the earliest stages of launching this initiative, in which the context, goals, and methods were drafted for the first time. That white paper was informed by the educational literature, the founders’ practical experience leading and developing educational programs in Kenya over many years, and by the insights from their network of colleagues. The values were then further refined through a process of stakeholder engagement through interviews and the in-person Nemayiana Community Visioning Workshop.
Nemayiana
Core Values
Curiosity-Driven
Practical & Experiential
Distinctly African
Nemayiana believes that curiosity drives accessibility for all to the joy of learning; engagement with science, innovation, and research; and the possibility of STEAM careers. Therefore, we celebrate and reward unbridled ideas, creativity, wonder, expression, and imagination.
Nemayiana believes that curiosity drives accessibility for all to the joy of learning; engagement with science, innovation, and research; and the possibility of STEAM careers. Therefore, we celebrate and reward unbridled ideas, creativity, wonder, expression, and imagination.
Real-world knowledge, tools, and skills of science research and engineering is fundamental to creating pathways for meaningful success. Therefore, we prioritize practical experiences for students, teachers, and researchers to learn from one another.
MISSION
Origin of Nemayiana Mission Statement
The founders of Nemayiana identified early in their process that a science museum has the potential to fulfill a critical role in the local and regional learning ecosystem in order to achieve their bold vision for the future. After exploring multiple models for the scale and operations of science centers, they concluded that the ideal path for this organization is a centralized model that can serve as an anchor in the newly emerging STEAM learning landscape. Through the community listening process, they determined that this museum must be designed with belonging in mind for a diverse range of audiences, while acknowledging that it has a special role to play for the rapidly growing youth population.
Nemayiana
MISSION STATEMENT
Nemayiana, The Africa Museum of Science and Technology (AMST), is a center of gravity for Pan-African science learning. Through interactive exhibitions and programs, Nemayiana harnesses the potential of Africa’s youth for the greater good of our future.