Young Northern Cape scientists impressed judges at the recent regional finals of the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists held all over the province.
This regional expo was part of the 35 regional expos planned in all provinces across South Africa.
At the Kalahari regional finals, 59 learners from the region gathered at the Curro Kathu Independent School on 12 August to showcase their innovative science, engineering and social investigations.
17 Judges who are educators, specialists and scholars in the various competition categories evaluated and gave scores to the 53 projects on exhibition.
A total of 21 learners received bronze medals, while 15 received silver and six gold. Learners from Curro Kathu received the most number of gold medals, and medals overall.
The Eskom Special Award winners were Mia Roos (best project by a female learner), Santine van der Merwe (most innovative project), Jana Strydom (best energy project) and a group project by Keisha Mlebuka and Lesedi Stock (best development project).
At the Namaqua regional finals 34 learners from the region gathered at the NoordeRec Club in Aggeneys on 2 August, with 13 judges who evaluated and gave scores to the 23 projects on exhibition.
A small sub-regional expo also took place in Calvinia on 4 August, where an additional 16 projects were entered by 26 learners from four schools. In total, 60 learners from nine schools in Namaqua entered 39 projects.
From the combined expos, 16 learners received bronze medals, while 13 received silver and eight gold.
Learners of the Boesmanland High School received the most number of gold medals and medals overall.
The Eskom Special Award winners at the event were Nikita Brand with her project “Money from Waste” (best project by a female), Kichia Visagie with her project “Quiver Tree” (best energy project), Jochen Engelsman with the project, “Colour me Green” (best development project) and Rowen Visagie with a model of a stamper (most innovative project).
