Durban — Gordon Road Girls’ School in Morningside was abuzz with excitement with the official launch of their Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) room, the biggest Nelson Mandela Day Coding Competition and facilitating the launch of Kuunda Distrupt recently.
The school’s commitment to the holistic and progressive education of their pupils through STEAM culminated in the opening of the new robotics and coding space through the Victor Daitz Foundation’s generous support and funding.
Among the esteemed guests at the launch was Pepper, the delightful humanoid robot, who inspired young and old alike with her interactive charm. Gordon Road Girls’ pupils showcased their innovative and creative robot construction and programming projects, demonstrating the interactive learning through play and application of the STEAM skills that will see them stride confidently into a technology-driven future.
Nelson Mandela Day was celebrated with more than 200 learners from schools across the greater Durban area on the GRGS campus - and more than 30 000 learners across the region - all coding simultaneously. In partnership with Kenville Primary and Tangible, this thrilling celebration of creativity and collaboration saw the team from Durban Girls’ College take overall first place in the competition. Most importantly, learners experienced the joy of teamwork and heaps of fun.
The launch of Kuunda Disrupt Hackathon, a Standard Bank initiative, that brought together 18 schools from across Durban, featuring Grade 6 learners alongside their principals and IT departments. Guest speakers shared insights into the future of technology and the possibilities of AI in everyday life. Each participating school was introduced to their Kuunda mentor and received Raspberry Pi and Microbit kits, which would be used for the upcoming inter-school competition.
These tools promise to foster creativity and innovation among the students, providing hands-on experience in coding and technology. Pepper made another appearance delighting attendees with amongst others, her dancing skills.
Gordon Road Girls’ School principal Dr Sheeren Saloojee was appreciative of the support of everyone who contributed to the success of the all the events.
WhatsApp your views on this story to 071 485 7995.
Daily News