Victoria Girls' High School pupils Jessica Clarke and Vivienne Dames received gold medals for their projects at the Eskom Science Expo in Johannesburg recently. Jessica also received a R 35 000 bursary to study at any university in South Africa for her project, Chemistry Behind Pineapple Biofuel. Vivienne proceeded into the second round of interviews for international science expo selection with her project, Biodegradation of Toxic Dyes.
Victoria Girls' High School pupils Jessica Clarke and Vivienne Dames received gold medals for their projects at the Eskom Science Expo in Johannesburg recently. Jessica also received a R 35 000 bursary to study at any university in South Africa for her project, Chemistry Behind Pineapple Biofuel. Vivienne proceeded into the second round of interviews for international science expo selection with her project, Biodegradation of Toxic Dyes.
The girls were among five from the school selected in the regional edition of the competition to go through to the nationals, where rigorous assessment included describing in detail to the judges their projects.
Katherine James received the prize for the Best Application of Microscopy for her project, Testing Alternative versus Conventional Algaecides, as well as a cash prize for herself and R1 000 for VGHS.
She and Melissa Smith, whose project was on Slope versus Mechanical Advantage, received silver medals. Thandiswa Nqowana’s project was Testing Natural versus Chemical Fertilisers – Which is Better for Your Plants?
The girls left last Thursday, each taking along a project on which they had been working for the past few months.
They arrived in Boksburg, Johannesburg at midnight after a 16-hour bus drive and stayed in the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference centre.
Over the next two days the judges interviewed them about their projects, asking them what they had done, and why.
This girls said the competition had been a lot of fun and "a truly amazing experience" and that they were grateful to those who had made it possible.
