Gifted Learners Workshop in Hermanus

Gifted learners from across the Overberg gathered at Zwelihle Primary in Hermanus on Saturday 21 July. They came to attend a workshop for the best of the best Grade 7s that was jointly hosted by Whale Coast Conservation and the Western Cape Department of Education Overberg District. It is the first time any NGO has had the privilege to assist the Department in its enrichment programme and a real honour to host it here in Hermanus at the lovely new Zwelihle Primary school.

The day started with an inspirational talk by Wendy Colyn, Circuit Team Manager for the Department, who encouraged the learners to start thinking and toying with their interests beyond the classroom. “Amazing things can happen when learners start asking questions and ‘experiment’ to test their ideas”, she concluded.

WCC pulled out all the stops to make the
day interesting and stimulating. They
kicked off with an interactive workshop
on sustainable energy in which they could explore how different forms of energy can be harnessed to create electricity and to power appliances and were introduced to various energy saving technologies.  Learners then worked in groups to make bottle drag jet racers.  These models are powered by air pressure, which practically illustrates the concepts of potential and kinetic energy.  Much fun was had with teams racing their jets against each other.
The day culminated in the launch of WCC’s rhino conservation project, giving learners an opportunity to join in the nations’ fight to protect these iconic animals.
This exciting learning opportunity for gifted learners is an outflow from the Memorandum of Understanding that WCC recently forged with the Overberg Education District. This was a good start, and will hopefully lead to many more such events in the future.