Young Scientist Tanzania Director Dr Kamugisha Gozibert
At least 360 secondary students from 160 schools in Tanzania are scheduled to meet in Dar es Salaam in September where they are going to showcase their scientific researches.
The exhibitions will be sponsored by Young Scientist Tanzania (YST).
The students will present exciting projects from different categories of science, biological and ecological, physics and chemical, social and behavioural studies and technology.
This was revealed yesterday in Dar es Salaam by Young Scientist Tanzania Director Dr Kamugisha Gozibert at a news conference.
He said a two-day exhibition will be held on September 18 and 19, in Dar es Salaam and will cost not less than USD400,000.
“YST gives young secondary school students an opportunity to demonstrate that science, technology and engineering are not only interesting and exciting but also easy subjects to do,” he said.
Dr Gozibert said the exhibition will generate greater awareness and appreciation of science and technology among members of the general public as well as provide students with the opportunity to participate in scientific learning congregations away from the classroom to explore the unlimited potential of science.
He said the overall winners will be given a top cash prize, laptops, a computer lab for their school and trip to Ireland in January 2014 to attend the European young scientists’ exhibition. The runner up will win trophies, a cash prize and a computer lab for their school.
However, he said the project has proved to be a successful one as it provides a platform for young secondary school students to come together to investigate theories, discover new technologies and advance current knowledge through fun research and innovation.
Additionally, he said from the last year’s exhibition experience, the students have started showing great interest in choosing scientific research and innovation; teachers have realised the potential of the exhibition to promote teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in schools.
Dr Gozibert urged those who wish to participate in the exhibition to come up with projects which should not be necessarily be done in laboratories but locally and without any cost.
Science teacher Nsia Shoo from Jamhuri Secondary School in Dar es Salaam applauded YST’s decision to arrange training for them saying it will improve their teaching skills in science subjects as well as know the ability of their students in such subjects.
“My school is one of those which participated in the competition last year, despite the lack of laboratory, it successfully created projects which didn’t involve laboratory tools...,” she said.
Shoo called upon other schools facing the same challenge of lack of laboratory to not fear but promptly apply for the chance to participate before May 30, which is the deadline for receiving the applications.
This years’ exhibition will be a continuation of that conducted in October last year, whereby the overall winner was Kibosho Girls’ Secondary School which won a wonderful trip to Dublin and Ireland.
