seedeffect 2012 final lr

7/29/2019 SEEDEffect 2012 Final Lr

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The SEED Effect:How one educational program impacts its students


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Toss a pebble into a quiet pond.Te pebble enters the water with a plop,creating a circular wave. Te pebble sinks to the bottom but its entry point is marked by spreading

circles. Te water moves gently as the concentric ripples spread arther and arther away rom the center.

Te entire surace o the pond is now in motion.SEED spreads a passion or science and education in the same way. eachers are the pebbles, spreading

the SEED philosophy among their students. Te students remain with their teacher or a short time

and then, like ripples on a pond, move on and out to live the rest o their lives. But what happens next?

How does the experience aect the student in the long run? What is the SEED Eect?

One way to nd out is to ask students. Afer a 2011 workshop in Maca, Brazil, where

students learned about living systems and the environment, a 9th grader told teacher

Silviene Florentino that he wanted to be an environmental engineer. Te studentsthat have been involved with SEED have become more mature and participatory in

class, Florentino says. Tis is very signicant or us, she adds, since our students

come rom many diferent backgrounds, with limited resources or urther education.

A student may get inspired in the moment, but what happens in a year, two years, ve

years? Do ormer SEED students pursue careers in engineering? What about students

who do not want to be engineers or other scientists? What happens to them?

SEED examined the lives o ormer students. Te exposure to the science, technology, engineering, andmathematics (SEM) curriculum o SEED and its workshops has inspired some o the earliest students

rom our program to become engineers or scientists. Others are still in college and have not yet chosen a

proession. Tere are artists, doctors, environmentalists, accountants, and even a musician. Some ormer

students were given opportunities to travel or had exposure to the world beyond their home country.

What do all o these dierent students have in common? Did they learn some o the same skills?

How did SEED make a dierence? Lets explore the SEED Eect to nd out . . .


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How many medical students make the time toreturn to their secondary schools to support thenext generation? Nigerias Ezekiel Boro has done

just that by going back to his secondary school,Igbobi College, in the Lagos suburb o Yaba,to bring science, technology, engineering, andmath (SEM) programs to more students at hisalma mater. Even while attending the College

o Medicine at the University o Lagos, he eelsit is important to reach out to schools andstudents, to help them with the necessary toolsor better learning.

Ezekiel was 14 years old in 2006 when SEEDgranted his school a computer lab. Until we gotthat computer lab, I thought the Internet wasmeant or un and games, he admits. Te com-puters came with an online encyclopedia, and theIgbobi students realized a world o inormationwas now available at their ngertips. I was

privileged to be part o the group that benetedrom the inormation technology center thatSEED provided.

One o the most signicant school activitiesor Ezekiel and his classmates was debatingcompetitions. Access to the Internet in the SEEDcomputer lab proved essential. We would goonline to search or counterpoints to use againstour opponents and to nd answers to a range oquestions we might get. One debate competitionincluded a topic on greenhouse gases and their

eects on global warming. By going to the SEED

computer lab, we ound tons o inormation wecould use, he explains. We watched animationson how certain gases deplete the ozone layer andhow all this was causing major environmentalchanges. Tat inormation had quite an impacton me.

Ezekiel also credits SEED with teaching himabout teamwork. Working with older studentsat school and some o my classmates, we learnedto share ideas on those debate topics. Tere weresome synergies which helped us achieve greaterresults at the debates.

Now, Ezekiels younger brothers have ollowedin his ootsteps at Igbobi. Joseph is in his secondyear o the secondary school and in August 2012attended SEEDs collaborative workshop in PortHarcourt. Emmanuel is in his third year at the

junior secondary school and is increasinglyinterested in SEED activities, Ezekiel says.

A seed takes root

For Ezekiel, the best part o SEED is reachingout, whether through the Internet or in person tostudents. It doesnt matter i youre a student inIndia or Indonesia, Azerbaijan or Argentina, SEEDreaches out ar and wide. Id love or SEED to keepreaching out to as many schools and students aspossible. Lets all go out and change our worldwith the educational benets o science.

Name: Ezekiel Boro

School: Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria

Years attended: 2001-2007

First exposure to SEED: 2005

Post-SEED: University o Lagos, studying medicine

Ezekiel Boro:My Possibilities Are Boundless


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Ezekiel remains inspired to help other students.I want to continue to impart the knowledgeand skills I have acquired over the years to otherstudents, through workshop trainings andexperiments. He has done some o that withSEED, or instance, in a June 2011 visit to Igbobito assist with a workshop that eatured twoSEEDKI experiments. I explained what

viscosity is and then helped lead the experiments,Ezekiel oers. Te whole day was un, and theexperience made him want to return or more.

