Hyundai New Thinkers Camp wows, preps future PH climate scientists
Committed to fight the adverse effects of global warming through education, the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) and the Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) Foundation engaged 40 students and 20 teachers from 20 public high schools situated in high-risk regions in the country in a hardcore yet fun-filled Innovation and Climate Science Camp on 1-8 April 2014 in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro.
Dubbed as the Hyundai New Thinkers Camp, the activity was packed with exciting lectures, hands-on exercises, and exposure trips in the fields of hydrogeology and oceanography—two of the most critical areas being promoted by DOST due to its narrow human resources in the country—as facilitated by scientists from the University of the Philippines’ National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS) and Marine Science Institute (MSI). The Camp sought to encourage students to pursue S&T degrees and careers and instill deep appreciation of S&T as a way to address environmental and societal issues.
The Camp is the third phase of the Hyundai New Thinkers Circuit (HNTC) Program that aims to hone students to become future world-class leaders and climate scientists. The first part was the HNT Summit held in October last year where students interacted with scientists, innovators, and industry experts to come up with their own climate science or community development projects. It was followed by the Bayanihan Project phase where teams implemented their proposed projects using the ?10,000 funding given by HARI.
Hyundai New Thinkers Camp to hold science classes in Puerto Galera, Mindoro
The Hyundai New Thinkers Camp, a partnership program of HARI Foundation, Inc. (HFI) and the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI), brings 60 high school students and teacher delegates from 20 selected public schools in Metro Manila and Regions III and IV for a one-of-a-kind learning experience in oceanography and hydrogeology in Puerto Galera, Mindoro on April 1 to 9, 2014.
The nine-day science boot camp is the third phase of the Hyundai New Thinkers Circuit (HNTC), an out-of-the-box learning program that aims to hone future leaders and climate scientists with hands-on learning in the sciences. Ideas generated by the participants should eventually be concretized into projects or action plans that address current climate change-related concerns of local communities. The long-term goal of this HFI-DOST partnership is to form the next generation of world-class Filipino scientists, or “Hyundai New Thinkers.”
Joining the 60 delegates are scientists and instructors from the University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI) led by Dr. Aletta Yñiguez and the University of the Philippines-National Institute of Geological Sciences (UP-NIGS) led by Dr. Carlos Primo “CP” David.
3,982 HS grads qualify as new DOST scholars
A gleam of light welcomes aspiring young scientists and engineers as the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute announces the 3, 982 high school students who qualify to the Science Scholarship Examination, up by 10.7% from last year.
From the total number of the 2014 passers, 3,473 who belong to economically disadvantaged families qualified under the RA 7687 Scholarship grants, while 509 students who topped the examination qualified under the DOST-SEI Merit Scholarship Program.
Qualifiers who avail of any of the S&T undergraduate scholarships may pursue a four- or five-year college degree in priority science and technology fields. As benefits, RA 7687 scholars will receive tuition subsidy, monthly stipend, book allowance and many more. Scholars under the Merit scholarship program will likewise receive the same benefits except for the pro-rated monthly stipend based on the family’s socio-economic status.
Phl nets most no. of science, math medals in 2013
The number of medals won from international science and mathematics competitions has skyrocketed in 2013 setting a new mark in Philippine history.
The Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) honored 447 elementary and high school students who have won gold, silver and bronze in international competitions held last year, topping the previous high of 308 recorded in 2012.
The winning students were given recognition by DOST with the Youth Excellence in Science (YES) Award, a DOST institutional award for exemplary achievement of the youth in the fields of science and mathematics and shall come in the form of a medal of distinction to be awarded by the Secretary of Science and Technology or the DOST Regional Director in a fitting ceremony toward the end of each year.
