Dr Cobus van Breda obtained his BSc in Mathematics and Physics, as well as his Higher Education Diploma, from the University of the Free State. He also obtained the degrees MEd (Education Management) and PhD from the same university.

Dr van Breda has 16 years’ experience in teaching Physical Sciences and Mathematics at school level and has been on the staff of the University of the Free State at the Science-for-the-Future unit since 2004.

As Programme Director of Science-for-the-Future, he oversees the management of the Family Math and Family Science programmes and is responsible for funding proposals and feedback reports to sponsors. He is also responsible for the ICT Laboratory programme, which focuses on the use of ICTs to enhance Science teaching-and-learning. He is also in charge of the Key Concepts in Science and Mathematics and acts as facilitator in the Science sessions.

Amaria Reynders obtained the following qualifications: HED in Home Economics, BEd Honours, and MEd at the University of the Free State. Her thesis covered the obstacles that hamper primary-school learners to translate mathematical word problems into number sentences. One of the main focuses of her study was on the language issue, especially when learners are not taught in their mother tongue in mathematics.

Her teaching career started in 1987 at Sandveld Secondary School in Wesselsbron. During the past ten years, she taught at Kruitberg Primary. She obtained good experience in mathematics and science in the Intermediate phase where the language of instruction is not the same as the mother tongue of the learners.

Susan de Jager obtained the following qualifications: JPOD at the Bloemfontein Teachers' College, Advanced Certificate in Education at the Northwest University, and BEd Honours at the University of the Free State.

She started her teaching career in 1977 as Foundation Phase teacher and worked at one of the schools in the Northern Cape that was included in the Family Math programme.

She joined the Family Math and Family Science team in January 2013 as intern and completed the Family Math Short Learning Programme, Family Math for Foundation Phase Mathematics Teaching - An integrated Approach.

Ravial Mashuabi obtained a PGDE degree in Curriculum Studies and BEd Honours in Education Management at the University of the Free State.

She had 22 years of teaching experience in the Intermediate Phase before joining the Family Math & Family Science team in 2016.

Mariette Erwee obtained a BSc degree in Physics and Astrophysics and a BSc Honours in Astrophysics at the University of the Free State.

She worked as a Science Communicator at Boyden Science Centre since 2005 and is currently also a presenter at Naval Hill Planetarium. She joined the Family Math & Science team in 2011.

Ilze van Zyl had 15 years’ experience in administrative management in the private sector before joining the Family Math and Science team in 2016.

Gwyneth van Wyk obtained a BA degree in Management and a BCom Honours in Marketing at the University of the Free State. She joined the Science-for-the-Future unit in 2016.

Daylin Neels matriculated at Bloemfontein High School in 2014.

Lorraine Botha obtained the following qualifications: BSc and UED at the University of the Free State, BEd Honours at UNISA and MEd at the University of the Free State.

Lorraine trained in South Africa under Dr Dale Hunter, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (EUP) and in the USA at the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, in Edinboro, as a facilitator for Family Math, Family Science and EQUALS.

She also obtained a certificate in Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) at UNISA.

Lorraine has 28 years’ experience as a Mathematics and Sciences teacher and Head of Department, as well as having 12 years’ experience as project manager and facilitator of several programmes of the Science-for-the-Future unit, including the EQUALS Family Math, Family Science, and the EQUALS Institute for the Professional Development of Mathematics Teachers projects in partnership with the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

She is currently retired but is still involved in educational training activities.

Elizna Prinsloo sadly passed away on 15 January 2015 after collapsing during her early morning jog. At the time she was the Family Math & Family Science Project Manager. She will be remembered for her passion for and work ethic towards the Family Math & Family Science programme. She strongly believed that the programme should ultimately make an impact on and benefit the learners involved; a vision that is shared by the staff members of the unit.

It is also very inspiring to know that she started out as a project assistant at the unit and ultimately, through hard work, extraordinary dedication and her vision for the Family Math & Family Science programme ended up in a leadership position.

She was instrumental in developing the Family Math programme into a tool for curriculum implementation in the classroom as well as implementing the triangular strategy.

"I HEAR, AND I FORGET. I SEE, AND I REMEMBER.
I DO, AND I UNDERSTAND."

- Chinese Proverb