Vacation campers say math is fun!Saturday, September 6 2008
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Proud students from north Trinidad show off their certificates on completion of the \'Mathematics Can Be Fun\' camp. At left (back row) are facilitato...
WITH THE 2008 academic year finally underway, several lucky students in north and south Trinidad should find themselves in a better position to grapple with the intricacies of mathematics.
The students were eager participants in a unique vacation camp, Mathematics Can Be Fun, sponsored by energy company bpTT.
As bpTT's Corporate Responsibility Manager Ronda Francis pointed out, the company is fully supportive of the power of education as a building block of national development.
Francis underscored bpTT's strong commitment to the education of the young people of the country, as she congratulated students from north Trinidad who participated in the camp, last Friday.
The week-long educational camps were held during the recent school vacation at the Mayaro Resource Centre in the south and at Bishop's Centenary College in Port of Spain in the north.
Francis said the concept, which took root in Mayaro last year, was so successful that bpTT decided to bring the project this year to students in north Trinidad as well.
“Children should enjoy mathematics.
“At bpTT, we believe that education is the key to our national development and this camp reflects that philosophy,” she noted.
The camps focused on the practical nature of mathematics and sought to make the subject more enjoyable for the students and boost their problem-solving skills, all in a fun-filled and interactive environment.
Cherril Sobers, Social Investment Advisor, bpTT, was at the closing ceremony for the Mayaro-based camp and noted, “The work by the participants that is displayed on the walls here demonstrates that we have many budding geniuses among us and it is our responsibility to nurture that talent.
“The camp is just a part of our commitment to fostering and expanding the natural abilities of our young people.”
The Mayaro students were all eager to practise the knowledge they had gained when they returned to school this month, especially those who were moving on to secondary school.
Chavez Wells, 11, who now attends Rio Claro High School, said, “I am happy that I attended this camp and every day I shared what I learnt with my friends and I know that we are more prepared to handle secondary school.”
Arlene Smith, an educator for more than 20 years, facilitated both camps and was delighted by the enthusiasm with which the children wanted to learn the subject.
Smith remarked, “In total, 55 students attended these camps in north and south, and unfortunately, because of the overwhelming response and limited space, we had to turn some children away.
“The camps have been enormously successful and this is a result of the efforts of parents, my assistants, the bpTT team and most of all, the eager students.”
The bpTT team and Arlene Smith also noted that beyond the duration of the camps, they maintain contact with the students to see how they are progressing.
In some cases, students are even incorporated into other educational programmes that bpTT is involved in at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels.
Daniella James, a 12-year old student from Laventille brought the entire experience at the mathematics camp into focus when she enthusiastically stated, “From shapes to shopping, the camp taught us that mathematics is a part of everything we do.
“ I learnt so much and made great friends along the way and I encourage every student who gets the opportunity to attend this camp to do so because now I know, mathematics can be fun!”
