NIHERST: Science Popularisation

“…the country around was very beautiful, and as fresh and green as the gardens of Valencia in the month of March.” – Christopher Columbus, 1498

Columbus’ reaction to the sighting of land on the southeastern coast of Trinidad more than 500 years ago, bore much similarity to the views of first-time visitors to Moruga for the start of the seventh NIHERST Community Science Week on April 30th 2007.

Known for its fishing industry, the Moruga grasshopper and the mud volcano known as the Moruga Bouffe, the journey to Moruga along winding, potholed and eroded roads, was a challenging one. It ended however, in the welcoming sight of the gaily decked tents on the spacious, green and inviting compound of the Moruga Composite School.

The Moruga Community Science Week was planned in partnership with the Principal of the Moruga Composite School, Mrs. Sharida Rahaman. Mrs. Rahaman was very pleased to have her school act as co-host to this important community science popularization project. Similar sentiments were also expressed by Ms. Roslyn Elias, School Supervisor II of the South Eastern Education Division of the Ministry of Education, who delivered the feature address at the week’s Opening Ceremony.

The NIHERST Community Science Week is a special project of the Institute which is planned in conjunction with the host community. The week’s activities highlight topics of interest to residents while also educating them on science in general.

At Moruga, the particular topics of interest were: HIV/AIDS, Career Guidance and the Environment. One of the highlights for students and parents was a Special Career Day was held on Wednesday 2nd May 2007 with participation from UTT, COSTTATT, NTA and the US Embassy, among other institutions. Additionally, a lecture/discussion session with a team from the Social Services Delivery Unit of the Office of the Prime Minister took place on Thursday 3rd May 2007.

NIHERST secured the assistance of other partners in the staging of the Science Week. These included: the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago, British Gas, the Forestry Information Unit and the Trinidad and Tobago Amateur Radio League among others. These organizations lent their support by mounting booths all week long.

One of the exhibitors, the Central Experimental Station from Centeno, thrilled visitors with an ‘insect zoo’. This exhibit featured the notorious Moruga grasshopper, mentioned above. The grasshopper has been known to wreak havoc during its swarming stages in the Southern districts and no doubt the local residents were happy to see the insects well-managed in secure display cases rather than as loose, voracious attackers for a change!

Visitors to the booth mounted by the Cocoa and Coffee Industry Board were taken through the steps from harvest to product marketing of these local crops, and were even invited to sip a cup of local hot chocolate which was specially prepared on site. The exhibit’s mini cocoa house and mortar and pestle were added attractions at the booth.

Equally appealing to the visitors was the highly interactive exhibit mounted by the Association of Persons with Visual Impairment, a team which has always been responsive to NIHERST’s call for partners in outreach activities. Here, children were happy to type up their names onto their very own Braille cards with assistance from the team. A range of specially designed apparatus for the blind was also on display.

Added to these attractions, staff of both the National Science Centre and Innovation Unit of NIHERST hosted science labs and workshops in creativity, together with an exciting “Robomania” activity. The special NIHERST brand of “edu-tainment” was also featured. There were science showman performances by Alwyn Gordon, puppet shows by puppeteers from the Inter-Caribbean Children’s Ministries, and the rising talent of students and teachers of the host school that was showcased in song, dance and poetry.

The turn-out of visitors to the Science Week included the participation of 7692 students from schools in Moruga as well as the outlying districts of Princes Town, Basseterre, Marac, New Grant and Tableland. Residents of these villages also came out in smaller numbers after school hours to gain information from the unique science event.

The younger school children spoke of their enjoyment of the event, listing the star show in the planetarium as one of the highlights of their visit. Teachers from visiting schools were appreciative of the week’s programme and informed that it added value to the curriculum, since students gained a deeper understanding of science from their visit.

Some of the students of Moruga Composte School were trained as ‘explainers’ and worked alongside NIHERST staff at the interactive exhibits and in the Kidiplay area for preschoolers. One ‘explainer’ felt that the experience was very empowering. He says that he was ‘underestimated’ by his peers, who encountered him on the exhibit floor and were perplexed to understand what he could know that they did not. When he started greeting visitors, however, the students were taken aback by his ability to share knowledge and he felt very proud to be able to surprise his peers in this way!

NIHERST owes a large debt of gratitude to the many hands that helped make work light at the Moruga Community Science Week. Apart from the strong leadership and generous assistance from Principal Rahaman and Vice-Principal Mrs. Hardaye Ramsawak, much help also came from Ms Stoute, Ms Bullard, Mr. Ramsumair, Mr. Ramsaran, Mr. Frederick and Mr. Samaroo in performing the various behind-the-scene tasks that contributed to the week’s easy flow.

The senior student assistants that worked as explainers, members of the welcoming team, ushers and performers also rose to the challenge of very good and very responsible work at the Science Week and their efforts are appreciated.

The Science Week caravan bade a final farewell to Moruga on Friday 4th May 2007. Quite like Columbus, the team hadn’t time to become idle, as it continued to journey across the seas to another community port at Fairfield Complex in Scarborough, Tobago.

Moruga Science Week (April 30 - May 4, 2007)