{"id":2048,"date":"2026-09-15T13:37:49","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T13:37:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelistener.co.za\/?p=2048"},"modified":"2026-10-09T11:43:34","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T11:43:34","slug":"science-week-2026-steam-nasa-dreams-and-young-visionaries-at-amazon-hq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelistener.co.za\/index.php\/2026\/09\/15\/science-week-2026-steam-nasa-dreams-and-young-visionaries-at-amazon-hq\/","title":{"rendered":"Science Week 2026: STEAM, NASA Dreams and Young Visionaries at Amazon Headquarters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Young minds explore unplugged coding and STEAM concepts during the LIS Science Week event hosted at Amazon Head Offices on 14 August<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When 70 vibrant learners walked into Amazon\u2019s headquarters in Observatory for National Science Week, they didn\u2019t just attend an event; they stepped directly into the future!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a powerful partnership between City Libraries and Amazon, now in its second year running, the room was transformed into an interactive launchpad for young minds. Twelve dynamic exhibitors representing the full spectrum of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) set up shop to offer hands-on immersion into everything from robotics and unplugged coding to artificial intelligence and flash art. Learners were also given the opportunity to chat directly with industry professionals about study paths and real-world career choices, including librarianship as a profession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Matthew Granger from the LIS Marketing team breaks down how marketing and strategic communications drive modern library services during a career chat with learners<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Celebrating Youth Leadership & Literacy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The excitement extended beyond the exhibition tables with the crowning of the Teen Library Ambassador Challenge winner: 16-year-old Junior Saule, from Mfuleni Library! Portfolio Chairperson Councillor Ronel Viljoen presented the award to him, as the room celebrated Junior\u2019s passionate submission about his love for reading and his local library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Portfolio Chairperson Councillor Ronel Viljoen alongside MC Kayla Johnson awarding Teen Library Ambassador Social Media Competition winner Junior Saule of Mfuleni Library<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Inspiration from the Junior Council<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The day was further elevated by Cape Town\u2019s Junior Council. Junior Mayor Pierce Beaulieu delivered an inspiring message on resilience and perseverance, joined by standout leaders like Junior Councillor Qaylah Omar, who recently qualified for and won the International Space Settlement Design Competition at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center. Three fellow Junior Councillors also brought serious tech credentials, having participated in the prestigious AI for Africa programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping the Momentum Going<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Amazon event was just one piece of the bigger picture. Across the city, our libraries kept the spark alive throughout Science Month with local science shows, hands-on experiments, and inspiring career talks, encouraging young patrons to stay curious and reach for the stars. Our Marketing & Communications team captured the energy of the month in a highlight reel, now live on the City’s social media platforms. Watch the highlight video here<\/a><\/strong> to see our libraries in action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

A huge thank you to the team who made it all possible and library staff across the city who continue to create transformative, high-impact experiences for our youth!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

By Tasneem Adriaanse <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senior Professional Officer: Youth Services<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professional Programmes & Services (PSP)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When 70 vibrant learners walked into Amazon\u2019s headquarters in Observatory for National Science Week, they didn\u2019t just attend an event; they stepped directly into the future! In a powerful partnership between City Libraries and Amazon, now in its second year running, the room was transformed into an interactive launchpad for young minds. Twelve dynamic exhibitors […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":58,"footnotes":""},"categories":[153],"tags":[63,103],"class_list":["post-2048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-september-2026","tag-science-week","tag-youth-services"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelistener.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelistener.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelistener.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelistener.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelistener.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2048"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/thelistener.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2048\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2184,"href":"https:\/\/thelistener.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2048\/revisions\/2184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelistener.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelistener.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelistener.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}