Geoscience Outreach Activity in Madagascar
by the Geological Society of Madagascar
This year (2020), the Geological Society of Madagascar (GSM) launched an outreach activity, which is aimed at inspiring young high school Malagasy students to choose the discipline "Geosciences" as their academic choice after obtaining their high school diploma. This activity satisfies one of the three missions of GSM, which is “Exchange” (for details, see further below).
Photo credits: Antsa Lal'Aina J. Ratovonanahary, Kanto Murielle Rakotondravelo, Henintsoa Robson Rakotomalala
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Few months after the official approval of GSM as a non-profit organization in Madagascar on the 22nd of July 2019, several members of GSM brainstormed about upcoming activities of GSM, among them several crucial points were discussed about the outreach activity. These discussions were aimed at answering questions related to where the activity will be performed, how it will be done, when should it be accomplished, and who will do it and with who. Since then, numerous informal meetings were held to discuss ideas and to generally plan the activity. Several drafts were exchanged. These were followed by an informal and friendly meeting with some responsible at the high school at Lycée Jean Joseph Rabearivelo, in Analakely, followed by another formal meeting with the students. GSM’s visit and intentions were well received, so the collaboration with the Lycée Jean Joseph Rabearivelo became formal and official after receiving the approval from the local competent authorities, responsible for such activities in high schools. More than two hundred students signed up to participate in the outreach. This number was shocking and exciting to us, as we expected about a hundred or lesser participants. We were very thrilled by the enthusiasm and motivation of the students, and the members of the outreach team were very pumped to share their knowledge.
Few months after the official approval of GSM as a non-profit organization in Madagascar on the 22nd of July 2019, several members of GSM brainstormed about upcoming activities of GSM, among them several crucial points were discussed about the outreach activity. These discussions were aimed at answering questions related to where the activity will be performed, how it will be done, when should it be accomplished, and who will do it and with who. Since then, numerous informal meetings were held to discuss ideas and to generally plan the activity. Several drafts were exchanged. These were followed by an informal and friendly meeting with some responsible at the high school at Lycée Jean Joseph Rabearivelo, in Analakely, followed by another formal meeting with the students. GSM’s visit and intentions were well received, so the collaboration with the Lycée Jean Joseph Rabearivelo became formal and official after receiving the approval from the local competent authorities, responsible for such activities in high schools. More than two hundred students signed up to participate in the outreach. This number was shocking and exciting to us, as we expected about a hundred or lesser participants. We were very thrilled by the enthusiasm and motivation of the students, and the members of the outreach team were very pumped to share their knowledge.
Motivation for doing the outreach activity
Madagascar plays an important role in the field of geology, particularly by its geological and tectonic position relative to the Gondwana supercontinent. It preserves various geological formations and structural entities with a great diversity in mineral resources, offering it opportunities for several scientific studies and other economic interests. Recently, geology had been applied in multidisciplinary fields (resources, paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental reconstruction, medical geology, etc.), suggesting that it is a very useful discipline which could benefit the society. Despite the various resources that Madagascar has, the field of geoscience (Earth Science) is still less known and little appreciated. In addition, the application of geoscience in this island is still less known and limited to mining operations (examples, precious metals, minerals and gems, oil and coals). This lack of knowledge about the importance of the application of geoscience is among barriers for young generations to decide to pursue a higher education / career in geoscience. The observation of this fact prompted us to organize this outreach activity in order to inspire young high school students to choose an academic or professional path in geoscience after obtaining the baccalaureate. We aim to inspire future geoscientists to act responsibly when making a decision and when performing any earth-related activities to sustain our Planet Earth. |
Few sample photos during the outreach activity at Lycée J.J. Rabearivelo.
Photo credits: Antsa Lal'Aina J. Ratovonanahary, Kanto Murielle Rakotondravelo, Henintsoa Robson Rakotomalala |
About the outreach activity
The outreach activity took place at the Lycée Jean Joseph Rabearivelo, in Analakely, center of the capital City of Madagascar. As mentioned above, more than 200 students signed up to participate, and they were divided into four groups following the four themes described below.
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The Outreach Team
Antsa Lal'Aina J.
Ratovonanahary Team Paleontology Avotriniaina Z. M
Rakotovao Team Paleontology |
Kanto Murielle
Rakotondravelo Team Hydrogeology Ny Antso
Rakotondrazafy Team Hydrogeology |
Henintsoa Robson
Rakotomalala Team Environment Mialy Valérianne
Randriambololona Team Environment |
Mémé de Zorèce
Rabejohary Team Mines Rina Nasandratra
Andriamalala Team Mines |
Finaritra
Ramanjatosoa Team Mines Ny Riavo G.
Voarintsoa Mentor |
In general, each session of the outreach activity starts with a brief lecture related to the theme by the leaders, using either PowerPoint or poster presentation. It is then followed by hands-on experiment and Q&A with the students. Each group of students rotates each week, so that if Group A was with Theme 1 on week 1, they will join Theme 2 the following week, and so forth. The same rotation applies with the other group, but each of them starts with a different theme at the beginning of each weekly session.
The outreach activity was planned to occur during the whole month of March (for the teaching and hands-on experiment) and the first week of April (for the evaluation and the prize distribution). Unfortunately, due to the widespread of the well-known pandemic (covid-19) that also stroke Madagascar in March 19th, 2020, the remaining activities of GSM’s planned outreach had to freeze. Nonetheless, three weeks of the outreach activities were successfully completed on March 04th, 11th, and 18th. The GSM outreach team will still need to complete one teaching and hands-on experiment session, another session for the evaluation and feedback, and a last session for the prize distribution and student appreciation. These will hopefully resume after the pandemic is over.
