Make Science Competitions 2015: New set of students, new projects..

This is the 9th year that I have been working with students from government schools in Puducherry in a programme called Make Science Competitions or "faites de la science" as the French call it..This is part of an international science project programme for children to carry out innovative science experimental or exhibit based projects on any theme they want to carry out.

The programme is being organized by the Pondicherry Science Forum in collaboration with the University of Paris, South 11, Orsay, Paris, France. This is the latest edition and the 9th year..

Nine years is a considerable period for any project ... It is a very challenging project - taking into account, the limited resources that children studying in government schools have, lack of interested teachers (especially in a government job) to guide the children etc.

This year too, I have a variety of projects to handle mostly from rural Pondicherry - from Sellipet, to Karayamputhur to Bahour, Koravallimedu to even schools in the Pondicherry town and Mudaliarpet.. More regarding the project ideas and the work related to this - later..

Now I am busy in video-documenting these projects into small documentary films with their Tamil voice subtitled to English for the Jury of the University of Paris, ORSAY to understand and evaluate..

So, wait.. I will be back shortly with more details regarding the 2015 Edition of the Make Science Competitions ....!!!..

The Make Science Programme

For the last eight years, I have been involved in a unique programme on Science Education front. This is called the faites de la science (in French) which the French translate as "Make Science Programme", but which I think is more appropriate to be translated as "Let's do/celebrate science".

The Programme is unique in many means. First of all, it is limited to students of Government schools of Pondicherry district alone. Affluent private school children can not participate and thus can not out-smart the poor, rural children who study in the government schools. Secondly, it is about exploring science around the school and have lot of scope for the school children. Thirdly, it is run by the University of Paris, South 11, Orsay, France where the project are evaluated and certified by an Expert Jury of the University and where certificates are issued to them, which itself is a very prestigious educational institution with a number of Nobel laureates and Field Medalists to claim.  Fourth, every project done by the Indian student are video-documented in Puducherry and sent to France with sub-titles in English (for Tamil voice), and later the Jury members interact with the School kids through a live video conferencing before they announce the prizes.

We, from Pondicherry Science Forum started this programme eight years ago with help from Dr.Santhroubane who is a Pondicherrian settled in France and along with his friend Prof.Pierre Fontes who himself is an accomplished Science Communicator and who has the habit of conducting science experiments in street corners and shopping malls etc. A number of people have been involved in this programme.

This year's video editing was completed just now and the films have been despatched to France. Eight years - indeed a long time ... and a large number of children have been benefited already, a large number of school teachers have been trained in project research methodology... and for Pondicherry Science Forum, it has been a great programme. But the entire exercise of videography, editing, sub-titling, DVD authoring is becoming a huge task for me...and I wonder how long I can continue to do this ....Another year? Let us hope ...