A science camp for school students conducted by the Centre for Science in Society (C-SiS) began at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) campus on Thursday. C-SiS has been organising the camp titled ‘Midsummer science talent & total capacity development programmes’ (STDP) for more than two decades. Schoolchildren from classes IV to X are participating in the one- month long intensive course. The course is structured as two modules of which the first module started on Thursday. It will go on till April 30 whereas the second will be held from May 5 to 31.
[blockquote source=”says K G Nair, director of C-SiS.”]“We are helping children discover their scientific talents and to develop a science awareness among them. They do not get such a wide a range of facilities in schools. We can create new scientists here by providing opportunities for them,”[/blockquote]
Around 200 students from Ernakulam, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Palakkad and Malappuram are here to plunge in to the world of science.
At the camp, students have the opportunity and infrastructure to explore and feel the world around them through experiments in laboratories. Science park, herbal garden, science pavilions, butterfly garden, children’s science library, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and computer laboratories are the facilities provided for the children.
An astronomical telescope for sky watching, snake show and puppet show are some of the other attractions of the camp. Chidren get a chance to move out of classroom knowledge and experiment everything by themselves. A total of 15 instructors at the camp help children with their experiments and eminent faculty from the university and other institutions conduct sessions.
The camp also attempts to help children enrich their personality through personality development, behavioural lessons, spoken English etc. Children have the chance to meet eminent personalities and interact with models and science-based toys.
To add to their knowledge base, the students are exposed to lives and achievements of great scientists and inventors through actual demonstrations and vivid descriptions of stories behind their famous discoveries.
C-SiS organises these programmes in a way in which students from both English and Malayalam medium can easily comprehend.
During the last week of the camp, children will present the gadgets developed and designed by them. They will be awarded with a prize and certificate at the end of exhibition. C-SiS also provides a study kit for the students including bag, project books, etc.