A registered non-profit in Acornhoek, running since 2016. We work with more than fifteen schools across the Bushbuckridge municipality.
South Africa's public education sector performs poorly against international benchmarks for mathematics and science. In rural districts the gap opens early, and by the time learners reach matric the subject choice has usually already been made for them.
AIST works at the points in a school career where that decision is made. Learners meet us in Grade 8, choose their subjects in Grade 9, and cover Grade 12 content before Grade 12 begins. The programmes are free to attend and open to learners from every school in the community.
Four programmes, delivered in June and December, at two host schools in Acornhoek.
The Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy Summer School. Three weeks each December for Grade 11 learners, covering the Grade 12 topics learners historically struggle with, so that participants enter matric already familiar with the hardest content.
More than 50 learners per centre each December.
A week in June for Grade 9 learners, timed to the point where Grade 10 subject streams are chosen and where girls are disproportionately lost from the science pipeline. Taught by women from Acornhoek now studying science at university.
30 learners a year, in its second year.
Grades 8 and 9 write together on a single day in June. Trophies and certificates for every learner who writes, and a main prize for the top result. For most families in Acornhoek, the competition is the first contact they have with AIST.
Entries doubled in one year, from 37 learners to 74.
Three weeks, twice a year, delivered by AISTcode for participants aged 18 and over. The June camp is open to the community. The December camp is for school-leavers who have just written matric, and concentrates on employable technical skill.
20 or more participants per camp.
AIST hires qualified mathematics and physics teachers for every programme. Every other role, from tutoring to marking to organising, is filled by volunteers, and almost all of them came through the summer school as learners.
Tutors join in their second year of university or later, matched to programmes by what they study, and deliver the astronomy component themselves. Learners still in Grade 12 or first year take on support roles instead, so that nobody loses contact with the organisation while they settle into university.
This is also why the programmes run in June and December. The people who staff them are university students, and those are the months they are free.
Two host schools in Acornhoek, about 1.3 km apart, both made available by their principals. Learners travel in daily from schools across the surrounding community.
AIST began in 2016 as the Acornhoek Physics Summer School, and much of the published record appears under that name.
Funded across several rounds of the Education and Outreach Small Grants Scheme. The RAS presents the programme as one of three examples of the scheme, alongside the University of Cardiff and Birkbeck.
Funded in 2022 with a grant of 6 000 euros toward a 10 000 euro programme budget, as one of seventeen projects supported worldwide that year. The final report is published by the OAD.
The Department of Physics and Astronomy at UWC and the Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy provided the first institutional funding in 2019. NareHost provides hosting, domains and storage.
Applications open before each programme. Learners under 18 need a parent or guardian to sign a consent form, and all programmes are day programmes.
Apply onlineSupport pays for teachers, food, transport, venues and materials. Every other role in the organisation is volunteered.
DonateIf you came through the summer school under either name, join the alumni register so we can stay in touch.
Alumni registerWe work with schools, universities, companies and funders. Write to us and a member of the team will respond.
Contact AIST