Summary:
Generating Genius is a registered charity directed by UK based academic Dr Tony Sewell and Professor Ronald Young the Dean of Pure and Applied Sciences at UWI. It has been operating a summer school in Jamaica at UWI from 2005. It is a science academy which takes boys from all backgrounds and trains them in the discipline and knowledge of research science.
We concentrate on Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine
Course Aims and Objectives:
- To guide students aged 12 onwards into a science or medicine programme at University level
- To support a sustained e-mentoring programme
- To expose students to the latest science research and practice
- To give students early exposure to the fun and responsibility of campus life
This will be done by:
By getting students to have a hands-on experience of the latest cutting edge techniques and processes involved in science investigation. Students are expected at each stage to conduct 'real' research projects.
We are focusing on two areas this summer Robotics and Biotechnology. The 30 students are divided up into groups and we teach them the theory and practice of say Robotics. They then go into group competition and they have to present their product to a real board of Jamaican CE0s who will decide the winner.
This gives the students the chance to develop a number of much needed academic, social and emotional skills such as:
- Leadership
- Presentation skills
- Project management
- Group dynamics
- Task analysis
- Planning
- Scientific and research methodology
- Real knowledge of robotics - maths, physics and mechatronics
- Real Knowledge of Biotechnology - in terms of plants, genetically modified food and use of DNA
- Emotional maturity of living on a University campus
- Professor Sir Leszek K Borysiewicz, Deputy Rector at Imperial said: "Imperial College, as the host institution, is looking forward to welcoming the next batch of boys on the scheme. We are extremely pleased to be involved with such a unique summer school providing these boys with a set of experiences aimed at encouraging them to think about a career in science, technology or medicine."
How did we choose the students?
The rationale of our programme was to help the University of the West Indies change the gender in - balance that exists on campus.
At present it is 70 per cent female. On Rex Nettleford there are 800 rooms and only about 200 are occupied by males.
We plan to take girls next year. We have targeted schools in Kingston, St Andrew, St Catherine, Hanover, St Elizabeth and St James. We asked traditional and non -traditional high schools to send us boys who have achieved well in their current and past exams, particularly in science. The socio-economic background of the student is also taken into account.
We then short -listed our applications. The children were asked to write an essay:
'Why I want to be a research scientist or doctor' in no more than 250 words.
We held two days of interviews on campus and have made our final selection of 20 boys. These boys would join the 10 returning participants to make the total 30.
Residential and social arrangement:
We have 30 boys on our programme and 10 trained peer counsellors. We have five adults who are residential supervisors including (a father and mother of the house). Expertise amongst supervisors
- Sports activities
- Drama , dance and music
- First Aid
- Psychological counselling
We will be housed at Rex Nettleford Halls and have access to:
- The huge multipurpose room
- The computer room
- Television room
- Outdoor swimming pool
- Access to sports field
The children are all registered at the campus Health centre and they are all covered by accidental insurance. Boys are fed on campus three times a day and we have knowledge of all their diet and medical needs.
The Programme:
The rationale behind the programme is to give students the exposure and education they could not get in school. We want them to get the chance to learn cutting-edge scientific knowledge like making robots and creating genetically modified plants. However we are interested in getting children to understand the scientific methodology and process. We have used the process of Donald Trump's Apprentice, the children will have to elect project managers and then deliver to a real board of CE0s a completed task. This is an unashamed competition with great prizes for the winners.
We also have a special presentation day where sponsors and parents are invited to our awards ceremony. Students will get a chance to show to a wider audience what they have achieved on the programme.
Our programme is not only academic we have a devised a programme called 'Healthy Lifestyle: What you put in is what you get out.' We have devised a computer based programme which gets the students make their own conflict resolution website. We also have a trained drama teacher who will help the children use the arts to develop their thinking on reproductive sex and family life - we particularly want boys to think about masculinity and what it means to be a responsible male in Jamaica.
TIMETABLE:
We have given two timetables one for robotics and the other for Biotechnology. The 30 children are divided in two groups. It means that the two week programme is given once to each group as follows:
Week 1 Group A does Robotics and Group B does Biotechnology
Week 2 Group B does Biotechnology and Group A does Robotics
Robotics
Summer Project in Robotics
The project include following items to be delivered:
- Development of the robotics course program for the high school students.
- Introduction to industrial and scientific application of the robots.
- To teach students basic electronics circuits and components.
- Selection, design, build and test of the electronic robots.
- To teach students technical skills - assembly of the hardware parts for robots.
- To provide students with technical content to understand and control electronic robots.
- To provide fully equipped teaching laboratory for 2 groups of total 30 students, 2 weeks.
- To provide instructors to teach the robotics program.
- To teach students to work in the group / teams and teach them basic project management skills.
- Supervise the students during the learning process and for the final competition.
- To assist students to prepare presentation of the robotics using Power Point software.
