Learners compete in Sasol Solar Challenge
Fuel giant wants to promote certain subjects among the youth.
Sasol recently launched its Energy Innovation Schools competition aimed at raising awareness of the use of renewable and sustainable energy.
This competition was open for learners from Grade 4 to 11 of schools in Sasol’s fence-line communities in Secunda, Sasolburg and Ekandustria.
Lindi Rabopape, one of the organisers of the competition, said this competition is one of the supporting initiatives of the Sasol Solar Challenge, a biennial endurance event bringing university and high school teams together.
Even private engineers who manufactured fully functioning, roadworthy solar-powered cars, are involved in this project.
These cars run on public roads, sharing space with trucks and regular traffic.
The Energy Innovation Schools competition promotes science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education among young people and enables them to innovate, and build critical thinking, problem-solving and interpersonal skills.
Noxolo Kahlana, head of the Sasol Foundation Trust, said the aim of this competition is to stimulate a sense of wonder and curiosity about science, technology and energy among learners to enhance the intermediate phase, the senior phase and the FET phase curriculum in the relevant subjects of natural science, technology and physical sciences in pursuit of solving real-life problems related to energy sustainability.
“Sasol is using this opportunity to bring the idea of alternative and renewable energies closer to schools while supporting the solar car teams, which are competing in the Sasol Solar Challenge.”
Primary school learners taking part in this challenge, are required to present a non-experimental project on renewable and alternative energy, create a poster and orally present it while the high school learners are required to apply scientific methods to investigate a renewable and alternative energy topic, create a prototype and to present a project that works on renewable and alternative energy to the judges.
“Our goal is to advance chemical and energy solutions that contribute to a thriving planet, society and enterprise.
“The Energy Innovation Schools project is one step towards that goal.
“The competition is also our way of giving back to our fence-line communities by investing in engineers, scientists and thought leaders of tomorrow through education and skills development.
“Both these elements will play a major role in the development of sustainable solutions to address energy challenges in our fence-line communities and countrywide.”
Four learners of Sasolia Primary School scooped up the award for being the school with the best project among the primary schools while learners from Thandanani Primary School finished second and learners from Siyathemba Primary School finished third.
Sthembile Nkosi of Holmdene Secondary School won the high schools category while nine learners of eMzinoni Secondary School finished third and another team of learners of eMzinoni Secondary School finished third.
