Having just been back to visit home, I had many people asking me if I needed anything. Well, I think I'm finally taking you all up on that offer.
Drumroll.....
The East of Morocco is about to experience its Very First Science Fair Competition!
A little background: Education here is completely based on rote memorization. This has some value but the education system here seriously lacks in 1. Critical Thinking and 2. Hands-on learning. I have realized through my time teaching English here that the ability to ask the question "Why?" does not come naturally to all people. Open ended questions where there is no "right" answer are taken to be very difficult. [An example: we did essay writing for my upper level English class. I asked the class "Do you think its better for a youth of Morocco to grow up in a small town or a big city?" The room was silent. Why? Because they weren't sure of the right answer and nobody wanted to be wrong.]
Also:
Environmental Education is only just beginning in Morocco. Some people are aware that littering is not Ok, but everyone still does it. Daily I'll walk behind a crowd of people and watch them throw gum wrappers or empty potato chip bags on the ground with no thought at all that it is causing OUR city to look disgusting and junky... and having an effect on the environment they live in.
THIS PROJECT WILL INFLUENCE A CHILD'S ABILITY TO THINK CRITICALLY AND TO DO IT IN A WAY THAT THEIR OWN ENVIRONMENT IS AFFECTED POSITIVELY.
Here's what's happening:
About 7 cities in Eastern Morocco are going to have a regional Science Fair Competition.
Theme: "Environmental Problems in Morocco and Ways to Combat Them."
My city will be having its first ever Science Fair! It will be in small groups (3 or fewer) of middle school and high school-aged students. They will research to identify the environmental problems of the region and devise a way to combat them. They will then present their findings and ideas to local judges. They can do this with an oral presentation, a video, a powerpoint, a play, a display, a live demonstration...etc. etc. They are, for the first time, being encouraged to be Creative! The winning group from the middle school division and the winning group of the high school division will get to compete in the final competition, which will take place in Oujda in April, near Earth Day 2012.
How this Benefits Our Youth!
- Develops Critical Thinking Skills
- Develops problem solving skills
- Will help students gain a consciousness about the environment
- Will help adults in the community (like parents, teachers, and other local adults) gain a consciousness about the environment. (This is a new concept to everyone- not just kids!)
- Will have students learn through a hands-on technique, possibly for the first time
- Will provide the winning students with an opportunity to travel, where most of them likely have never left our town.
- It's not just hands-on, but they have the ability to get CREATIVE with it; something not generally encouraged in school.
- Will give students an opportunity to meet other students from all over the Eastern region and network with them and share experiences.
- Will help students hone their public speaking skills, since they must present their projects to the judges and audience.
But How is This Sustainable?!
Some of the money that we are raising will go to translation and printing of the actual Manual of "How to put on a science fair" that has been written as a result of this project. An important component of Peace Corps is Sustainability. We must ask ourselves "Can this project be duplicated and carried out again, once the Peace Corps volunteer has left?" And the answer is YES! This one can! So far people here seem very motivated and excited about this project and, Inchallah, it can become a yearly tradition and perhaps spread to other regions of the country, without the help of Peace Corps volunteers in the future.
The total amount we need to raise is $1,332. (about 10,660 dirhams) and what's left to raise is still $1,092 (8,750 dirhams). Dollars go a very long way here and if you are inspired by what we are doing, then I would love for you to visit the donation page on the Peace Corps Website and donate whatever you are able. (For $6.25 you're paying for one of the students from my city's transport to Oujda, which is about 5 hours away, by bus.It really doesn't take much to make a difference out here.)
Things to know:
- The type of grant you are donating to is called "Peace Corps Partnership Project Grant" or PCPP. Why? Because, as always with Peace Corps, it's a partnership. As a rule, the host community has donated a full 25% of the budget! That has been mostly in contributions of lodgini for the participants. (not the volunteers!! We will pay for that ourselves) The money donated will go to provide 3 meals a day/tea break for two days for 100+ people.
- 100% of the contributions of PCPP goes to the project. There is not a single cent tied up in administrative fees. Once all the money has been raised, it'll be transferred to an account where Socorra Camposanto (The leader of this whole project) will have access to it and it can be spent as allocated.
I'll keep you updated!! Here's the link again where you can read about the project and donate: https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=378-178
And here is the facebook page for our main Moroccan counterparts: The Oujda American Corner
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