Science Camp 2012: Green Science in Action

Last September 20-21, 2012, the Math-Sci Club of the Philippine Science High School- Southern Mindanao Campus sponsored the Science Camp 2012 with the theme "Green Science in Action." The Green Science Camp is a two day overnight activity. This activity was funded by the My Community our Earth with the goal of immersing students to a fun-filled engaging and interesting Science camp that will allow them to learn the basics of Green Science through seminars and various activities.

The "photo-essay" featured in this post will present the activities that took place during the Green Science Camp.

Science Camp 2012: Day 1

Program of Activities:

7:30-8:00                   Assembly at the Gym

8:00-9:45                   Opening Program

9:45-10:00                 Break

10:00-12:00               Green Science Seminar Workshop

P.M.

12:00-1:00                 Lunch Break and Sub-Camp Preparations

1:00-5:00                   Think Green Challenge (working break in between)

5:00-5:30                   Final Rehearsals and Preparations for Sci-Musical

5:30-6:30                   Dinner

6:45-9:00                   Green Science Night and Sci-Musical

9:00- 9:30                  Restoration and Preparation of quarters

9:30                            Lights off

Day 1 started with the opening program, where students from the 6 subcamps...

recited the oath of sportsmanship to seal their commitment to play the games fair and at their best.

Ma'am Rochelle Papasin shared an inpirational message about environmental protection and the MyCOE program.

Our director, Mrs. Delia Legaspino formally opened the Science Camp.

representatives from each subcamp also did the flag relay- an alternative of the flag raising to boost the morale of each subcamp to start the Sci camp right.

Each subcamp also presented their cheer dance...

And their club "models" who represents their subcamp also walked down the aisle.

 After the openign program, our first guest speaker, Mrs. Teopista Villanaba talked about the role of Green Science and Research

After the talk, Mrs. Villanaba divided the big group to smaller groups for a workshop wherein students made ref butterfly magnets from waste materials.

The students' outputs are displayed...

In the afternoon, Sean and Vincent from the Rotterdam University shared their research on Water Management to the PSHS-Students

Students had the chance to ask questions and learn more about their research...

After the plenary session, students were divided into smaller groups for the Think Green Challenge- they made their flags, finalized their MyCOE projects, made paintings and installation arts (made of waste materials) that will symbolize Green Science.

In the evening, students participated in a commitment rites around the bonfire to show their sincerity in living a "Green Lifestyle"

Moreover, students also presented their creative Sci-Musicals on Green Science and Environmental preservation...

Science Camp 2012: Day 2

Program of Activities:

5:30                            Wake-up call

5:30-6:30                   Breakfast and Preparations

6:30- 6:50                  Morning Praise

6:50-7:30                   Morning Exercise

7:30-7:45                   Strategic Planning Per subcamp for the Amazing Race

7:45-9:45                   The Amazing Green Race

9:45-10:00                 Break

10:00-12:00               Kusina Master Search 

P.M.

12:00-1:00                 Piging sa Pisay

1:00-1:30                   Launching of the Green Gallery

1:30- 2:30                  Palarong Agham (Pinoy Henyo and Pera o Bayong)

2:30-3:00                   Restoration of Quarters

3:00-4:30                   Closing Program

On the Second day...

Students had their warm-up for the Amazing Green Race...

And the students run to the different stations of the amazing race to do the special tasks prepared.

At noon, students cooked their food as part of their Camping challenge.

Finally, to end the camp, winners of the various activities were given awards and recognition! Congratulations everyone! :)

It was indeed a memorable and fun Science Camp. The students enjoyed the activity while learning many things.

Thank you to everyone who participated. Thank you Math-Sci club for the help. Thank you to Maam Rochelle for all the guidance. Thank you for the MANCOM for all the support. Thank you to MyCOE for all the love, support and funding that you have given to this activity!

Thank you very much!

-Michael Casas

Science Camp 2012- Green Science in Action! (Pre-Science Camp Activities)

The first research grant that I was able to implement was the Green Science Camp. It was a very memorable experience since the time of proposal writing until the evaluation day. My students learned a lot and I learned a lot too! :) The Science camp was spearheaded by student leaders from the Math-Sci club of Philippine Science High School- Southern Mindanao Campus, and I served as the adviser of the club. It has been a tradition of the school that a science camp will be conducted every year to allow students to appreciate Science more by allowing students to do interactive, and fun-filled activities. The students (354 of them) were divided into 7 groups. The first group included the Math-Sci club officers and members who served as the leaders in the implementation of the Science camp. The other six groups include the student-participants of the camp.

To make the Science Camp report more comprehensive, I will be writing three blog posts for this project. First, which will be the main content of this blog, the Pre-Science camp activities, second, the actual implementation of the Science camp and lastly, the evaluation of the activity.

