Pinelands learner earns gold for innovating research project
18 October 2023
Matthew Collier-Reed, a learner at Pinelands High School, has created a platform which aims to provide anonymous, accessible and user-friendly service to communities around the world.
The young scientist bagged a gold medal at the Eskom Expo International Science Fair (ISF) and secured a partial bursary for developing the platform which enables individuals to easily pinpoint and access tailored support services and resources within their vicinity – all based on their specific requirements and current location.
The University of Witwatersrand’s Faculty of Sciences awarded Collier-Reed a partial bursary to the value of R40 000 for his research project entitled “Empowering communities: Connecting in-need individuals with essential resources”.
“I felt very motivated after winning my awards. I felt as if my hard work and countless hours has paid off and that I was being recognised for the impact that my project could have on the communities and people around us. I saw it not only as an award to myself, but to the project, and opportunities that it could give to others in the future,” said Collier-Reed.
“I ended up compiling the largest registry of support services in the Western Cape, and I’m currently expanding to other provinces and countries. The Community Support website (communitysupport.org.za), the platform I created, aims to provide anonymous, accessible and user-friendly service to communities around the world,” he added.
He explained that he was driven to develop the project after seeing the impact around him of people being unable to locate crucial services when in need, even though those services existed.
“I am passionate about Computer Science and hope to do work in the field. I want to start my own business or work with a tech company doing project management, development, advisory or similar positions. I plan on studying Computer Science, to continue my progress in the field,” he said.
Eskom Expo Executive Director, Parthy Chetty said: “The purpose of the Eskom Expo is to grow scientists and engineers for South Africa and this winning project from Matthew is proof that we are on the right track. This winning project was a response to a real-life problem in the learner’s immediate environment and he set about to solve it.”
For the complete list of 2023 Eskom Expo International Science Fair winners, click the link: www.exposcience.co.za