Beyond SEED, Ezekiel has taken the spirit oreaching out to heart, with his own youth initia-tive called PIVO. In 2008, a couple o riendsand I started this youth orum and symposiumtargeted at students in their nal year o second-aryschool, he explains. PIVO stands orPurpose, Inspiration, Values, Orientation, andransormation. Ezekiel and his riends noticed

that many secondary school students wereunprepared or lie aer school. Its a wholenew world or most o these students, who acechallenging decisions and are vulnerable to allkinds o pressures. Tese include career choice,peer pressure, drugs, sex, poverty, physicalmaturity, relationships, amily, parenting, andsuperstitions.

We saw too many people make the wrongchoices in lie, he notes, so to the best o ourabilities we try to prepare the students or the real

lie thats out there beyond the our walls o

school. o do this, PIVO invites speakers tohelp prepare students or the wider world theywill soon ace.

Tis year, we wanted to do something dierent, Ezekiel says, so we decided to introduce a men-torship program called Te Greatness League.Te idea is to spur innovative thinking amongthe schools that are part o PIVO by introducinga competition to reward creative thinking.

According to Ezekiel and his riends, much othe Nigerian educational system is orientedtoward training secondary school students tostudy and pass exams. Tere are ew opportunitiesor students to apply all the knowledge gainedrom learning in a practical way. Yes, there arescience experiments and practical sessions atschool, he declares, but more oen than notmost o these experiments are geared towardpassing examinations.

Ezekiel admires SEEDs activities because theypromote creative thinking and application o whatis learned. Te SEED workshops and programsare lie-changing experiences or most o thestudents. Tey are given an opportunity to applyall the knowledge they have acquired in a practical way through hands-on projects and experiments.Trough this medium they can generate solutionsto problems. Innovation comes rom simplesolutions to complex problems.

PIVOs mentorship program is just the start othe groups plans. Ezekiel says that nancial con-straints are holding back other projects. In thispart o the world, its a bit hard to get people tosupport your ideas and dreams, especially whenyoure just starting out, he notes, but werenot going to stop dreaming. Outside o schoolPIVO is what Ezekiel is most passionate about,

and he looks orward to a time when he can workagain with SEED.

Living with passion

Since I le Igbobi College, Ive had this passionor helping younger people lead better and moreproductive lives as uture leaders through trainingand teaching, Ezekiel says. I learned to reachout with all that I have. My capabilities may seemsmall, my achievements may seem limited, butmy possibilities are boundless. I I channel all my

energy into delivering the little gis I possess,then I have the potential to change the world.

Ezekiel demonstrates SEEDKITS to current students at Igbobi College.


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Haz Azizi was a shy student at SMK Geliga when he joined SEED at age 14. His SEED experiencehelped to transorm the shy boy into a condentpublic speaker. His rst activity was MalaysiasNational SEED Workshop (held in Nilai, NegeriSembilan) in 2005. Haz recalls, I went withthree o my schoolmates and a teacher. I was ina state o cultural shock because where I come

rom, there are not a lot o students who canspeak English uently. He notes that this washis rst time in a hotel, and with a smile he adds,Te beautiul hotel and great ood were lie-changing or a 14-year-old!

Te workshop opened Haz eyes to a dierentway o learning. At the school that I attended,the teachers gave us everything, he recalls, thenotes, the solution, whatever was required. Andthere was a barrier between students and teachers.Students could not express their opinions.

Te SEED workshop was conducted dierently.Everyone was a student and everyone was ateacher, he says, which brought out the talents,ideas, and opinions o everyone.

Back at SMK Geliga, Haz and his schoolmatesin the SEED club began to use the GoGo Board(a small computer that can be employed to createrobots) and the MicroWorlds animation program.We tried to inspire other students to learn sciencein a creative way, he says. Haz was such anenthusiastic participant that he became president

o the club a year aer his rst workshop.

Haz attended eight workshops as a student.Tese workshops ocused on topics such as energyefciency and global warming. My avoriteprojects were the solar cooker, the pot-in-potrerigerator, and water testing, he states. Teseactivities allowed him to relate to students romdierent parts o Malaysia. I live in a shing

village, Haz explains, and most o the students

here only learn science in school, using a textbook.Tey dont try experiments that use everydaymaterials to create a science project. Soon, Hazbecame a workshop acilitator, helping lead ouro these events while still a secondary schoolstudent. We even did a presentation about SEEDto the minister o education in 2007.

Haz is now studying nance at MalaysiasUniversiti eknologi MARA. He expects tograduate soon. My SEED experience infuencedme to be more aware o what is going on in the

world around us and to nd ways to make it better.

