The worlds of science communication and themed, educational interactive experiences joined forces when Seipônê ( a Northern Sotho word meaning “the mirror” -
pronounced as 'see – pony' ) , came to be.

Seipone aspires to mirror the country's celebration of its diverse lifestyles, languages, traditions and cultures by creating learning experiences that accommodate the heritage of all South Africans.

Services

Seipônê:

1. Translates Educational Messages into a Culturally Sensitive Context
2. Creates Relevant Authentic Ethnic Themed Environments
3. Decodes Educational Messages into Culturally Appropriate Edutainment
4. Assessments for transformation and safety

Seipônê designs and assembles authentic ethnic

1. Educational Exhibits and Models
2. Traveling Exhibits
3. Participatory learning zones

We invite you to get in touch get in touch if you would like Seipônê to become involved in your projects.

If you wish to be kept in the loop regarding the exciting prospects that lay ahead for both the education and edutainment industries, please subscribe to our free newsletter.

Please click here to view the Seipone Terms and Conditions (pdf 28kb).

Our Values

The Seipônê Rationale

Seipônê has recognized a need to uplift the learning abilities of those learners that were not raised under Western culture.

Western South Africa is a noticeably different place to township and rural South Africa , yet the expectation is that teaching styles and teaching channels through which new learning material is transferred to scholars should be uniform. Few recall that we all belong to different cultures; similarly, even though it is true that South Africa 's school curriculum has been standardized, it must be remembered that our diverse backgrounds cause learners to assess and interpret learning material differently.

Self Confidence, Self Esteem

Since the inception of the new South Africa and the abolition of policies such as Bantu Education it is clear that the previously disadvantaged individuals of the country remain disadvantaged. Seipônê intends to revolutionize edutainment by expanding the education industry and challenging educational bodies to accommodate individuals previously not included in the mandate of science centers, exhibitions and museums.

The Seipônê Rationale

In the rural regions of the Northern Province an average eleven year old girl's day begins by waking early to heat some water on a paraffin stove. She will bathe out of a wash basin, pack two slices of bread with nothing but butter and embark on a 6km walk to school where she will join 54 other boys and girls, two of whom she will share her bread with in a cramped classroom. After school, she will rush back home to chores and a 25litre drum that she will load into an old wheelbarrow, fill to the brim at a river that is half a kilometer away and waddle back. Homework is unsupervised, done by candlelight, and only begins around dusk when it becomes too dark to play “dikêtô” (a game about building up stones on the ground) outside.

In the northern suburbs of Johannesburg , a day in the life of an eleven year old girl is remarkably different. She wakes an hour before school starts to brush her teeth, wash her face, finish a bowl of cereal, grab the packed lunch her mother prepared, and is driven off to school which is ten minutes away. She is one among 25 other children that swap lunches at break. After school she is driven to one of her extra mural activities and then home where she may have an afternoon snack waiting, watch a few hours of cartoons and begin homework under the careful supervision of a learned parent.

Western South Africa is a noticeably different place to township and rural South Africa , yet the expectation is that teaching styles and teaching channels through which new learning material is transferred to scholars should be uniform. Although society is continuously transforming such that we are all expected to live the same way, few recall that we all belong to different cultures; similarly, even though it is true that South Africa's school curriculum has been standardized, it must be remembered that our diverse backgrounds cause learners to assess and interpret learning material differently.

Seipônê has recognized a need to uplift the learning abilities of those learners that were not raised under Western culture such that they are able to adapt to accepted teaching channels while growing in self confidence.

Self Confidence, Self Esteem

Since the inception of the new South Africa and the abolition of policies such as Bantu Education which determined that White South African's were suited to a quality of education superior to that of Non-white South Africans, education standards across South Africa have been standardized. Yet, by looking at the annual school leavers (Matric) results, it is clear that the previously disadvantaged individuals of the country remain disadvantaged to a large degree, finding they are unable to cope with high standards, modern teaching styles and new learning material.

Research has shown that those who excel at learning are usually those who have confidence in their own abilities (self confidence). Before gaining confidence in their abilities they must first have developed a good opinion of themselves (self esteem). By setting learning experiences in an environment that is familiar and common to their cultural beliefs, learners begin to loose their fear of making mistakes and develop the confidence to explore. As a result, they are more open to understanding and absorbing new material and messages.

Seipônê intends to change the face of edutainment by uplifting learning abilities through encouraging positive self esteem and confidence development. The consultancy seeks to revolutionize edutainment by expanding the education industry and challenging educational bodies to accommodate individuals previously not included in the mandate of science centers, exhibitions and museums.