BUILDING a giant geodesic dome, or a soccer ball, takes just as much maths as art – as hundreds of Grade 10 to 12 learners are discovering for themselves at three interactive workshops in the Eastern Cape this month, introducing them to Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) education.
The first workshop took place at Gqeberha’s Ethembeni Enrichment Centre on March 6, followed by Buffalo City Metro Inner City School on March 10 and next takes place at Gqeberha’s Paterson High on March 17.
The learners, mostly from under-resourced schools, are all participants in two unique projects led by Nelson Mandela University’s Govan Mbeki Mathematics Development Centre (GMMDC), with the aim of improving their maths and science results, preparing them for studies and careers aligned with 21st century needs – and ultimately creating employment and economic growth in the Eastern Cape.
The first project, sponsored by the Automotive Industry Development Cooperation-Eastern Cape (AIDC-EC), is targeting selected learners from urban schools in Gqeberha and Buffalo City over the next three years, while the second project, sponsored by the Banking Sector Education and Training Authority (BankSeta) is targeting rural schools in several nodes of the province in 2023.
“If the Faculty of Science at Nelson Mandela University is to realise its vision of being a trans-disciplinary and engaged 21st century African faculty, then a strategy of STEAM education will make sure the dream is not deferred,” said Mandela University dean of Science, Azwinndini Muronga.
The two projects also support a provincial skills development drive – led by the Eastern Cape Premier’s office.
“Although these two projects are independent, both are addressing the province’s huge need for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and STEAM skills,” said GMMDC director, Prof Werner Olivier.
“The beauty of the interactive STEAM workshops is that learners will experience the importance of critical and creative thinking when using maths and science to solve problems. These are key skills for today’s challenges in the workplace,” said Olivier.
The STEAM workshops supplement a much broader teaching and learning programme developed by GMMDC, which brings together technology-based and traditional teaching methods. It includes Teacher-Assisted Peer Support (TAPS) programmes at the project schools, along with online and offline maths and science support provided via GMMDC’s interactive applications for mobile devices.
– ISSUED BY NICKY WILLEMSE
