The first local Scifest Africa Outreach Programme was held at East London Museum from 6-10 March 2019. It was a joint venture between Scifest Africa, IOS Education and the East London Museum.
The theme for this years’ Scifest was “Discover Your Element” in recognition one of the greatest scientific ideas ever, Mendeleev’s Periodic Table.
The programme was piloted with rural and township schools that enjoyed a relationship with either the East London Museum or IOS. Learners from Grade 7-12 were invited to attend sessions held during school time.
Scifest Africa sponsored presenters to give talks and workshops in East London. Workshop topics included how to build simple atoms, exploring chemical properties around us through colour changes and fun activities, and how to build one’s own water filter.
Local speakers were invited to speak about the chemical elements used in their work, for example, in pharmaceuticals, in designing gold jewellery and in keeping our bodies healthy. A dramatised history of the development of the Periodic Table by local young performing artists kept the audiences enthralled.
