NSCM 2012 invests on Sustainable Energy

by Sidney M. Palardonio

In pursuance to the Presidential Proclamation No. 264 and along with the United Nations declaration of 2012 as the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All, PSYSC celebrated the National Science Club Month (NSCM) last September. With the theme “SCIENTRICITY: Energizing Science Clubbers for Sustainable Energy”, PSYSC organized four nationwide activities that boost the youth’s active participation towards the importance of science clubbing and sustainable energy.

It is through those activities that PSYSC deliver maximum interaction to all the participants, celebrate the youth knowledge and recognize their excellence through workshops and friendly competitions. The main events of the NSCM are: National Science Clubs Summit (Summit); PSYSC Science Olympiad (PSO); I Teach Science Seminar (ITSS); and Mathematics, Science at Kalikasan (MathSciAKa).

National Science Clubs Summit
The Summit was successfully conducted last September 8-9, 2012 simultaneously at eight (8) regional sites serving a final count of 5655 high school students all over the Philippines. The said event is a two-day camp for students and was the official kick-off event of NSCM. This year, the Summit offered lectures focusing on different types of sustainable energy delivered by acclaimed scientists, professors and industry managers. Following the lecture is a workshop on management of sustainable energy in the Philippines. The sub-camp quiz competition then followed to test the students’ learning in the event. In the evening, the Pledge Night was held to allow the students to signify their efforts to promote science clubbing. It was also during the Summit that the PSYSC Regional Council is elected and will serve for one year.

The second day concentrated on the Summit-MathSciAKa where participants bested each other in the Interactive workshops and in the testing of the Engineering Science Challenge: the Savonius windmill. An open forum was also conducted. Finally, the Summit ended with a closing and awarding ceremony.

I Teach Science Seminar
The ITSS is a half-day activity in the Summit designed only for teachers. On its second year in the NSCM, the ITSS served a total of 431 high school science teachers. This activity also offers lectures for teaching, experiment modules, workshops, post-lab discussions and a team-building activity. The said event started with a lecture on effective teaching and projects on sustainable energy. A workshop and discussion on wind turbine optimization was also done. The event capped off with a team-building activity followed with a closing program.

PSYSC Science Olympiad (PSO)
National Eliminations
The PSO is an inter school quiz competition aiming to recognize the best science clubber in the country. It started with a National Eliminations held last September 8, 2012 in eight regional Summit sites plus five independent PSO elimination sites. A total of 86 and 186 elementary (Bracket I) and high school (Bracket II) triads competed respectively. After two-hours of written examination about various science topics, the top 20 schools of each bracket from all over the archipelago were announced and called to compete for the National Finals.

National Finals
The PSO National Finals was held last September 30, 2012 at the Escaler Hall at Ateneo de Manila University. The topics of the National Finals included Physical Science, Basic Information Technology, Life Science, Earth & Space Science and Health & Nutrition for Bracket I while Bracket II includes Earth Science, Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Information Technology with additional Sustainable Energy topic for each bracket. The Finals consisted of two rounds. The Theoretical & Practicals round came first and after which, the top 10 schools of each bracket is called to compete for championship in the Oral Competition Round.

The Caloocan City Science High School finished as 2nd runner up in the high school bracket while the Philippine Science High School – Bicol Region Campus became the 1st runner up after a clincher round with the Champion, Saint Jude Catholic School. While the Bracket I hailed the BHC Educational Institution, Inc. as the Champion with the University of the Philippines Integrated School and Ateneo de Davao University as the 1st and 2nd runner up respectively. Each winning school received certificates of recognition, plaque of appreciation, and gift certificates for NYSTESC and NCSIW for all team members and coach.

Mathematics, Science at Kalikasan (MathSciAKa)
The MathSciAKa is a Luzon-based, whole day activity devoted only for workshops. It was held last September 22, 2012 at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology Auditorium. This year, MathSciAKa geared up as it tackled sustainable energy on its activities. The workshops included On-the-Spot Workshops, Interactive Workshops, Take Home Workshops and the newest Mystery Workshops.
The On-the-Spot workshops offered three surprise experiments for each bracket such as light energy investigation and making simple motors, generators, water wheels and electrolytic cell while  fifteen arcade type games and workshops were provided in the Interactive workshops to further make the learning fun. The Take Home workshops, which were project-making contest, were also tested during MathSciAKa where challengers made solar panels, parabolic reflectors, fruit batteries and rubber band powered car. On its first year in MathSciAKa, the Mystery workshops offered a slogan making contest for Bracket I and extemporaneous speech for Bracket II. The mystery workshops were typically communications-based and were added to boost the challenger’s confidence in the last step of the scientific process: communication of results.

Thirty-three (33) elementary and 34 high schools from all over Luzon rose up to challenge making this year’s MathSciAKa the largest in terms of affiliate participation. The joyous competition was ended with an awarding program. After being displaced in the top three last year, Sorsogon Pilot Elementary School returned as the Champion with Center of Excellence and Gordon Heights I SpEd - G/T as the first and second runner up in the elementary bracket. While the high school bracket hailed three veterans in the top three. The Saint Jude Catholic School finished as the Champion while the Caloocan City Science High School and Rizal Standard Academy ended up as 1st and 2nd runner up respectively.