The annual Advancing Knowledge Non-Profit Company (AK NPC) Science Club Competition was held on September 21, 2026, at the Cape Winelands Education District Office. The event brought together 22 top-performing science clubs from schools participating in the AK NPC Science Club Project in the Cape Winelands and Overberg regions. A total of 14 primary schools and eight high schools participated, with over 220 learners accompanied by their science teachers.
The Science Club Project was initiated in 2004 by Prof Shaheed Hartley, Director of AK NPC. The project is a partnership between Advancing Knowledge NPC, the Garden Cities Archway Foundation, and the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). The partnership aims to improve and advance the teaching and learning of science in schools. The 2026 competition marked the 22nd year of the Science Club Project.
The competition provided learners with an opportunity to demonstrate their scientific knowledge, practical skills, creativity, and understanding through experiments, investigations, exhibitions, presentations, designs, and other science-based activities. Learners showcased colorful chemical reactions, flames, smoke, dramatic demonstrations, innovative homemade technologies, and carefully prepared experiments conducted in a controlled and safe environment.
To prepare for the competition, a science club teacher/practitioner training programme was held at Bonnievale Primary School in July. More than 60 teachers participated in the training, where they were equipped with practical knowledge and skills to establish new science clubs or strengthen existing ones. The training introduced teachers to a progressive approach to planning and conducting science activities.
At the competition, each science club was permitted a maximum of ten learners and was allocated ten minutes to conduct its presentation. Learners demonstrated considerable preparation and confidence, showcasing scientific experiments and investigations, colorful solutions and chemical reactions, innovative gadgets, and homemade technologies. Safety considerations formed an important part of the presentations.
The primary school component produced an energetic and highly competitive programme, with learners seeking to distinguish their science clubs through engaging experiments, innovative techniques, and creative demonstrations. The high school section introduced greater complexity, with learners presenting a broader range of experiments, exhibitions, and scientific activities. The audience responded enthusiastically to the presentations, while adjudicators assessed the learners' understanding, practical skills, creativity, explanations, and ability to conduct their activities safely and effectively.
One of the notable features of the competition was the enthusiasm shown by learners towards the presentations of other science clubs. Primary and high school learners encouraged one another and showed genuine interest in experiments and activities that captured their attention. The event demonstrated that learners can engage meaningfully with scientific concepts when provided with opportunities to investigate, experiment, ask questions, and communicate their findings in creative ways.
Key points
- The competition was part of the AK NPC Science Club Project, which aims to stimulate learners' interest, enthusiasm, and willingness to engage with science and mathematics as important gateway subjects to future study and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
