Meet Junior Counselors Treasser & Taye

Full Name: Treasser Kanduwa

Home District: Chikwawa

Junior Counselor: Goliath Herons

Age: 18

Where do you want to study? I want to study at Polytechnic College of Malawi in Blantyre.

How did Camp Sky help you on your MSCE exam? Camp Sky helped me because it was my first time to go in a science laboratory. Some things we learned in laboratory were critical topics on our exams. In the Physical Science laboratory, we learned about titration, the gradual application of base to acid to reach an end point.

What was your favorite activity during Camp Sky last year? I enjoyed playing football sports with the other girl campers.

What is your dream job? I want to be a journalist, because I admire the work other journalists do. I want to report news and other things that are happening in different areas in order to help people know the world and Malawi.

What is a fun fact about you? I live in Lengwe National Park, so I see monkeys, baboons, buffalo, snakes, antelope, warthogs and many more animals from my house.

Full Name: Tayesedwa "Taye" Chimaliro

Home District: Balaka

Junior Counselor: Blue Herons

Age: 21

Score on MSCE: 15

Where do you want to study? I am hoping to go to Kamuzu College of Nursing in Lilongwe.

How did Camp Sky help you on your MSCE exam? We had lab sessions conducting experiments. That was so fortunate because at my school we did not have labs or equipment, but conducting these experiments gave me the confidence necessary to do well on this part of the exam. Also, the reflection sessions each night at Camp Sky revealed the hidden talents in my group, so that we started to believe more and more in ourselves.

What was your favorite activity during Camp Sky last year? I would say conducting the physical science experiment in titration, because it gave me this feeling that anything is possible if I am given the chance to try.

What is your dream job? As of now, I want to be at the highest level in nursing and obviously, yes become a professor of nursing.

What is a fun fact about you? I like facts like the fact I have a head and I can think. That's a fact. Sometimes we misuse the head, ya know? But I can think positively. Also, I can dance to anything.

Wednesday - Day Four

Today's Theme:
With my education, I create my own future.

We're heading back to classes this morning.

Today's Activities/Topics:

• Basketball
• Biology: Evolution
• Physical Science: Motion
• English: Compositions
• Math: Inequalities
• Physical Science Lab
• Computer Lab
• Egg Drop
• Forensic Lab

Let's Get Physical

After a rousing morning of Zumba exercise(to the popular artists P-Square, Ke$ha, Macklemore and Lil Jon) and a hearty breakfast, the Camp Sky students began their Tuesday with the second day of classes.









The Physical Science Department was assigned to teach two topics throughout Camp Sky: organic chemistry and forces and motion. These are topics that occur every year on the MSCE but are often incompletely taught or skipped at the CDSSs Camp Sky students attend. Today, half of the students (the Eagles and Owls) were learning organic chemistry, while the other half (the Herons and the Finches) learned forces and motion. For the Eagles and the Owls, the organic chemistry activity had students form molecular models to understand the difference between isomers and conformers. Students tested their spatial reasoning as they assembled molecules from puffs, a popular corn-based snack in Malawi, and decided whether the molecules they had constructed were isomers or conformers of one another. After discussion, student groups made their own model of a given molecule and also created an isomer of that molecule—a task commonly presented in paper form on the MSCE, but one that is much easier to understand when working with three-dimensional models. 

A wonderful asset of Camp Sky is that each department has three or four teachers, so team-teaching is implemented in almost all classes. This means that many students are going from student-to-teacher ratios of more than 50:1 or 100:1 to approximately 6:1. For the teachers, these manageable student sizes allow for successfully implemented activities and group work difficult to orchestrate in a CDSS setting. Additionally, team-teaching provides the teachers fresh ideas and activities to bring back to their regular classrooms, as many of the activities use locally available resources. 

Class concluded today with students presenting and comparing their isomers to the other groups'—a valuable chance to practice public speaking for the students, as well as a way for students to check their own comprehension of the topic at hand. Based on the high quality of their presentations and the insightful questions that the students asked us and their peers, we would say the isomer lesson was a success! 

