MSSRF | IEC | Every Child a Scientist Programme

Every Child a Scientist Programme

This programme was started in Chennai in August 2002 and targeted children belonging to the economically under-privileged sections of society, in the age group of 13-15 years. The Centre has a number of computers and multimedia learning material to make learning an enjoyable experience. With encouragement from the Deputy Commissioner of Education, Chennai, it has established good rapport with Corporation school headmasters, teachers, orphanage schools and government-aided schools in the Zone X area. The Programme is also in operation at Wayanad

At Chennai, monthly, theme-based training modules of 10-day duration were conducted, to reach more schools and students in a year and ensure optimum utilization of the resources at the Centre. They were on topics like Ecotechnology, Biodiversity, Information and Communication Technology, Health and Hygiene, Environmental issues and Biotechnology. About 300 students benefited from this programme during the year. In March, a series of lectures, followed by practical training in batches spread over the month was also carried out on an experimental basis, to cover more schools and students. In addition to the fourteen schools that have already undergone training, two new schools have been identified and have sent their students during the year.

At the end of each theme-based programme, the students submit projects on different topics and depict their ideas through charts. These charts act as a source of information to subsequent batches of students.

A Science Exhibition was held in November 2004, and students from various schools prepared models on environmental issues including pollution, forestation, deforestation, rain water harvesting, acid rain, the five types of land, and uses of medicinal plants. There were also a few working models. Nearly 200 students visited the exhibition. The children explained their messages enthusiastically through dance and song to the visitors. On Children’s day, a lecture on “Children in love with Nature” by Dr Kundavai Devi, Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, was organized. Teachers and students from many schools attended this lecture. Dr Kundavai Devi brought many reptiles like snakes, tortoises, and chameleons and explained their habitat, morphology and feeding habits.

The Centre has developed resource material on various topics in the local language as multimedia CDs. This programme has stimulated curiosity among the students, while giving them an opportunity to learn the concepts of Biology and environmental issues.(More About Every Child a Scientist Programme)

Touch and Smell Garden

This garden was developed to allow the visually challenged to experience the biodiversity in plants and learn through the senses of touch and smell. This year a seed album was developed for children to learn about the different types and shapes of plant seeds and their characteristic features. The idea was to expose the children to the plant kingdom, via seeds. The seed album at present has a number of species like Allium cepa, Piper cubeba, Piper niger, Abrus precatorius, Pongamia glabra, Sapindus emarginatus and Plantago ispagula.

In February 2005, a workshop was held for Heads/Principals of schools for the blind in the state. A total of 40 Principals and Government officials participated in the workshop and valuable suggestions emerged. A number of them showed interest in replicating this garden in their premises. The names of plants, the rationale for selecting the species and the layout of the garden were explained at this meeting. A group 30 NSS volunteers and students also participated in the workshop, which achieved the twin objectives of creating an awareness about the need for such gardens and orienting the participants towards developing such gardens within their campuses. (More About Touch and Smell Garden)

Genetic Literacy and Genome Clubs

This programme is in its third year, with the focus on two major target groups, namely, school children and Panchayat members at the grassroot level. A number of camps/workshops were held throughout the year as shown in Table 6.6. At the workshops for school/college students, participants were introduced to topics such as Biodiversity and Biotechnology, Implications of Biotechnology for Rural Development, Biodiversity Act and Role of Institutions dealing with Biodiversity Material, Biodiversity and Conservation through Genome Clubs, Implication of Biological Diversity on Research and Commercialization related to the Indian System of Medicine, Ethno medicine of tribal communities of South India and the fundamental need for conservation of Biodiversity.

For the Panchayat leaders, the workshop included themes like the basic biology of genes and genetic diversity of rice in the Jeypore tract, genetic literacy, genome clubs and biotechnology, and the importance of genetic awareness for rural development. A workshop for school teachers was also conducted, at which the role of teachers in rural development and biodiversity conservation through the Genetic Awareness Programme was emphasised.

A Genome Club member won prizes at the Science Exhibition held at the district level. Members of the Genome Club and other students carried out village sanitation programmes, especially on 15 August and 2 October. The club members contribute articles and poems for “Genome Shikhha”(Genomic Flame), the bimonthly magazine in Oriya that is being printed and distributed in Jeypore. Some of the students have started a genetic awareness campaign on their own in their villages and schools. The participants have been able to develop village level Bioresource Registers. Genome Club members have also organized various competitions in their school

Vacation Training Programme for school children on Bioresources and Biotechnology

This year MSSRF conducted two programmes, one in Orissa (11 May – 31 May 2005) and one in Chennai (25 April – 11 May 2005). The objective of these programmes was to create awareness on Biodiversity Conservation and its implications. The programmes offered a unique opportunity to interact with experts in the field and be inspired by them. As part of the course, the students visited Biodiversityrich areas like Kolli Hills and Chidambaram in TN and Bhitarkanika Mangrove Forest, Nandankaanan Zoological Park, Chilika Lake and other areas of pristine biodiversity, including the Jeypore rice tract, in Orissa. The Table 6.6: Genetic awareness workshops students also conducted experiments in the laboratory and got a first hand experience of working in frontier areas of Biology. They had the opportunity of visiting the Raasi Seed Company, Athur, where they learnt about crops, the strategies employed for selecting, and screening for desirable traits. Some of the students also participated in the hybridization experiments in their farm. In addition, the participants visited leading national laboratories and gained exposure to various technical and scientific advances in the areas of Bioresources and Biotechnology. Twenty-two students in Chennai and twenty-seven students in Jeypore who had appeared for standard X examination in March 2005, took part in these programmes.