On Monday 5 August 2024 the Science Laboratory at St David’s Marist Inanda Alexandra Campus was officially handed over to the school executive, teachers and learners. The new state-of-the-art, fully kitted out laboratory caters for both Physical Sciences and Life Sciences, and further adds to the self-sufficiency of the satellite high school campus of St David’s Marist Inanda, that officially opened in January 2023, with a pioneer Grade 8 class.
“We are especially honoured to be part of this project and to be associated with the St David’s Marist tradition of academic excellence and achievement – with which our brand shares some commonality,” says Russell Crawford, Stefanutti Stocks CEO. “We have the Stefanutti Stocks Way that guides how we do things, we have a strong family focus, and we are always striving for excellence in execution in all that we do.”
Fiona Budd, Director of St David’s Marist Foundation – the School’s trust that raises funds to support the school’s strategic objectives to create access to education through their projects and programmes – has been working with many donors to make the Alexandra campus possible. This includes working with the Stefanutti Stocks Transformation Team, that wanted to direct the construction group’s contribution to an area that aligns to its socio-economic development strategy, that specifically focuses on maths and science programmes. The science lab was identified as one of the school’s more urgent requirements in assisting with providing excellence and access to quality education on the Marist Alexandra campus.
Stefanutti Stocks’ contribution of around R570 000 was used to transform an empty, first-floor classroom to a fully-equipped and functional sciences laboratory. “As an engineering and construction company we are truly hoping that this lab will inspire students to pursue engineering careers in the future – who knows, perhaps one of them could even be working for us in the next ten years.” says Crawford.
The laboratory project implementation commenced in September 2023 and included the installation of all cabinetries (including learner desks and prep workstations), chemical kits and equipment, a safety cabinet, lab coats as well as a model human torso (which presented a great photo opportunity at the opening event). “It’s so important for the boys to have access to this kind of equipment and to be able to have practical hands-on experience,” says Budd. “It is such an opportunity – just think, we could have our next Nobel Prize Winner inspired to invent something ground-breaking for our country and world through their start in this very science lab!”
The theme of the day was definitely inspiration, aspirations, opportunity and hope. Crawford, together with Mike Thiel, Executive Head of St David’s Marist Inanda, unveiled the plaque and cut the ribbon, officially declaring the laboratory open for cutting-edge experimentation – which on the day included electricity circuits, refraction and reflection, as well as a conservation of mass (a core concept of chemistry) experiment.
“Science is a challenging subject that forces you to put in the time and the effort, and more importantly it is about stimulating curiosity – which is often the starting point of discovery,” says Thiel. “It is projects like this, and partnership with companies like Stefanutti Stocks, that also create opportunities for building self-belief and boosting confidence that is essential for learners to succeed, and will have an impact for generations to come. This is a world-class facility, and we thank you for that.”
The Stefanutti Stocks Science Lab at the St David’s Marist Inanda satellite campus in Alexandra is more than just a bricks and mortar facility. It is a part of an exceptional learning experience, one that is on par with facilities that can be found in some of the most prestigious schools in Johannesburg. “It has been our great pleasure to contribute to this satellite campus, and to play our part in creating an environment that will expose young minds to the opportunities that Physical and Life Sciences can afford,” concludes Crawford.
