“I am not really  interested in Science Subject, however   after attending the program, I find out that  Micro:bit can be used to solve lots of things.  I enjoyed the rush feeling of satisfaction whenever we are able to use Microbit creatively  in so many different ways to solve problem” – Yau Yuin Chi (SMK Air Panas, Form 2)

“I thoroughly enjoyed the two days of EEP. I am so happy to learn how to code and I am not scared of trying out new programmes.” –  Huda Izzati (SMK Wangsa Keramat, Form 2).

Those are but some of the  personal reflections from the students  who participated in the 2018 EEP program.

 MGA’s Energy Efficiency  Program series (EEP 2018)  which was kicked off on 17 July 2018,  and lasted for a month, saw a total of 240 students from 6 schools in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor being ferried to Petrosains Discovery Centre, KLCC  to participate in a two-day program per school. The 2-day program was comprised of Introduction & Workshop  (Day 1 ) and Mentoring  & Project Development session (day 2) .  They were taught to use micro:bit, an educational tool that makes coding easier and more accessible, to code programmes to automate systems such as timetable scheduling, smoke detectors, water sprinklers, to name a few,   towards implementing smart & energy efficient solutions to address problems at school.  This specially tailored Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiative teaches students to translate new learnings into practical solutions.

The schools that took part in this year’s EEP were   SMK Jalan Reko, SMKA Maahad Hamidiah, SAM Hulu Langat, SMK Setapak Indah, SMK(P) Air Panas, and SMK Wangsa Keramat.  

Pictures do say a thousand words.  It was  obvious that the students were truly fascinated  and engrossed  in discovering, learning and coding using Micro:bit.  And the conducive environment  plus friendly and well-trained trainer and facilitators that were fully available and accessible at the Maker Studio, Petrosains,  really made their 2-day school outing a worthwhile experience. Feedbacks from students have been very encouraging and proven that the program was indeed very successful and  “spot on”  as one of the means to stimulate  KBAT (higher thinking order).    Some of the verbatim feedbacks include “Program ini sungguh menyeronokkan dan menguji minda”    “ Saya suka belajar tentang micro:bit”  “sangat best : banyak belajar benda baru”, “ Fasilitator sangat berpengetahuan”, “kelengkapan sangat lengkap” , “Fun activity”, “sangat bermanafaat  dan mudah difahami oleh murid”,  “Best sangat, tak boring”,  “Ingatkan belajar guna buku ☺ “,  “ The teachers are very sporting and awesome”  and countless other  encouraging feedbacks that demonstrated their fulfillment for being given the opportunity to  be part of EEP 2018.

The accompanying teachers were also very appreciative of the initiatives carried out by MGA and Petrosains to instill new ways of learning towards  promoting interest in STEM, critical thinking and innovative solutions. Puan Hazawati Bt Husain of SMK (P) Air Panas said ““ Sangat bagus sebuah badan NGO dapat turun ke level pendidikan rendah / peringkat sekolah untuk mengadakan program sebigini.  Berjaya membuka mata dan minda murid murid tentang technology teruntamaynya digital yang telah lama wujud tapi kurang pendedahan pada pihak sekolah pada murid2 menengah rendah”. “Harapan saya agar program dapat diteruskan / diperluaskan pada sekolah2 lain / peringkat lain”, she added.

En Mohd Fahmi, ICT teacher from SMK Keramat Wangsa commented, “Participating in the EEP this year has been a particularly invaluable experience for our students and I thank MGA for this opportunity. It has not only provided the students with a systematic and practical experience of coding to develop digitised solutions to real life situations, but also interaction with mentors that are able to guide and share their insights.”

The program didn’t just end with the 2-day workshop.    Two best groups from each school were chosen based on their creativity in overcoming the problem as well as the functionality and efficiency of the proposed solutions. The selected groups will be invited back for EEP Showcase in October 2018 to present their projects to a panel of judges comprising of representatives from MoE, MGA and Petrosains who will choose the top three projects. Leading to the EEP Showcase,  the top groups were invited back to Petrosains to attend special clinic that aimed at enhancing and ensuring that their projects are at least 80-90% functional. The other clinic session focused on polishing and brushing up their science communication skills.

Speaking on the programme, MGA President, Hazli Sham Kassim said, “As the lead advocate for the nation’s natural gas industry, at MGA, we recognise the importance of raising awareness on energy, not just among policy makers and corporations, but also amongst students, as they are the custodians of the future of our country.”  He added “EEP offers us a platform to interact directly with students from across the country, share their excitement for learning things and open their minds to new ideas, specifically relating to energy, a critical component of a nation’s progress.”.

This year’s programme also featured mentoring sessions led by MGA members such as PETRONAS and H Rosen, with industry leaders sharing insights on energy efficiency and the important role natural gas will play in creating a sustainable energy mix. They also shared personal experiences on how STEM has encouraged critical thinking and innovative solutions that helped shape their successful careers.

About EEP:

EEP  is an educational initiative  that  has been conducted by MGA since 2014.   The program, implemented  in collaboration with Petrosains and MOE,  involves lower secondary school children and  includes a mixture of taught, demonstration and interactive hands-on approach to keep students engaged throughout the session.  The objectives of EEP are to raise the awareness among students on the energy resources and electricity energy system in Malaysia, to educate students on the importance of conservation and using energy efficiently and also to advocate school  children about natural gas and its role in Malaysia.   It is hope that EEP will  ignite students’  interest to pursue study in STEM (Science,  Technology, Education and Mathematics).  

Over the past five years, EEP has hosted over 4,000 students from 60 schools convening diverse, interactive and experiential programmes including the fundamentals of flying mechanism in drones and unmanned aerial vehicles, science demonstrations, presentations on Malaysia’s energy resources and electricity supply systems, as well as discussion on energy conservation practices.

In addition to EEP, MGA also reaches out to university students through its yearly Practical Environmental, Safety and Industrial Guidance for Student Engineers (PRESTIGE) programme to raise awareness on health, safety and environment issues and challenges faced by modern engineers.

For more information on EEP, please visit www.malaysiangas.com