Just as Muskegon Café Scientifique is growing in popularity, science cafés are becoming more widespread throught the world. Ann Grand, of Junior Café Scientifique, recently sent an email update of new cafés that are being organized.

1/27/2008 

Dear all,

Time for another update on what's been happening in the science cafe world. As always, please bear in mind that these are only the developments I get to hear about. I'm quite sure there are more out there (and if there are, please do let me know and I'll add them to the website). And if you want to be put in touch with anyone or find out anything more, please do let me know.

Africa / India
Duncan is off on a fact-finding-mission to visit the cafe in Entebbe next month. He'll be their speaker for February. I've also heard from a potential organiser in the Kasese district of Uganda (over towards the border with the DRC). We're currently thinking about ways in which we can support and help develop cafes in developing countries, such as Uganda, so it will be interesting to see what Duncan finds out when he's there.

Also next month, the British Council and other groups are running a follow-up event for science communicators (following up on the training program for science cafe organisers they ran at the Grahamstown Science Festival last year). As part of their plan, they are producing a 'toolkit' for potential organisers to which I have made a modest contribution. I'm looking forward to having a copy of the toolkit when it's published. I also heard from a South African science journalist about some cafes that were held in that country last year. I haven't had time to put them on the website yet, but I should be doing so next week.

Plans are also under way for a cafe in Soweto, South Africa.

I mysteriously had two emails on the same day from Mumbai; one enquiring about starting an adult cafe and one working with school students. Nothing's come of these two yet, as far as I know, but you never know what might happen.

USA
The cafe at the Stanford Blood Donation Center is up and running now. There should be one starting very soon in Dallas, Texas (they were hoping for January but I think things may be a bit delayed) and another in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Europe
One of those cafes that have been quietly running for a while popped up recently, in Jerusalem. They've been going for five years, so I was very happy to add them to the website. And yes, I know Israel isn't exactly in Europe but I asked the organiser where he wanted to be placed and he asked to be on the Europe page!

UK
Two new cafes have started - Cheltenham in October and Dundee this month. I feel quite grandmotherly about the Dundee cafe, as its organiser used to come to the Bristol cafe a few years ago when I was the organiser there.

As always, please don't hesitate to get in touch if there's anything I can do.

Best wishes

Ann
ann.grand@juniorcafesci.org.uk