Social Outreach Programme

Advanced Laboratory Solutions as a distributor of highly technological and advanced laboratory and scientific equipment sees the need for a social outreach program as important to help stimulate and grow our future scientist and engineers. As we are dealing directly with educational institutions, our contribution has to have a direct impact on their future by exposing future scientists to new scientific investigation tools.

Some of the ways that we have helped contribute to the scientific community is sponsorship and educational workshops:

Microscopic Society of Southern Africa (MSSA) “Most up and coming Black Microscopist” Award

This annual award has been sponsored since 2005 to promote historically disadvantaged students and give them the opportunity to meet and network with international scientists. Professor Lang, MSSA Chairperson 2005 to 2006, believes this award comes at an important time in the history of MSSA, which is expanding its activities in the region. She said: “MSSA needs to grow by increasing our membership, particularly of young people and those who previously did not have the opportunity to become involved in science. I hope that this new award will inspire young people in the Southern Africa to follow a scientific career.”

This prize includes a full paid overseas trip to one of the international microscopy conferences to present their poster or paper. The selection criteria used for this award is the presentation of a scientific paper at the conference where content, presentation skills, and correctness of information presented are judged.

Sasol SciFest – making science count

Advanced Laboratory Solutions (ALS) has contributed in the promotion of science to learners. This scientific festival takes place in Grahamstown annually. ALS gave workshops to show how scientific tools can be used to investigate crime e.g. the use of scanning electron microscopes for gun shot residue (GSR) investigations.

Another talk based on the well-known BBC program “Grime Scene Investigations” showed the cleanliness in the home and how one can investigate which bacteria can cause illness.

MINQUIZ

Minquiz is regarded as South Africa's premier annual national Science competition for Grade 12 learners, and has been running since 1988. The competition aims to encourage interest in careers in science, engineering and technology, especially in minerals and metallurgy, and to promote an awareness of the importance of minerals and metallurgy to South Africa.

Minquiz is entertaining for the learners participating, the accompanying educators and the audience, while at the same time the competition conveys the importance of Mathematics and Science as foundational subjects to a career in the minerals and metallurgy industries.

ALS is happy to be a sponsor to this initiative and nurture our future scientists.