LEAP 2013 Mandela Day
Learners at LEAP Science and Maths Schools showed they are not only smart, but brave too, by agreeing to a quiz against adults for Mandela Day. Designed to give them a chance to revise their school curriculum, the Are You Smarter Than a LEAP Grader quiz pitted teams of school students against corporate teams. After choosing whether they wanted to participate in a Maths, Science or History quiz, corporate teams were not told of the content covered in their quiz, or even whether it was Grade 10 or Grade 11 level. Our learners were also not told which specific chapters of their textbook would be included in the quiz. Though it could have been a reason for fear, the uncertainty only added to the excitement for the day – giving all participants an energetic buzz. From 2pm to 5pm our schools in Cape Town and Johannesburg hosted almost 70 adults who willingly took time off work to spend Mandela Day with us. The day was split into two – with the first part being the Are You Smarter Than a LEAP Grader quiz game, and the second part being a Conversation Circle where corporates and learners shared life lessons. A highlight of the day included, the welcome gathering in the school hall where we sang our national anthem – Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika together. Another highlight was the robust competition between learner and corporate teams. Even though the corporate teams had cheat options such as the option of using a textbook for a small fee, our learners still came out strong. The results varied with some competitions ending at 20-19 to Deloitte, 25-15 to LEAP against Nolands. Another highlight was a Conversation Circle that was facilitated by a Grade 12 learner who did a calming and relaxing breathing exercise that was enjoyed by a
ll. Overall, the day embodied the spirit of Mandela Day for everybody involved.