Name: Hafz Azizi (Muhammad Hafz Azizi Bin Ahmad)

School: SMK Geliga, Kemaman District, Malaysia



Post-SEED: Universiti Teknologi MARA, studying business administration

Haz Azizi:We All Deserve to Learn


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Skills gained

Te impact SEED had on Haz can be measuredin various ways. He learned specic skills, likehow to build a solar cooker, how to program asmart circuit, how to create computer animations,and how water quality is tested. Tat sounds likea lot, but it is really just scratching the surace.Many o the skills Haz gained are not so easy to

categorize or dene. He began to see science classin a whole new light, noting, Tere are a lot ocreative and interesting ways that we can learnby looking at the world around us.

Haz added skills he wil l take into the proessionalarena aer completing his education. Te mostimportant thing I learned is how to be a greatpublic speaker, he asserts. In college he madenumerous presentations to the other students andeven created one about global warming and climatechange or aculty members. He credits his SEED

experience with giving him the condence to beable to deliver presentations, speak in public, andshare my ideas and opinions with other people.

Haz experience as a acilitator or SEEDworkshops has taught Haz to be more outspoken, to get to know people, to change ideas and opinions,and share my new-ound knowledge to help others.Since then, I have worked with proessors, scientists, and engineers who treated me more like a peerthan a student.

Spreading the seeds

Haz remains an enthusiastic and engagedsupporter o the program. I voluntarily givepresentations on global warming and climatechange in SEED-connected and -afliatedschools because Im compelled to inorm otherpeople about the problems we are acing, he says.I also volunteer in a number o organizations

such as Earthwatch, to promote awareness oenvironmental issues.

When he can, Haz assists the Malaysiacoordinators with their educational programs,such as workshop arrangements and school visits.He continues to be a acilitator or workshops,or example, at Kuantan, Pahang, in the montho July 2011 and at the Malaysia SEED NationalWorkshop 2011 in Kuala Lumpur in Decembero that year. Haz remains in touch with hissecondary school, checking up on the SEED club

and coming in to share his knowledge. I loveto see the students and other participants doingtheir presentations and sharing ideas.

I am and will always be interested in supportingSEED, Haz states. I would love to acilitateworkshops and go to SEED-connected schoolsaround the world. I would love to give presentations and teach them SEEDKI activities. Above all,I would love to set an example or them, that nomatter where you are, science, math, and technol-ogyare or everybody to learn and enjoy.

Share ideas and opinions

Haz advises current SEED students to participatein as many workshops as possible and to takeadvantage o the great resources provided by the

program. Tere are no boundaries in learningscience, and there are many interesting ways tolearn it. ake the chance at a workshop to shareideas and opinions that you have or the world toknow; you can help other students gain knowledgethrough sharing ideas.

Haz sums up his SEED experience this way:Te best aspect o SEED is that it doesnt matterwhere you come rom, the village, the city, orwhatever. We all deserve to learn and to gainknowledge by sharing ideas and opinions with

other people rom around the globe.

Haz explains how the solar cooker works to studentsat Quirino High School in the Philippines.


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When Maxim Chizhikov was in 5th grade, hisparents placed him in an aer-school programin science to encourage a new interest in theirartistic son. Little did his parents know that theywere setting Maxim on a new path, one thatwould become his mission in lie. Te program,called the Young echnicians Center, is oneo the earliest institutions to receive a SEED

connectivity grant or computers and Internetservice. It was there that Maxim would nd amentor in the Centers program leader, NataliyaVarankina, and an intersection o all his interests.

Maxim was immediately taken with the SEEDactivities, which use robotics, GoGo Boards, andother computer tools to explore environmentalissues. Te Young echnicians Center programis intense, and the students work aer schooland on Sundays as well. Maxim contributed toboth the science work and to the appearance o

the projects with his artistic talents, and soonhe was known as an outstanding member o theprograma star, so to speak.

Mrs. Varankina noted Maxims enthusiasm andbrought him to his rst SEED workshop in 2007,in Novosibirsk. It was a great experience. I lovedbringing back knowledge, and I loved the ideao kids bringing knowledge to other kids,Maxim exclaims.

Maxim grew more involved with SEED. He wasselected as his schools representative at the 2008Science and echnology Creative Youth Forum inMoscow, a major exhibition or students. As parto the event he spoke about the water-testing kit.I now consider mysel somewhat o an expert onwater testing, he notes with a smile.

Maxim attended two more workshops, at Irkutsk

in 2008 and Krasnoyarsk in 2009. He was one othe organizers at Krasnoyarsk, handling saety andlogistics or the other students on the eld trips,or example. Maxim had other responsibilities aswell: He acted as liaison between Russias SEEDcoordinator and the students, and he was theemcee or the workshop, making announcementsand running various ofcial events.