The outreach activity was planned to occur during the whole month of March (for the teaching and hands-on experiment) and the first week of April (for the evaluation and the prize distribution). Unfortunately, due to the widespread of the well-known pandemic (covid-19) that also stroke Madagascar in March 19th, 2020, the remaining activities of GSM’s planned outreach had to freeze. Nonetheless, three weeks of the outreach activities were successfully completed on March 04th, 11th, and 18th. The GSM outreach team will still need to complete one teaching and hands-on experiment session, another session for the evaluation and feedback, and a last session for the prize distribution and student appreciation. These will hopefully resume after the pandemic is over.
Special thanks to donors
As noted above, the number of students we expected (100) at the beginning of this outreach activity has doubled and exceeded our expectations (+200 students registered). We were very happy and excited about this outcome. We, however, knew that we were financially limited. Hence, we fundraised money via GoFundMe to support our activity (note: the GFM page has been deactivated since the outreach activity began). Other generous people also donated directly to our Paypal account to support our general activity. These financial contributions greatly help us defray some of the related costs to the outreach activity. Beyond the outreach activity, some of the Paypal money will be used to support finishing thesis students (MSc or PhD) via the Presidential Thesis Award, which is currently open for applications.
As noted above, the number of students we expected (100) at the beginning of this outreach activity has doubled and exceeded our expectations (+200 students registered). We were very happy and excited about this outcome. We, however, knew that we were financially limited. Hence, we fundraised money via GoFundMe to support our activity (note: the GFM page has been deactivated since the outreach activity began). Other generous people also donated directly to our Paypal account to support our general activity. These financial contributions greatly help us defray some of the related costs to the outreach activity. Beyond the outreach activity, some of the Paypal money will be used to support finishing thesis students (MSc or PhD) via the Presidential Thesis Award, which is currently open for applications.
Message from Ny Riavo Voarintsoa, President & Founder & Mentor
I am so pleased to have worked with this vibrant team. Each member of the outreach activity is so special to me. I can tell their love and passion, not only in geoscience but to share their knowledge to these high school students. They are all motivated and I am surprised that their performance is outstanding if considering this as their first experience as an outreach leader.
We have exchanged ideas, I provided guidance and feedback on their planned activities, and it worked out so well. These leaders are very easy to work with, they listen very well, but most importantly, they performed very well. It can be seen that they have a passion in geosciences, and they truly love to share. This is reflected by their interactions with the students and by some feedback I received from these students. I am glad that this turns out to be a great opportunity for these GSM outreach leaders to become a true leader, to overcome shyness, and to be confident when delivering messages. I’ve seen them already growing and I am sure they’ll be a great role model for others.
I am so pleased to have worked with this vibrant team. Each member of the outreach activity is so special to me. I can tell their love and passion, not only in geoscience but to share their knowledge to these high school students. They are all motivated and I am surprised that their performance is outstanding if considering this as their first experience as an outreach leader.
We have exchanged ideas, I provided guidance and feedback on their planned activities, and it worked out so well. These leaders are very easy to work with, they listen very well, but most importantly, they performed very well. It can be seen that they have a passion in geosciences, and they truly love to share. This is reflected by their interactions with the students and by some feedback I received from these students. I am glad that this turns out to be a great opportunity for these GSM outreach leaders to become a true leader, to overcome shyness, and to be confident when delivering messages. I’ve seen them already growing and I am sure they’ll be a great role model for others.
About GSM
Since its official recognition in July 22, 2019 as a non-profit association in Madagascar, the Geological Society of Madagascar (GSM) has progressed a lot. Our association has attracted students, early career, professionals, professors, and non-geoscientists from different institutions (e.g., public or private university and industry). Hence, it has also grown in numbers and diversity. Our members received a leadership training in October 2019 from local professionals and in December 2019, our members had an amazing team building events with all the members, allowing each member to know each other better and to build network. This is a great start to guide the association to reach its objectives and accomplish its mission, which are:
- to promote the exchange of knowledge and experiences between members, both nationally and internationally, through training, conferences, and collaborations. The exchanges also extend to the public through "outreach".
- to promote the training of current and future generations of the Malagasy geo-scientific society, through training, mentoring, request for grants, so that they serve their community well.
- to succeed in all academic and professional fields,
- to maintain high standards of ethics and demonstrate the quality of integrity and honesty, trustworthy, in order to preserve and protect our planet Earth.
Since its official recognition in July 22, 2019 as a non-profit association in Madagascar, the Geological Society of Madagascar (GSM) has progressed a lot. Our association has attracted students, early career, professionals, professors, and non-geoscientists from different institutions (e.g., public or private university and industry). Hence, it has also grown in numbers and diversity. Our members received a leadership training in October 2019 from local professionals and in December 2019, our members had an amazing team building events with all the members, allowing each member to know each other better and to build network. This is a great start to guide the association to reach its objectives and accomplish its mission, which are:
- to promote the exchange of knowledge and experiences between members, both nationally and internationally, through training, conferences, and collaborations. The exchanges also extend to the public through "outreach".
- to promote the training of current and future generations of the Malagasy geo-scientific society, through training, mentoring, request for grants, so that they serve their community well.
- to succeed in all academic and professional fields,
- to maintain high standards of ethics and demonstrate the quality of integrity and honesty, trustworthy, in order to preserve and protect our planet Earth.
In brief, GSM’s missions can be summarized in three “E” words : (1) Exchange, (2) Empower, and (3) Excel, and as mentioned above, the outreach activity fulfills the mission “Exchange” of GSM.
“Izay mitambatra vato. Izay misaraka fasika.”
“Izay mitambatra vato. Izay misaraka fasika.”