Trudy Simpson, Staff Reporter
Dr. Tony Sewell, coordinator of Generating Genius, interacts
with participating students at the four-week summer camp aimed at helping them
to explore science yesterday. The programme, which involved students from Great
Britain, officially closed yesterday at the Chemistry Lecture Theatre, University
of the West Indies, Mona, St. Andrew. - NORMAN GRINDLEY/DEPUTY
CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
IN THE past four weeks, 20 boys - 10 from Jamaica and 10 from the United Kingdom - got a chance to explore science at a summer camp held at the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Kingston.
This is being done under Generating Genius, a programme that aims to create a pool of future doctors and scientists by getting more boys interested in science. During the first four-week summer camp, held at UWI from July 24 to August 20, the boys, who are in grade seven, lived on campus and were treated as medical students.
At yesterday's closing ceremony of the camp, boys participating in the Generating Genius programme related what they learned.
STUDENTS GRATEFUL
"We learned how to artificially grow plants ... (and) watched a neurosurgeon take out a brain tumour," said David Burgher, a 12-year-old from the United Kingdom. "I want to thank the teachers for teaching us and increasing our knowledge."
Sticking to the belief that science should be fun, some of boys jumped several years into the future to don the titles 'professor', 'teacher' or 'doctor' and used drama, posters and slide presentations to make messages clear.
On a couple of 'television shows' and a 'Saturday morning summer class', the presenters brought to life igneous rocks, the biological, geographical and historical/tourism value of the Green Grotto Caves, bauxite mining and the importance of preserving mangroves and coral reefs.
"Respect yourself, respect others, enjoy life, enjoy the corals and don't destroy them" was one message.
URGED TO USE KNOWLEDGE
The camp was well received by project coordinators, Dr. Tony Sewell and Professor Ronald Young, parents and others, who attended the closing ceremony. It was held at the Chemistry Lecture Theatre, University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, St. Andrew. "You should act on the lessons that you have learned," Dr. Sewell urged.
Among the lessons learned, he said, was a sense of unity gained from having boys from different cultures sharing rooms and interacting daily. The boys said they also learned more games and about each other's cultures.
Camir Ricketts, a 12-year-old from Jamaica, said the boys became quite close, despite small arguments, often helping each other combat homesickness and even sharing their money.
However, according to one parent, there is more work to be done in terms of spreading information about the programme. She said that checks with some schools revealed that they knew nothing about it.
Jamaica National Building Society and The Gleaner Company Limited, which collaborated with UWI and Dr. Sewell, sponsored the annual summer camp.
