WATANI International
8 August 2010
Science summer camp
This year, the first Summer Science Camp was held at the Discovery City of the Mubarak Educational City in the satellite town of 6 October west of Cairo. The event was organised by the Research, Development and Innovation Programme—which is funded by European Union—and the ministries of education and higher education and scientific research.
The two-week camp aimed at fostering a culture of innovation and enhancing children’s skills, while increasing their passion for science. The various activities gave the children a chance to become aware of multiple scientific facts and concepts.
Refining skills
Abdel-Hamid al-Zuheiri, who runs the Research, Development and Innovation Programme, says the camp was designed to refine the children’s mental and social skills. This was made possible through various hands-on experiments, interactive workshops and explorative visits which covered a wide scope of topics related to chemistry, physics, astronomy, health, energy, environment and agriculture.
The children visited the American University in Cairo’s Fun Lab in which documentaries on scientific phenomena and experiments were presented by means of modern technology to attract the attention of the children and promote their scientific sensibilities. To help increase their awareness of contemporary environmental issues, Siemens Egypt presented workshops in which the children made simple scientific experiments as an introduction of solar energy, wind energy and hydropower.
The What to Learn foundation presented an exciting educational programme showing children chemical and physical experiments and the workings of such natural phenomena as air pressure and air currents.
Designing robots
The National Geographic contribution to the camp came in the form of activities that serve towards the development of the child’s abilities to express him or herself and form an opinion.
Through the Development Centre the children received some training in the principles of first aid. They also had a chance to design and programme a robot. By designing their own robot the children increased their ability to innovate, as well as the value of teamwork.
The more than 100 children who took part in the camp’s activities came from both the public and private schools and ranged in age from eight to12. The camp was free for public schoolchildren and cost EGP250 for those in private education.
It is expected that the camp will be repeated every year, and in future the knowledge will not be limited to the sciences and traditional educational methods but will be extended to a modern teaching depending on research, experimentation and analysis.