Now at university, Maxim studies social policy andinternational studies at the North-West Academyo Public Administration in St. Petersburg. But he wonders i he might have chosen to become anengineer or other type o scientist i SEED hadbeen at his secondary school, rather than at anaer-school program. Maybe my path would bedierent, he muses. Environmental policy classesare part o his compulsory curriculum and heexcels in them. He attributes his interest in envi-ronmental issues to his experience with SEED.Tere are many people in my generation thatare not concerned about the environment, butthe uture o the Earth is very important to us,

he says, and truly we are all interested in a gooduture or the world.

Name: Maxim Chizhikov

School: Young Technicians Center (ater-school program),

Noyabrsk, Russia



Post-SEED: North-West Academy o Public Administration in

St. Petersburg, studying social policy and international studies

Maxim Chizhikov:Exchange Ideas Generously


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Experience leads to condence

Tere are some skills I learned rom myexperience with SEED but that have nothing todo with science, Maxim says. From the work-shops he picked up organization skills, which heput to good use in 2011, when he coordinated theSt. Petersburg Dance Festival. I booked the dancegroups, paid suppliers, and scheduled events, he

explains. I learned I could do things on my ownin SEED, so or the estival I was prepared to takethe initiative. I was condent because I had thisexperience rom SEED, he states. Mrs. Varankinaand the SEED program treated me as an equal.I was treated as an adult, and so I am preparedto be an adult. Maxim remains in contact withMrs. Varankina.

Maxim also learned to be a good public speaker,to speak intelligently, and to communicate hismessage to others. Tis helps in college because he

is articulate and knowledgeable, especially aboutso many environmental issues. Te proessorslike that, he acknowledges.

Maxim is an enthusiastic booster o SEED.Te program shows how beautiul science is,he says, and the program gives you manycreative methods o working in science. One othe best things about SEED, he believes, is thatstudents do not work alone; there are always otherstudents involved in whatever project is at hand.It can be difcult to get teenagers interested

in science, Maxim adds, but SEED is great atdoing just thatgetting the students interestedin science and keeping that interest going.He even credits the condence he developedwhile in SEED with helping him get into college.I had no issues being accepted. I just took myexams and passed them easily.

A message or the uture

It seems like it would be very simple to identiya problem, explains Maxim, but SEED helpedme analyze and assess situations and identiythe problem. o current SEED students,he says, Dont miss the opportunity to be parto this beautiul program. Dont lose contactwith those you meet. Keep the program activeby being creative. Work in teams. Exchangeideas generously.

Maxim learns to program the GoGo Board at a workshop.


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For Pun Chee Yap, a SEED project in her nalyear at SMK Bandar Sunway secondary schoolbecame the rst step on the road to a career as anengineer with Schlumberger. SEED organizeda water conservation project at the start o the2004 school year. We worked on it throughoutthe year until school ended. I joined the projectbecause it oered a hands-on application oscience. It also had a goal o showing how sciencecould impact the community. At that time I hadno idea that it would lead me down the path toan engineering career.

Once she started working on the water project,Pun Chee and the other SEED students organized science workshops, reading classes, and careercounseling sessions that taught students the dosand donts or an interview. I was very activein SEED during my last year in school. In act,I was on every organizing committee or all the

schools SEED events, she recalls.

As part o Pun Chees schools SEED activities,the students attended a water pollution workshop.Her group created a project that demonstratedthat the water o a heavily traveled river waspolluted, even though it appeared very clean.Tey also developed a water-cleanliness awarenessprogram or the nearby community. Te projectwon the top award o the workshop. Pun Chee andteammate Melody Leong were invited to attend theSociety or Organizational Learning (SoL) Forum

in Dearborn, Michigan, in late October 2004,where they presented their winning SEED water

project to high-prole business executives.Pun Chee was also part o a discussion panelthat included William Ford, Jr., then the CEOo Ford Motor Company. alking with Mr. Fordand speaking on a panel with him was truly amilestone or a girl who had never le her homecountry beore.

Aer the conerence, Pun Chee was oered an

internship with Schlumbergers client supportlaboratory in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. UsuallySchlumberger oers internships only to universitystudents, but I was oered the position rightaer graduating high school, she explains.Te internship gave her an overview o what itwould be like to work in the oil and gas industry.

Although she had not considered it beore,Pun Chee decided that she was very interestedin this type o career. She applied or and wasawarded the PETRONAS (Petroliam NasionalBerhad, Malaysias national oil and gas company)scholarship to study at the Universiti eknologiPETRONAS, a top university in Malaysia.Pun Chee studied mechanical engineering, witha minor in petroleum, and was hired ull timeby Schlumberger in 2010.

