education

Mobile Unit STEAM-Y

The Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve (CWBR) acknowledges and advocates the importance of linking nature, education, and life skills in order to inform and inspire people to live in harmony with Nature.

Over the last seven years, the CWBR has facilitated outings, hikes, and camps for over eleven-thousand children and young adults. These outdoor experiences are used to inspire enjoyment and preservation of the natural world and give opportunities for new perspectives, sharing of cross-cultural knowledge between the group, guides, and volunteers alike.

The CWBR mobile educational unit STEAM-Y (Science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics for youth) aims to be used as a tool to inform, inspire, and excite individuals and communities through hands-on learning experiences and empower them to navigate through the 21st century. Each learning experience will be curiosity-driven and geared towards student interests, considering the four key skills for 21st century learning: creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. While no traditional lesson plan will exist, some key topics to be explored systematically, and will include information media and technology skills, environmental literacy, entrepreneurial skills and health and nutrition.

Thus far, activities include first-hand experiences flying a drone, utilizing telescopes, binoculars, magnifying glasses, laptops, cameras, eco-educational books, Food Systems Workshops, evaluation of rivers utilizing mini-sass, the use mobile phones for creative and skills sharing through edu-bites, outdoor cinema, outings to pristine areas, education about Biosphere Reserves (their role and function), and a Mobile Career Cafe.

The CWBR has partnered with CapeNature, Action Volunteers Africa, and USIKO Stellenbosch to facilitate joint holistic outings that include career guidance, environmental education, and wilderness therapy.

The possibilities with this space are endless and the CWBR team, in partnership with Action Volunteers Africa, CapeNature, and USIKO Stellenbosch, are extremely proud to be taking the necessary actions to adapt to the unpredictability of the world today.