Science Safari is an event organised by the Science Centre Pembroke, as part of a suite of initiatives that aim to popularise STEM subjects across all year groups within state and non-state schools.
The activity, held on a Saturday morning, involves a treasure hunt, during which teams of three Year 8 students apply scientific knowledge and skills to solve a number of clues and riddles. The activity is a competitive one, where the team that solves most clues in the shortest time wins. Multiple teams from each school can participate
The first edition of Science Safari was held in 2014. Like most editions, this took place close to the Science Centre itself, around the Pembroke Heritage Trail. Most subsequent editions were held in the same zone, each time varying the area the treasure hunt is focused on. However, in a couple of editions, Science Safari ventured outside Pembroke such as the 3rd edition which was held at the Malta National Aquarium and the 5th edition which was held in Buskett. During the recent Covid-19 pandemic, Science Safari was successfully transformed into an online event, with both the 8th (2021) and 9th (2022) editions seeing a record number of participating students in an equally exciting, challenging, and rewarding treasure hunt.
The design of the clues promotes critical thinking and problem-solving skills and prompts students to apply scientific knowledge and skills to everyday phenomena. In this sense, Science Safari also serves a truly important purpose, that of instilling in our students a sense of curiosity that prompts them to ask even more questions about the world around them.