Since then, she has worked or Schlumberger invarious parts o the world. As o September 2012,she is located in Chad as the IPM CompletionsEngineer, working on rigs.

Name: Pun Chee Yap

School: SMK Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia



Post-SEED: Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, studying mechanical

engineering and petroleum, graduated 2010 and now working or

Schlumberger as a well engineer

Pun Chee Yap:My Way o Giving Back to the Community


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Even while attending university, Pun Cheecontinued to volunteer with SEED. I helpedrun activities around Malaysia even aer myinternship, or example participating as acoordinator or a robotics workshop in 2005.

A special place in the heart

SEED holds a special place in Pun Chees heart.

Winning the water conservation project wasone o the highlights o my lie. Te experiencesI have had with SEED were truly amazing. Andone thing has led to another, she adds. A SEEDworkshop led to presenting my project in the US,which led to an internship with Schlumberger,which led to a university scholarship, which ledback to Schlumberger.

All in all it was an amazing learning experienceor Pun Chee. Because o this, she makes a pointo contacting the local SEED coordinator in her

work locations. I want to be included wheneverthere is an activity. I make it t into my workschedule, she says, adding, I have also registeredas a volunteer on the SEED Web site, to keepmysel in the center o things with SEED.

Seeing the bigger picture

Pun Chee credits SEED with helping to cultivateher interest in science. But more important, shenotes, I learned to see the bigger picture whentackling everyday issues. Her water project taught

her to solve the problem at hand as well as to look

at how it impacted the community and how thecommunity might respond. She learned thatappearances do not tell the whole story. Te waterthat her group tested was considered clean, but sheand her teammates proved otherwise. She alsoliked the dierent topics available. Subjects likerobotics are not what we usually learned in school,she states, and with this kind o knowledgestudents can really start to think outside the box.

SEED helped Pun Chee to hone the leadershipskills needed in the proessional world: projectpresentation, public speaking, and learningto explain your work clearly and concisely.Te material is only as good as the presenter,so learning to have condence in what you aresaying is really important, she points out.

Striking a balance

Pun Chee is now a well engineer working

in the IPM (Integrated Project Management)segment o Schlumberger. My job provides a

very challenging opportunity to learn and growin this industry while allowing me to do whatI love best: traveling. Tis makes it somewhatdifcult to be actively involved in SEED at themoment, she acknowledges, but I believe in theimportance o striking a balance between workand play. I try my best to keep in touch withthe SEED coordinators in Malaysia and willparticipate whenever I can. Pun Chee oundthe time to volunteer at the 2011 SEED RoboticsWorkshop in Kuala Lumpur. Her avorite part o

the workshop? Te hands-on exercise, o course.She still nds it very un to do and sometimeschallenging, too!

Pun Chee remains interested and passionateabout SEED. I look orward to being activelyinvolved wherever my job takes me. I want tocontinue supporting the advancement o educa-tion and to spread the word about SEED amongmy colleagues. Tis is my way o giving back tothe community.

Melody (lef) and Pun Chee (center) discuss their project withSEED Director Simone Amber at the SoL conerence in 2004.


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Simon Lim has loved computers since he was ayoung boy. He played games on them; he openedthem up to dissect the insides and see how theyworked; and he took classes and studied themin school. As an adult Simon turned his passionor computers into a career in inormation tech-nology (I). But he discovered another passionat SMK Methodist Sentul secondary school.In 2002 SEED came to my school to set up acomputer lab with Internet access. I becamepresident o the new Computer Club, and I wasthe person in charge o repairing the computers.It was then that Simons inatuation or all thingscomputer became intertwined with his newoundlove or SEED.

Simon attended his rst SEED workshoptherst one SEED heldin 2003. Te topic waswater; the participants tested a nearby streamand compared it with the schools tap water.

Simon and his riends were so enthused withthe hands-on science that they organized theirown water-testing workshop in the school orthe junior high school students. Ultimately,he attended at least ve SEED workshops asa student. Te most memorable one, Simonnotes, is the rst Malaysia National Workshopin 2005. Students rom all the SEED schoolsin Malaysia spent a week together to work onrobotics projects. He met students rom allaround his country and made many new riends.

Simons avorite SEED activity was the GoGoBoard. I loved programming the sensors andmotors, he exclaims. Te GoGo Board was themost interesting project I ever worked on as itinvolves computer programming and working onsolutions to solve daily problems. Simon creditsexposure to the GoGo Board and acilitators suchas the SEED educator team and Roger Sipitakiat(the tools developer, but also a MassachusettsInstitute o echnology graduate student at thetime) with giving him knowledge and passion inscience and technology.

