London, Aug. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Three students at CambriLearn, an accredited online school with students in more than 100 countries, have won medals at the regional round of the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists. Mapula and Joni were each awarded gold, and Ruth was awarded silver, for research into prosthetics, menstrual health and firefighter safety.
CambriLearn School
The Eskom Expo is the largest school science competition in South Africa. About 18,481 learners took part in Expo activities this year and 13,882 projects were presented at 287 compulsory District Expos, from which roughly 6,300 projects advanced to 38 Regional Science Fairs. Projects are assessed at every stage by judging panels drawn from engineering, medicine, research and academia, working across the competition's thirteen scientific categories.
The three projects
Mapula was awarded gold for an adjustable, modular below knee prosthesis designed for low income communities and built from materials available locally. The design is intended to bring the cost of a functioning prosthetic within reach of the households that need it most. She is now working on a knee joint for above knee amputees.
Joni was awarded gold for a biodegradable sanitary pad. She began the project after reading that some commercial pads contain chemicals linked to health problems, and set out to produce an alternative that is affordable for rural communities and free of those ingredients. She intends to start a charity to distribute it.
Ruth was awarded silver for a comparison of PFAS based firefighting foam with fluorine free alternatives, assessed on both safety and performance. The project began with a visit to a fire station, where she learned that the chemicals inside the foam and the protective gear have been linked to long term illness in the people who wear them.
Academic output, independently judged
Judging at the Eskom Expo is carried out by panels appointed by the competition and independent of the schools entering. For a school, that makes an Expo medal a different kind of evidence from a result it reports itself.
All three projects were produced alongside a full academic timetable. Lessons at CambriLearn are live and timetabled, taught by specialist subject teachers, and students running independent research are supported by a mentor as well as their subject teacher. Mapula worked on her prosthetic design across several months of the school year, with her mentor involved from the first sketch.
The Expo results sit alongside the school's examination record. One of this year's graduates, Lia, was awarded an A grade in all five of her AS Level subjects, including 91 in Chemistry and 87 in Physics, and has gone on to read Actuarial Science at university. CambriLearn reports a 98% university acceptance rate among graduates who apply, and more than $25 million in scholarships earned by its students.
Finalists from the 38 Regional Science Fairs progress to the Eskom Expo International Science Fair, which takes place in Gauteng at the end of September. The 2025 edition brought together 319 researchers from South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Ireland, India, Russia, Ghana, Mozambique and Mexico. Selections are announced by Eskom Expo.
About CambriLearn
CambriLearn is a leading global online school serving students across more than 100 countries. Founded on a simple conviction, your child isn't the problem, the system is , CambriLearn offers six internationally recognised curriculum pathways including the International British curriculum, South African CAPS, KABV, IEB, Pearson Edexcel, and US K-12. CambriLearn gives families the freedom to choose an education that fits their child rather than forcing their child to fit a system that was never designed for them. With consistently top-rated reviews across Google, Trustpilot, Facebook, and HelloPeter, CambriLearn has built its reputation on academic outcomes and family trust. Learn more at cambrilearn.com
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