WESSA Annual Report 2023-2024

Impact per centre

1 481 Learners (681 boys, 800 girls) 853 Educators 1 864 Hikers 1 258 Accommodation

Total 2 669 978 Learners (494 boys, 484 girls) 128 Educators 24 Hikers 1 213 Accommodation 326 Welcoming of the whales

2 179 Learners (1 002 boys, 1 177 girls) 957 Educators 42 Hikers 3 813 Accommodation

Twinstreams Education Centre

uMngeni Valley Education Centre

Treasure Beach Education Centre

Total 4 556

Total 6 991

Learners building an electrical circuit during National Science Week

Projects and partnerships The Department of Science and Technology established a Programmatic Support Grant Intervention (PSGI) facility to support science centres in providing science awareness services to students and the public, with a focus on increasing the number of young people especially those from previously disadvantaged areas, pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The main objectives of this initiative is to enhance students’ participation and performance in STEM and promote

938 learners 34 teachers 454 boys and 484 girls IMPACT

STEM career education. At uMngeni Valley Education Centre, we welcomed nine schools with 938 learners and thirty-four teachers in total from disadvantaged schools. The programme was highly successful offering a wide range of science-based activities. We developed curriculum support programmes to inspire learners to become enthusiastic about science and consider careers in science-related fields.

These programmes covered various subjects including Physics (electronic circuits and chemical bonding), Life Sciences (Ecology and Cell Biology), and Technology (hands-on projects). Our focus was on making the topics easy to understand and fun to grasp. The schools that participated in the programme were Umthombo Secondary, Yarrow Primary, Injoloba Secondary, Hawkstone Primary, Thembelihle Primary, Nogqaza Primary, and Etham College.

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WESSA ANNUAL REPORT 2023 – 2024

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