Aer graduating rom secondary school, Simoncompleted his A-levels in computer science,math, and physics at HELP University College.He remained active with SEED, stepping into therole o workshop acilitator. Simon believes sostrongly in the power o SEED that it has becomehis second calling. Even as he establishes himsel

proessionally in I in the nancial industry,he devotes his ree time to helping students inMalaysia through SEED.

Creating a network

For Simon, one o the best aspects o SEED wasthe learning-while-doing (LWD) philosophy.Tis creative and unconventional approachtoward learning was very dierent rom how wewere taught, he explains. In school, we learnabout the theory behind a topic but we dont get

Name: Simon Lim Kok Loong

School: SMK Methodist Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia



Post-SEED: HELP University College, working as a technology

expert in the fnancial services industry

Simon Lim:Your Journey Does Not End


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much practical experience through hands-onactivities. Projects like water testing or GoGoBoard programming gave me that experienceand expanded my horizons.

As a acilitator, Simon learned how to lead andcoordinate an event. SEED activities and work-shops are well-planned, with particular objectivesin mind, he says. For me, it is very exciting

to spend quality time to acilitate a workshop.I enjoy working with students and teachers, andI like assisting the SEED coordinator on theadministrative and coordination tasks.

Simon learned also to create a network o people.He regularly invites students rom his ormerschool to attend workshops. He collaborated withthe Schlumberger Spouses Association (SSA) tohelp the students in Malaysia learn English, andhe keeps making the time to help with workshops.I have been volunteering and acilitating nationaland regional workshops since graduating romsecondary school. In total I have probably helpedout with at least our or ve o them rom 2006to 2008. Tis is by ar a record or SEED.

Simons great eorts have led to a special SEEDalumni program. I am the rst person in thisprogram. As an active alumnus Simon connectsstudents and teachers on the SEED Web site, aswell as acilitating workshops. Te best part obeing a SEED alum, says Simon, is that I gatheredve ormer SEED students to acilitate and volun-teer in Malaysias 2011 National Workshop.

Keeping in touch

Simon tells the current SEED students to getthe most out o the workshops by learning newskills. More important, he adds, keep in touchand continue to build riendships with the otherstudents you meet at the workshops. I still keepin touch with the students I met rom otherSEED connected schools and rom my school.Tese ormer students have volunteered with meat workshops. We all want to give back. Simonknows that he can inuence the next generation

o students by volunteering at workshops.Remember your journey with SEED does notend aer secondary school.

For Simon, it was just the beginning.

(Top) Simon discusses a workshoppresentation with co-acilitator andormer SEED student Haz Azizi(center) and SEED team memberCorinne Damas S andiord (right).

(Lef) At the end o the workshop,Quirino High School teachersreceive certicates rom Simon.


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Te annual SEED art competition challengesstudents to connect their artistic and creativetalents with themes o science and nature.For one Nigerian student, the competition wasa conrmation o his talent. SEED has had anestablished program at Igbobi College since2005, and Ekundayo Akuma was introducedto it in 2009 when he entered the annual artcompetition . . . and won.

I had not heard o SEED until I reached mysixthand nalyear at Igbobi. I was alreadyocusing on art in school and was encouraged toenter the competition, he explains. Te themethat year was biodiversity, which presentedAkuma with an interesting challenge: I decidedto show how plants and animals depend on eachother or survival, climaxing with the armerand his cattle. His painting o a Nigerian armertook top honors in the 1318 age category.

It was his rst experience with SEED, and, he says,thankully, it came out great. As part o theaward, Akuma received art supplies and a bookabout art, along with a donation to his schoolin his name.

Art has always been a big interest o Akumas.From birth through nursery school, primaryschool, early secondary school . . . I have alwaysbeen drawing, painting, and designing.

Akuma was oen chosen to represent his schoolin art competitions, and he oen won! But theSEED competition was dierent. Te way it linksart and science is unique, he explains.

Akuma describes his SEED experience aswonderul. Winning the competition was agreat honor or me as an artist, and a highlighto my lie. His award caught the attention o the

local newspaper, which eatured him in a story.

Now attending the University o Benin, Akuma isstudying ne and applied arts. He sells his artworkthrough private commissions o portraits andother works. He has also provided pen-and-inkillustrations or two educational books,AmudaAlamala and Six Biblical Heroines, both byAdetoro Adeoba Oye-Someun, published in 2011.

Name: Ekundayo Akuma

School: Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria



Post-SEED: University o Benin, studying art

Ekundayo Akuma:Follow Your Heart

Akuma won the top award in the 2010 SEED art

competition or his picture o a armer and his cattle.


15/20

Nature and art

So, how does SEED infuence artists? For Akuma,it meant taking on a topic that was relatively new tohim. I learned about making paintings o natureand wildlie by using my imagination, he explains,and my interest in ne art and sculpture wasurther stimulated by the SEED competition.For Akuma, the art competition is what makes

SEED special.

