Pinelands High School learners are having a great start to their holidays as they celebrate the success of their science projects that recently won at the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists International Science Fair (ISF) in Johannesburg.
The innovative Grade 11 learners, Joseph Gibbon and Matthew Redfern, scooped a gold medal and won the best project in the Chemistry and Biochemistry category, while Sarah Parker received a bronze medal for her project in the Engineering category.
Sarah said the win was proof hard work pays off. “I have always enjoyed science, and I think that this achievement has given me some confidence in my abilities.
“ISF was certainly an informative experience. I learnt more about the scientific method and the standard of work that is expected of young scientists,” said the aspiring engineering student.
She designed a mechanical device aimed at helping to provide running water for cats to drink.
“This topic was inspired by my own cat which only drinks running water. I evaluated the first prototype with a series of four tests before making adjustments in the form of the second prototype and repeated this process for each subsequent prototype up until the fourth prototype.
“What started out as simply a science project for my school’s science fair eventually became the project that it is today. There were many stages along the way, with the Eskom Expo providing mentors and upgrade sessions for all of the learners fortunate enough to be provided with this opportunity,” Sarah explained.
Joseph and Matthew’s project tested various types of bioplastics to find which one had the most potential to replace certain types of traditional single-use plastics while being completely biodegradable and far more eco-friendly.
Matthew said: “Completing it involved a lot of hard work, especially the write-up of the report. There were not too many monetary costs involved in the project, but we are grateful to our parents who provided us with the ingredients necessary to make the plastics. Our interviews also helped us to understand our project even better and gave us ideas about how to potentially develop it in the future. We are very thankful to have had the opportunity to attend an event like ISF.”
Dave Campbell, the school principal, said their achievements are a testament to the academic rigour that exists in the school and the environment of curiosity which their teachers ought to produce.
“We are incredibly proud of these young scientists and their teachers and mentors. Their resilience and determination in producing high-calibre research projects over many months is remarkable,” he said.
The trio were among the 253 of South Africa’s top researchers and innovators who competed alongside 17 international young scientists from Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mexico, Mozambique, Türkiye and Zimbabwe.
According to a statement, the rewards include an invitation to attend a one-week boot camp valued at R500 000, at the end of which is the opportunity to receive funding valued at R260 000 to further develop their projects, supported by the Technology Innovation Agency.