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Youth and Technology Camp Organized at Proshika Center in Manikganj |
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Relief International- Schools Online organized a two days long youth camp program at the Proshika Center, Koitta, Manikgonj. About 25 students from 10 schools participated in a series of activities during the program .The camp program was conducted by visiting US exchange teachers from Kansas and Illinois in the the USA. Several local organizations such as Young Power in Social Action also collaborated with RI to organize the camp.
Two ECA exchange alumni volunteered to support the camp program by taking care of the students and helping co ordinate other activities during the session.
The Camp was held on 22nd and 23rd February, 2009. The main theme of the camp was
Youth Leaderships
Cross cultural Collaboration and Awareness
Community Service Projects
Use and Integration of Internet Communication Tools in GCE Education Projects
in Bangladesh
DAY 1:
The focus was on Youth Leadership on the first day of the camp.
The teachers from the USA, Mr. Joseph Dunn and Mr. William F. Theobald conducted the sessions on Youth Leadership, and also got the students involved in group work, presentation and others brainstorming activities which greatly helped them. They discussed the common and essential qualities of good leaders which are necessary for the prosperity of communities and nations across the world. They also put forward their ideas about youth thinking and youth activities for the benefit of the society in USA. Mr. Didarul Alom ,from YPSA, also spoke about youth leadership and their responsibility towards the society. During the session he focused on the responsibilities of Bangladeshi youth towards the society, their contribution and how they can help the people of the community by practicing good leadership qualities.
The students` knowledge was much enriched because of the input of the foreign teachers.
Day 2:
The camp program focused on “Use and Integration of ICT in GCE Education Projects in Bangladesh” during the second day of the program.
The visiting teachers demonstrated how their students use ICT in their school activities. Mr. Theobald introduced e-pals, an online education program, through which students and teachers from different countries can communicate with each other. Mr. Joseph Dunn also enlightened the students about movie making sites.
There were also discussions on the importance of different internet based communication tools like Skype, Blog, e-mail etc. Students were taught how to open e-mail accounts and skype accounts and shown their uses as well.
Video Documentation
Students were also introduced to the various aspects of digital video documentation. They were divided into two groups and each group was given a subject on which they were to do video documentation. The first group got the subject “Village Life” and the other group worked on “Handloom Factory” located at the Proshika campus in Manikganj.
Video Conference
Finally the Bangladeshi students spoke to their peers living in the USA and Canada through video conference which gave them an opportunity to discuss their schools, hobbies, food and culture. It was an experience they thoroughly enjoyed.
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The two day camp program proved to be extremely intellectually stimulating for all the participants since it created a platform for students of vastly different cultures to interact freely with one another. The interest and genuine enthusiasm of the visiting teachers fuelled the discussions, making the entire experience unforgettable for all who participated. |