Winning the competition also helped to cementhis decision to pursue a degree in art at theUniversity o Benin. Studying art at the universityis what I love.

Enriching students lives

Akuma remains an avid supporter o SEEDand the art competition. SEED provides a very

versatile program, which accommodates students

ar and wide and allows them to participate indierent levels o the competition: within theirschools, within their countries, and among allthe SEED students, he says. Kudos to SEED orthis approach. He would like to see the programcontinue to grow and to encourage even morestudents to be artists and scientists. My adviceto current SEED students is or them to alwaysollow their heart. Akuma may not be availableto assist with workshops right now but i SEEDever needs a painting, we know where to turn.

Akumas other artwork includesportraits, still lie paintings, andpen-and-ink illustrations.


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One action, one decision, and one changeo directionthat is Frank Nyarkohs story.When Frank joined his schools SEED program,he expected to learn more about science. He didnt expect his lie to take a whole new direction, butthat is what happened. Bompeh Secondary andechnical School joined the SEED program in2009. Frank participated in a Fruit Power work-shop in April o that year. I was so excited andhappy to become involved in a bigger community, he exclaims.

But what happened next wasnt something anyonecould oresee. Like many o the other studentsat his school, Frank entered the annual SEEDartwork competition. Te theme that year wasbiodiversity, and he submitted a watercolorpainting o animals by a river. His entry wasselected as a nalist, and he was awarded a digitalcamera as a prize.

Frank began taking photos with his new camera,mostly landscapes, he adds. But that was justthe start. With some computer skills gained romhis participation in SEED, and by practicing ona riends computer, he began to edit his photos.I started to make realistic and beautiul designs,which I then used as backgrounds or calendars,he explains. Suddenly, Frank was in business, andby the end o 2011, he had produced 42 calendars.He has continued to produce calendars, even whileattending the University o Education, Winneba.

Connecting students

Frank enjoyed learning how to make electricityby using ruit at his SEED workshop, but hisavorite SEED activity was the art competition,o course, he says, smiling. He learned how tomix colors to make a realistic painting, and itopened up his world to something dierent.His newound passion or photography melded

with his new interest in nature. Most o my worksare based on nature. Because o the art competitiontheme o biodiversity, I realized how much l likethis subject matter. Now, any time he sees anatural object that interests him, I snap a photo.Ten I transer it onto a riends computer andtry to transorm it into a new design.

Because o his success in the 2010 competition,Frank decided to act as an adviser to the youngerstudents in the 2011 competition. I told them totake this competition seriously. I showed them my

digital camera and explained what I was doingwith my prize, how helpul the competition wasor me, and that it could help them too.

Frank eels that SEED has a lot to oer students,and he would like to pass that message on. He says,I would tell all current students to ully participatein the annual art competition and also to attendworkshops. Participating in SEED will help themto be creative and imaginative and to developnew ideas. Frank is ready to help. I want to helptalented young artists, and I would be glad to

attend any SEED workshop i I am called upon.

Name: Frank Nyarkoh

School: Bompeh Secondary and Technical School, Takoradi, Ghana



Post-SEED: University o Education, Winneba, studying graphic design

and art education

Frank Nyarkoh:I Am Now Somebody


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Finding his creativity

For Frank, working with SEED, especially participatingin the art competition, was a transormative experience.

Tere was some hidden creativity in me, he says,and with the help o SEED, it has come out. PreviouslyI was unknown, and I didnt stand out rom the crowd,but as a nalist in the 2010 SEED annual competition,I am now somebody.

Franks prize was a digital camera, which he has put to gooduse by creating personalized calendars that use digital imagesor backgrounds.

Franks watercolor o animals by a river wasa nalist in the SEED 2010 art competition.


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Adriana Abreu already knew she wanted a careerin science by the time she had reached secondaryschool. At age 16, she thought she would pursuea program involving health or lie sciences.Her participation in the 2006 Venezuelan nationalSEED workshop changed her course. Te eventwas held in Ciudad Ojeda that year, and she wasone o ten students selected to attend rom theLiceo Nacional Dr. Raul Cuenca. Te workshopocused on alternative energy sources, and thestudents and teachers used the GoGo Board andMicroWorlds to build their projects. Adrianadiscovered that she loved working with the GoGoBoard and other electronics. She was so enthusedabout what she learned at the workshop and herexposure to Schlumberger that I changed my mindand decided to study engineering. Te universityI wanted to attend had petroleum engineering,so I chose that specialty.

