What’s so special about Openmind Projects Camps?
Children and students in Southeast Asia are traditionally not trained nor encouraged to question, to think independent, critical and creative but told to listen and learn. School education is based on rote learning by heart instead of learning by doing which is Openmind Projects philosophy. Learn then use your new knowledge, skills in a meaningful way immediately! So Openmind Project camps are designed and conducted according to that principle!
Camp students explore and learn in teams supported by overseas volunteers and Openmind Projects own trainees (who coming from poor village backgrounds themselves) using Internet and encouraged to use their own smartphones to find facts about the camp themes; the world, the environment and health/hygiene/food.
They look for facts about the effects of technology and social media on education, to consider advantages and disadvantages, to find out the effects on the environment by farming, and plantations, the advantages (for whom) and disadvantages (for whom) of cutting down trees for rubber and palm oil plantations. To consider why or why not processed food? To consider the effects on health from junk food and drinks.
They do their fact finding while improving their English and search the internet skills (understanding they can use their smartphones to learn, not only to chat!) in order to prepare to debate the for and against, to think, to learn how to debate, to find out that there are often two sides of the coin, the pros and the cons, and to form their own independent opinion!
They walk away more aware of important issues for their own futures, more confident to express their opinions while having improved their English and IT skills together in teams.
That’s what’s special about Openmind Projects camps. You want to help?