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New York, New York! The winners of the 2011 SAASTA Schools Debates visit the American Museum of Natural History
As the 2011 SAASTA Schools Debates national champions, the Hudson Park High School debating team and their coach, Ronwyn Pearce, won this trip to visit the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York. Melissa reports that their agenda was jam-packed from beginning to end. They had guided tours of exhibitions, met scientists and AMNH staff, went to a science café, paid a visit to a New York City high school in Harlem and even went on a geology expedition in Central Park. "One of the activities that really stood out was a tour of the visiting exhibition 'Beyond Planet Earth: The Future of Space Exploration' with astrophysicist and curator of the exhibition, Dr Mike Shara," Melissa says. The AMNH is a partner of the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) project and their agreement with the SALT Board includes sponsorship for broader education and outreach efforts. Melissa believes that the experience exposed the learners to a myriad of new and exciting opportunities in science, which came at exactly the right time as most of them are in Grade 12 and are currently deciding their careers. Dylan Thomson, one of the learners, is interested in film production and visual effects, and was exposed to the science communication side of this by the AMNH media producers. "All have taken something meaningful away from this trip," says Melissa. The 2012 Schools Debates The 2012 SAASTA National Schools Debates kicked off in March this year with the overarching theme being the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All. The month of May saw learners battle it out over which team would represent their province at the National Schools Debates Competition which will be held in Johannesburg this August. Provincial Legislatures were used in some provinces, which added that bit of panache to the competitions. The topic debated was Can genetic engineering make biofuels a sustainable alternative energy for the future? Biofuels specialists from all around the country were eager to help with the workshops, explaining the science behind the topic and thereafter acted as adjudicators at the competitions. Dheepak Maharajh (CSIR), the Gauteng adjudicator said, "It [the competition] was great. It was the first time I had to assess students at that level, and I was surprised at the depth of knowledge that they had in this regard." All are looking forward to the National Competition where each school's performance in not one, but two debates (nanotechnology and hydrogen fuel cells; space science) will be the deciding factor in who will be named the national champions. Teams representing their respective provinces in the Nationals are: Join the SAASTA Schools Debates Facebook page By Melissa Govender, PUB Project Officer, SAASTA |
