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Sakhikamva Foundation sets up Stream lab at Floreat Primary
Sakhikamva Foundation has set up a science, technology, robotics, engineering, aeronautics and mathematics (Stream) laboratory at Floreat Primary in Retreat, Cape Town. The lab offers the almost 60-year old school a head-start as South Africa prepares to roll out a new coding and robotics curriculum in primary schools next year.
Source: Supplied
The fully-equipped 4iR classroom can accommodate 40 learners and is the latest in Sakhikamva Foundation’s rollout of specialised tech laboratories that promote Stream learning in schools serving under-resourced communities. The lab has made possible through a partnership between Sakhikamva Foundation and the school’s long-standing supporter, the Prescient Foundation.
Shaping SA's future leaders
“We’ve supported a variety of Sakhikamva Foundation’s coding and robotics education initiatives for more than five years and, similarly, we have an excellent relationship with Floreat Primary School which has been an engaging participant in our leadership programme since 2015," says Nicole Pinto, CEO of the Prescient Foundation.
"Establishing the Stream laboratory at Floreat Primary now is coming full circle in our efforts to support sustainable development and community upliftment. Through our partnership with the Sakhikamva Foundation, we have the opportunity to contribute towards the development of 21st century skills at Floreat Primary School – skills that we believe are fundamental in creating and shaping our future leaders.”
Hands-on experience
Floreat Primary’s new internet-connected laboratory provides a stimulating environment for the development of STEM skills. Learners will get hands-on experience with technologically advanced equipment including robotics and 3D printers. There are artificial intelligence, engineering and science kits to ignite innovation and inspire critical thinking, design thinking and problem-solving capabilities.
The laboratory represents a significant asset in the school community.
Says principal Noel Isaacs: “As a school of more than 900 learners and 25 educators, we are so grateful for this wonderful new learning environment. The laboratory will enable us to lay a solid foundation for coding and robotics education and give our children the opportunities to develop programming and other digital skills. On a day-to-day basis, our new tech lab will promote hands-on learning and teamwork, and the entire school is looking forward to a new era of tech learning adventures.”
Source: Supplied
Floreat is the second primary school in the country to be equipped with a 4iR Stream lab. The Sakhikamva Foundation has previously opened Stream labs at Lanseria Airport in Gauteng, as well as various Western Cape schools. Through Stream laboratories and many other STEM enrichment programmes and activities, the organisation has engaged with more than 150,000 South African learners across the country.
21st century learning experiences
Fatima Jakoet, founder of Sakhikamva Foundation, says, “We will be training and supporting Floreat Primary educators in Stream philosophy and teaching methodologies so that they can guide their learners through the exciting 21st century learning experiences made possible by their new facility.
"When the coding and robotics curriculum is introduced next year by the Department of Basic Education, they will already have the resources, know-how and confidence to seamlessly integrate this in their weekly timetable.”
