Produced in Africa but broadcast worldwide, N*Gen (pronounced "engine") is a science show that aims to spark curiosity for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in young learners across the globe. Each episode covers a different topic in science and society—from air quality to endangered species to the water cycle—with engaging segments like interviews, songs, activities, and animations.
To learn more about N*Gen's work, we spoke to Dr. Paul Falzone and Gosia Lukomska, executive director and executive creative director, respectively, of Peripheral Vision International, N*Gen's parent organization.
N*Gen is the first pan-African science show for kids and their families. N*Gen models new ways of approaching learning, promotes a culture of curiosity and discovery, and promotes positive gender norms.
The show has been licensed to 50+ broadcasters in Africa and around the world. It is also available to students and educators globally via online platforms.
N*Gen has won several awards since it launched, including a Peabody Award nomination.
The nonprofit organization that makes N*Gen (Peripheral Vision International) prides itself on being “small but mighty!” We only have four full-time employees, but have worked with hundreds of creators, teachers, educators, producers, and kids to co-create television shows that have been broadcast to audiences all over the world.
We produced the very FIRST episodes of N*Gen in 2020 under strict COVID lockdown in Uganda. Because of the lockdowns, our teacher-presenters had to walk several miles daily to get to the studio. Any field trips at that time were impossible so we filmed science demos in our office garden, encouraging families to use the space they had to do their own science explorations and experiments. We also included mindfulness segments, aware of the mental toll the COVID era was taking on children and their families. From those humble beginnings, we’ve branched out and filmed N*Gen segments in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, bringing kids on adventures far and wide.
Africa has the youngest population in the world. More than half the people there are below the age of 18! They are going to be the Next Generation (N-Gen, get it?) of scientists, inventors, engineers, inventors, researchers, etc.
We’ve also been excited that teachers in the US and around the world have started using N*Gen material in their classrooms. It’s great to see teachers and scientists in Africa educating kids in America about STEM.
Episodes which directly address issues of climate change, sustainability, and feature trailblazing female experts in non-traditional careers (i.e., female engineer or female car mechanic) which model positive gender norms for girls (and boys!) in Sub-Saharan Africa, where science is still a predominantly male-dominated domain.
We talk about these episodes in our chapter in a recent open-access publication by Springer Nature, "Storytelling to Accelerate Climate Solutions."
We are so excited to see N*Gen being used in classrooms from Kenya to Kansas City. To help teachers and parents make the most of the program, we’ve created learning materials for all three seasons of the show: Access the free PDFs on our Google Drive.
Right now N*Gen continues to be broadcast on tv stations around the world (more than 50 so far!). We hope to find a sponsor who wants to help create a fourth season and begin a new round of adventures.
Explore N*Gen's wonderful content in the LabXchange library:
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