Learners from underprivileged communities recently attended a five-day camp designed to inspire the next generation of engineers to build a more innovative, sustainable world and boost the uptake of engineering as a career.
The programme was delivered by PROTEC, an NPO with a 40-year history of developing STEM skills. STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and math. These four fields share an emphasis on innovation, problem-solving and critical thinking.
Luyanda Mamane, the camp co-ordinator, described the camp as, “an unforgettable experience for everyone who was involved – the learners, GE volunteers, Wits University participants, staff from PROTEC and FHI360 – who experienced or witnessed the first sparks of interest in pursuing a successful career in the limitless world of engineering.”
Before the close of the camp, the teams created and delivered presentations about their structures to panels of judges, which proved to be a challenge they embraced with enthusiasm, imagination and newly learnt skills.
According to the panellists, presentations and structures were of a high standard, and there were no failures or disqualifications. The four winning teams were TKRN Squared, uMkhonto WeSizwe (MK), Talend Techies and Solutions 141.
Balan Moodley, PROTEC’s chuief executive, said the vast effort put in by the camp’s operations team, ensured that the camp was motivational for all the learners.
Professor Rodney Genga, director of the Academic Development Unit in the Wits Engineering faculty, said the camp was designed to immerse the learners in the world of engineering, its impact on society and the role they could play in improving society through engineering.
Education