Learning can be fun and interactive.
So say local museums who have invited Pietermaritzburg schools to join their annual competition and stand to win up to R20 000 in cash.
The KZN Museum, Msunduzi Museum and The Old Prison launched their Museums Passport Competition on Friday. With up to R50 000 on offer schools are invited to participate and explore local museums like never before.
KZN Museum public relations and marketing officer Virana Frank said local museums, particularly the smaller Msunduzi Museum and Old Prison, have seen a decline in visits from schools. She said this was unfortunate as it meant that pupils missed out on the fun learning experience that museums offer. “This initiative is a collaborative effort by all three museums aimed at bringing more people into the museums,” said Frank.
Frank said museums ran programmes that were aligned to the school curriculum, but with an added fun factor. “Pupils get to see the real artefacts that they learn about in class,” said Frank.
To qualify for the competition schools need to visit one of the three participating museums to get a “passport” to be entered into a cash draw.
Schools with a minimum of 30 to 50 pupils qualify for one entry into the competition and schools with 250 pupils or more can have up to five entries.
First prize winners will walk away with R20 000, while second prize winners will get R15 000 and third prize, R10 000.
The two schools that bring the most pupils to the museum will get an additional R2 500 each.
“As archives of our heritage, museums are such a valuable resource, not just for schools but for everyone else as well. The museum experience brings history and science lessons to life in a way the schools can’t,” said Frank.