ROBOTICS TIMETABLE
| Time |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| 9:00 - 10:00 |
Introduction |
Add gears to your mobile robot to have it move at a precise speed. |
Evaluate light sensor application with Robot
E.g. Design to seek out a light bulb. |
Design and build a mobile robot to track a wavy black line. |
o Evaluation of Group
o Competition Practice |
| 10:00 - 11:00 |
Video demo |
Design and build a mobile robot that can push as many full cans of soda as possible. |
Foot Ball Competition |
| 11:00 - 12:00 |
o Group Assignment
o Leader Selection
o Kit allocation
o Kit Inventory
o Discussion of key components Lego |
Add a touch sensor bumper to your mobile robot and have it react to contact. |
Use touch sensors and a light sensor to remotely control a mobile robot. |
Design a robot that walks with 4 legs. |
Foot Ball Competition
&
Presentation of Winners |
| 12:00 - 1:00 |
LUNCH |
LUNCH |
LUNCH |
LUNCH |
LUNCH |
| 1:00 - 2:00 |
Become familiar with the Lego components by building a simple mobile robot chassis |
Add a rotational sensor to your mobile robot and have it move a precise distance. |
|
Kit Inventory
&
Group Evaluation |
Project Presentation |
| 2:00 - 3:00 |
Use rotational sensors to control how much the mobile robot turns. You will then program the robot to navigate through a maze. |
Use touch sensors and a light sensor to remotely control a mobile robot. |
Power Point |
|
| 3:00 - 4:00 |
Program your robot chassis to move forward, backward, and spin. |
Add a light sensor to your mobile robot and program it to detect black lines. |
Power Point |
|
| 4:00 - 4:30 |
Kit Inventory |
Kit Inventory |
Kit Inventory |
Power Point |
|
| 4:30 - 5:00 |
Quiz &
Group Evaluation |
Quiz &
Group Evaluation |
Quiz &
Group Evaluation |
Power Point |
|
BIOTECHNOLOGY
Summer Project in Biotechnology
SITUATION:
A new company wants to invest in Biotechnology in Jamaica. They especially want to know the possibility of doing business in:
- Tissue culture of medicinal and other economically important plants
- Growing transgenic plants
- Producing medicinal products utilizing Jamaica's wild biodiversity
YOUR TASK:
- Produce a scientific report on the labs undertaken during the week. Each student does this and it will be graded.
- Form a group of five students and elect a team leader.
- Produce a brief to present to this company (this brief will be presented on Friday in the JNBS boardroom to the JNBS staff and other invited guests).
- This brief will include:
- A presentation detailing the method of obtaining transgenic plants, previous experiences in Jamaica, issues involved with producing transgenic plants in Jamaica, your conclusion as to whether the company should go ahead with this venture at this time, along with an estimate of how much this venture may cost, and how long will it take for the company to break-even.
- A presentation detailing the method of obtaining tissue culture plantlets through several methods, cost analysis of the various systems, a summary of previous uses of tissue culture in Jamaica (research and business) highlighting any advantages and disadvantages of this system for plant propagation, suggested marketing and business plan to be pursued, your conclusion as to whether the company should go ahead with this venture at this time to include proposed facility, capacity, estimate of costs, and time to break-even, exit strategy.
- A presentation of natural products (soaps, lotion, creams etc) that the company might be excited in - with each product having a cost analysis. Each product will be in a presentable container with a respectable label.
- It is expected that the group will use a variety of audio-visual aids to enhance their presentation. This will include Power point presentations, fliers, brochures and a table display (e.g. a model tissue culture system, medicinal and aromatic products) at least.
- Each group will have half an hour for their presentation.
- This will be followed by 10 minutes for questions.
Suggested guests:
- JSIF
- Gleaner staff
- Prof Young
- Dr. Reid (MIAS)
- Technology Innovation Centre (UTECH)
There will be three graduate students with each group of 15:
- A molecular biotechnologist
- A computer student
- A business student
BIOTECHNOLOGY TIMETABLE
| Time |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| 9:00 - 10:00 |
Techniques of Tissue Culture |
Techniques for obtaining genetically-engineered crops and animals |
Techniques of obtaining Natural Products |
Working on portfolio |
Practicing presentation |
| 10:00 - 11:00 |
Feasibility for Commercial TC |
Ethics of genetic engineering |
Marketing of Natural Products |
| 11:00 - 1:00 |
LAB - Make tissue culture media |
LAB - multi, rooting, harden |
LAB - making medicinal products |
| 1:00 - 2:00 |
LUNCH |
LUNCH |
LUNCH |
LUNCH |
LUNCH |
| 2:00 - 3:00 |
o Group Assignment
o Leader Selection
o Discussion of portfolio responsibilities |
Computer work: scientific report, PowerPoint, Web page |
Computer: group work - presentation, etc |
Working on portfolio |
Presentation at the JNBS boardroom |
| 3:00 - 5:00 |
LAB - Initiate: MMU/LF, Demonstrations on transgenic plants, meristem-tip culture etc |
| After Hours |
Group meeting and reading |
Group meeting |
Continuation of group work |
Finalising presentation |
|
