Academics are under great pressure to fulfil the three facets of their roles – teaching, research and community engagement. This paper describes a project that exemplifies the teaching- community nexus and illustrates a way to integrate service to the community in a manner which also provides a unique teaching, learning and assessment opportunity. As with the teaching-research nexus, the benefits go well beyond simply achieving these aspects of the academic role simultaneously. In this case, National Science Week 2006 provided an opportunity for collaboration between the Faculties of Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) and Education to foster interest in the study of Science to students in local schools. Pre-service teachers provided structured teaching and learning sequences for school students at a Science Fair, in turn providing opportunity for their own authentic learning.

Keywords: Teaching-Community nexus, Science Education