Pre-Science Camp Activities

Conducting pre-science camp activities is very necessary. This will be away of leveling off with the key persons involved in the Science camp and will be a way of making instructions clear to the students involved. Last August 29, 2012 an orientation was given to the leaders and advisers of each subcamps. Among the things discussed during the orientation were the overview of the activity, the program, the tasks and challenges during the tasks, responsibilities of the subcamp leaders and advisers, camp rules and guidelines mechanics of the activities and an open forum was also done.

A week after, a school-wide Science Camp orientation was conducted to acquaint the student body of the rules and regulations of the camp.

The students were excited about the camp as the rules and activities were given to them. I and the officers of the Math-Sci club spearheaded the orientation program.

 Among the things discussed during the orientation are the following:

Science Camp 2012 Overview

The Math-Sci Club is honored to sponsor the Science Camp 2012 on September 20-21, 2012 with the theme “Green Science in Action.” The Math-Sci club chose the theme because of the increasing popularity of the green sciences in our society today especially in dealing with environmental issues, sustainability and climate change.

The Science Camp will be a two day overnight camp, which will be held in the PSHS-SMC to give students ample time to assimilate essential inputs and skills that they will acquire from the prepared activities.

This year’s science camp has the following objectives:

1.      A Green Science Seminar-Workshop shall have been conducted to allow students to have a hands-on, minds-on and interactive avenue where they can understand the foundations of the green sciences.

2.      Fun-filled, engaging and interactive activities shall have been participated in by students during the Think Green Challenge, Sci Musical, Kusina Master Search, and The Amazing Green Race.

3.      Instill in students a scientific mind, excellence, teamwork, friendship, creativity, camaraderie, cooperation, leadership, innovativeness and enthusiasm through their involvement in the various activities in the science camp.

The following innovations are proposed to be incorporated in the Science Camp for this year:

1.      Green Science Seminar Workshop will be conducted by the Math-Sci Club to enrich students’ appreciation of the role of the green sciences in building our nation. 

2.      Think Green Challenge will be done to break each sub-camp into groups and ask them to carry out various tasks and mini research projects (using the MyCOE platform) to enrich their appreciation and understanding of the projects that they make in relation to its impacts to various communities in the country. 

3.      Green Gallery will be a showcase of the students’ outputs from the Think Green Challenge. 

4.      Jazz up your Shirt Contest will be Math-Sci’s way of dealing with the students’ clamor to have a subcamp shirt, but in a fun, creative and inexpensive way. This will be done on September 7, 2012.  

Roles and Responsibilities of the People Involved

Math-Sci Adviser

1.       Shall oversee all the activities and concerns in the Science camp.

2.       Shall make sure that all the activities in the Science Camp are systematically done.

3.       Shall ensure that all preparations are made before the Science camp is conducted.

4.       Shall prepare the proposal for the Science camp and present it to the MANCOM.

5.       Shall coordinate with the subcamp advisers for concerns and questions.

Math-Sci President

1.       Shall serve as the student counterpart of the Math-Sci Adviser.

2.       Shall coordinate with all the Committee Heads regarding the preparations and flow of activities for the science camp.

3.       Shall coordinate with subcamp leaders regarding their preparations for the Science Camp

4.       Shall ensure that all materials and activities are prepared before the Science camp.

Subcamp Adviser

1.       The subcamp adviser shall supervise the preparations of each subcamp for all the activities in the Science camp.

2.       The advisers shall coordinate with the Sci camp Director regarding the preparations and the needed follow-ups for the activities of the subcamps in the Science camp.

3.       The subcamp advisers shall also sleep with their subcamps during the overnight activity.

4.       Shall serve as guide, consultant  and co-research adviser of the students in the writing, preparation and conduct of the research projects in the Think Green Challenge.

Subcamp Leader

1.       The subcamp leader shall lead in the planning, coordination and implementation of tasks given by the Math-Sci club to each subcamp.

2.       The subcamp leader shall ensure that all members of the subcamp are given enough tasks for them to participate in all the activities of the science camp.

3.       He/She shall coordinate with the Math-Sci President for other needed preparations and follow-ups for the respective subcamps.

The program of activities, guidelines per activities, and the camp guidelines were also discussed.  

To culminate the orientation program, students were asked to recite the Sci-camper's oath to give them the ownership of their actions and be responsible for whatever things that they do.

As a whole, the pre-sci camp orientation was a success and it served as an important part of the implementation of the Science camp. IF other sites from the US or abroad would like to replicate a similar activity like the Science camp, then I would highly recommend that a pre-camp orientation be done too!

I think, I will end with this for now, in my next blog post, I will be presenting how things went during the actual implementation of the two day Science camp. So, hang on! We'd love to hear your comments about this pre-science camp orientation, too! Just leave your comments in the comment box!

All the best,


Michael A. Casas :)