Following the national workshop, Adriana and hercolleagues wanted to introduce the inormationthey had learned to other students at their school.Tey organized a workshop at the lyceum andinvited Schlumberger management and studentsrom nearby schools. Workshops were my avoriteactivities, she says, because I had the opportunityto get to know people rom other states andschools intimately by spending several days withthem. We shared ideas and developed projects.For Adriana, the best part was building theproject models, and then watching them work.

Te activities with SEED led to other opportunitiesor Adriana to interact with Schlumberger.I attended the opening o Liceo Bolivariano inSanta Apolonia, with Venezuelan coordinatorIraima Ojeda and Schlumberger manager AtillaKaplan. During the trip, Mr. Kaplan oered herthe opportunity to study English through thetraining program that Schlumberger oers itsemployees, as a benet o being a SEED student.She adds, I was very grateul, because as anengineer it is vital to speak English.

Staying connected

Aer high school, Adriana continued working with SEED as a volunteer, attending school openingsand workshops. I had the opportunity to beone o the acilitators at a regional workshop inBarinas. I learned a lot as a acilitator. She citesspecic skills, such as gaining more knowledgeabout alternative energy sources and learning

to program the GoGo Board to make projectsmove, something she had not previously doneat workshops. But most o all, Adriana notes,I lost my ear o public speaking, o presentinga project to managers.

Name: Adriana Beatriz Abreu Valbuena

School: Liceo Nacional Dr. Raul Cuenca, Ciudad Ojeda, Venezuela



Post-SEED: University o Zulia, studying petroleum engineering,

graduated 2012

Adriana Abreu:Make the Most o Learning


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Aer entering the University o Zulia in spring2008, Adriana continued to receive support romSchlumberger. I got a monthly stipend, as longas I kept my grades up, and the chance to do myinternship and thesis work at Schlumberger,she explains. Adriana received her degree inpetroleum engineering in December 2012, and is

job hunting. She hopes to work or Schlumbergerbecause it is the best place or engineers.

Adriana looks orward to the day that she canvolunteer and support SEED once again. She wantsto continue attending workshops to develop rela-tionships with current students. I would love toshare my story, to serve as motivation or current students, she says. Tere are many ways tostay connected, Adriana explains. It is vital tocommunicate through the Internet, but it is more

valuable to stay connected through workshops,motivational talks to students, and teachers.

A lie-changing experience

Adriana advises all students at SEED schools totake advantage o the program because being part o this project is a privilege. Make the most o thelearning you can do with SEED. She recommendsthat students share their ideas with both the

volunteers, who have much to oer, and theirellow students at other schools. It is a great way

to develop projects, she notes. Aer all, whosays that they will not devise something so goodit can provide solutions to the problems in theirown community and maybe even beyond?

Te experiences SEED gave me were unique,Adriana concludes. Tey allowed me to meetpeople and visit many places and to learn aboutother people and about mysel. Most impor-tantly, she adds, SEED was an experience thatchanged my lie. And i I could repeat it, I woulddo it all over again!

Adriana works with a GoGo Board at a workshop.


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2013 Schlumberger Excellence in Education Development, Inc. All rights reserved.Permission is granted to make copies of this document for educational purposes only,

provided that this copyright notice is reproduced in full.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSSchlumberger Excellence in Education Development (SEED) is a non-prot initiative that brings science and technology programsto the communities in which Schlumberger operates, through Internet and technology grants, a multilingual science Web site,educational workshops, and learning tools. Te program relies on employees, volunteers, and educators to leverage their technicalexpertise while encouraging students to look at global issues, such as water, health and saety, energy, and climate change.

Akuma, Simon, Adriana, and the other students proled in this book are just a handul o the many that have been impacted by SEED.Behind this achievement are thousands o volunteers, teachers, riends, school administrators, parents, SEED coordinators, SEED sta,and Schlumberger employees and managers who contribute their time, their talents, and their hearts to bring SEED activities to schoolsaround the world.

SEED would like to acknowledge the contributions o the past and current SEED coordinators, who are too many to name but who

tirelessly acilitated the program in their countries and remained in contact with their ormer students; SEED team membersSusan Randel, Love Zubiller, Annette Sellan-Calero, Christopher Jones, Krysti Ray, and Tierry Simien; ormer SEED teammembers Eya kachenko and Carol Beal; editorial team members Janine Stanley-Dunham and Patricia Bayer; educator, author,and SEED partner Linda Booth Sweeney, or developing the name Te SEED Eect and the initial direction o the project, as wellas providing excellent suggestions through the writing process; Milton Glaser, Molly Watman, and the team at Milton Glaser, Inc.,or helping create the original vision or this concept; and SEED director Simone Amber, or inspiration and guidance.

www.planetseed.com

seedeffect 2012 final lr

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