ESKOM Science Expo

- Compiled by: Zwartberg Science Club members -

The Zwartberg Science Club, which also includes all the members of Albert College, took part in the ESKOM Science Expo in Stellenbosch during August. We loaded up our school bus with everything necessary for over-nighting as well as our precious projects. There was lots of discussion on the journey because we knew we would be interviewed about our projects and we wanted to practise what we were going to say to the judges.

Once we got to Stellenbosch we had to make enquiries about how to find the Neelsie Student Centre where our projects were going to be displayed. When we set up our displays we discovered, to our dismay, that our posters were way too small compared to other entrants’.

We stayed in some chalets and enjoyed a muddy game of touch rugby and supper before going to bed. It was a strange night with a crowd of noisy students arriving and walking into our chalet, so we didn’t get much sleep.

Next morning we headed back to the Centre and the projects were all judged. Rebekah Swanepoel and Michaela Steyn’s door-sized garden scheme won them silver awards.

Martin Koorts and Marais le Grange won bronze awards for their solar heating project. Joshua Swanepoel and Matthew van Heerden were disappointed when their Periodic Table of the Elements board game didn’t win a prize.

The whole team was thrilled when Caleb and Sandy Swanepoel were told that their composting project had won them silver awards and had been chosen as one of fifteen projects to represent the Western Cape in the national competition in Pretoria in September.

All the Scienceclub members enjoyed themselves and are hoping to enter projects again next year.