Thanks to the funding from DIPLOMICS and support from the WCED, we hosted a total of 199 participants across 10 workshop days for Agricultural- and Life Sciences teachers and learners in 2024. Most of our geneWorkshops were hosted the new CenGen|DIPLOMICS training laboratory. Participants were exposed to actual laboratory protocols and the real-life application of school curriculum-specific content.
The geneWorkshops kicked-off on a high note with Life Sciences teachers from the Cape Winelands Education District who signed up for a practical and theory workshop. It was heartwarming to see how the ‘back to the lab’ experience rekindled fond memories of their days at university. This was followed shortly after with a group of Grade 10 Life Sciences learners for a brief introduction into Genetics and the role it plays in food security.
We once again also took to the road for a number of individual geneLearners workshops to visit the Grade 12 Agricultural Sciences learners from Iingcinga Zethu S.S in Nduli, Ceres – one of our neighbouring towns.
In corroboration with National Science Week in October 2024, we presented four workshops for Grade 11 Life Sciences learners where each participant performed plant DNA extractions and DNA visualisation. Dr Xolelwa Zulu (Independent director of CenGen) joined as a guest speaker for two of the four days, where she shared some words of wisdom and a mentorship offer to the learners.
It is fulfilling to interact with these bright young minds and motivate them to pursue science as a career one day.
geneLearners 14, 15, 16 and 18 at Iingcinga Zethu S.S
