SAEON kid proud to be associated with science education programme

By Amos Nchabeleng, DST-NRF Science Communication Intern at SAEON Tweet

SAEON kid Reitumetse Mocuminyane shares her learning experiences with the audience

SAEON’s science education outreach programme has proved its worth in empowering learners to reach high levels of achievement and encouraging them to consider science-related careers.

The programme is aimed at creating a pool of young scientists who would carry forward the work and related scientific programmes currently undertaken by SAEON.

SAEON’s 2015 Education Symposium was hosted by the Arid Lands Node in Kimberley. The event provides a platform for promoting environmental science education and encouraging young science learners from schools in the vicinity of the SAEON nodes to showcase the skills they acquired while participating in the SAEON education programme under the supervision of a range of mentors and supervisors.

This year’s event was attended by an audience of over 70 people who arrived to support the learners and listen to their presentations. One of the most confident learners on the programme, Reitumetse Mocuminyane, delighted the audience with her spirited presentation.

"As a SAEON kid, I am confident to say, I am a future scientist."

Reitumetse captured the attention of the audience with this bold statement. She is a grade 9 learner at Emang Mmogo Comprehensive School in Kimberley in the Northern Cape, one of the schools on the SAEON science education outreach programme through the Arid Lands Node.

Her presentation gave a brief overview of the "learning experience" of being on the SAEON education outreach programme, which included a science camp at the Mokala National Park.

"The SAEON Science Education programme is one of a kind, where we are exposed to opportunities to interact with scientists like a botanist and a field technician, and acquire lots of skills like data collection, analysis, data sampling and vegetation monitoring," Reitumetse told the audience. "There at Mokala, we were involved in activities I never thought I would do in my life."

In conclusion, she had this message to share with the audience: "SAEON made me open my eyes and change my attitude towards how I used to look at science. As a SAEON kid, I would like to thank SAEON for the amazing opportunities they’ve given us."

Click here to watch a short video of her presentation.