The Herons and the Finches finished their Physical Science lessons learning about position, velocity, and acceleration, and the relationship between the three. The highlight of the lesson was most definitely when the students were all able to go outside and send a model car down a cardboard track. The time it took the car to travel each of four meters was measured. Then, the students were able to look at real life graphs of their data at the end of class, an experience that most have never had before. Sir Bryan Plunger spent the remainder of class helping students develop their scientific intuition, giving students valuable skills in any subject to think critically about the answers they are obtaining.

The themes of real-world application and hands-on activities were continued for the rest of the afternoon and evening as all the Camp Sky students attended a malaria session and participated in math night. Our students are all going home with beautiful dream catchers to hang in their mosquito nets, and math night, which consisted of probability-based games such as Yahtzee! and Monte Hall, was many of our campers’ favorite part of the day. Despite their busy schedules, our campers are still finding time to laugh, to write kind notes to one another, and to work on extra problems from their classes, as well as to anticipate the exciting activities the following day will surely bring.

Post written by Physical Science teacher counselor, Tally Levitz.

Meet Junior Counselors Sinoss & Linda

Full Name: Sinoss Nkhoma

Home District: Mchinji

Junior Counselor: Bald Eagles

Age: 20

Score on MSCE: 39

Where do you want to study? I want to study at Polytechnic University in Blantyre or any university that will help me to become a journalist.

How did Camp Sky help you on your MSCE exam? Most of the questions that I found on the MSCE exam I knew because of Camp Sky. I especially remember answering the genetics questions and thinking of what I had learned at camp and even the probability questions on the exam I remembered how to answer because of camp.

What was your favorite activity during Camp Sky last year? I enjoyed waking up in the mornings and making the body fit. I had never before played the cup game and the game in which we raced in maize sacks and jumped.

What is your dream job? I want to be a journalist. I like chatting with people so this is a way for me to learn and understand others' cultures when I am moving here and there.

What is a fun fact about you? I am the fourth born of six in my family, but I am the first to reach both Form 2 and Form 4. I found myself money for school fees by doing piecework, playing paid football and creating a payment plan with my headmaster in order to attend all school terms. I think I could have scored more points on my exam, but I was very busy trying to find money for food and for school fees when I should have been studying. I am not satisfied with my score, so if I find the money, I would like to retake my exam.

Full Name: Linda Bokosi

Home District: Dedza

Junior Counselor: Fish Eagles

Age: 19

Where do you want to study? Because of points, I decided to repeat my MSCE next year. I know I can score better. But when I go to university, I hope to study outside of Malawi to achieve a different degree.

How did Camp Sky help you on your MSCE exam? When I was here at Camp Sky, I learned a lot of things that I saw on the MSCE. I also learned at Camp Sky how to overcome challenges like fees or other needs to achieve my goals.

What was your favorite activity during Camp Sky last year? I enjoyed the play Romeo and Juliet, because at our school we did not have a performance. At Sky, Sir Travis and Madam Ali performed the play for us and we watched a film of Romeo and Juliet.

What is your dream job? I want to be a nurse or else a lawyer, because I want to help others who suffer from diseases and to reduce corruption.

What is a fun fact about you? I like to eat rice or spaghetti more than nsima, Malawi's staple food.

Tuesday - Day Three

Today's Theme:
A healthy body leads to a better life.

Students are enjoying their classes and laboratory sessions.

Today's Activities/Topics:

• Zumba
• Biology: Genetics
• Physical Science: Organic Chemistry
• English: Root Words
• Math: Probability
• Computer Lab
• Biology Lab
• Malaria
• Math Night

We Are Poets and We Did Not Even Know It

Today began as most days in the village do not: with a friendly game of Frisbee. And tonight ended, again, as most evenings in the village do not: with poetry readings and a conversational reflection of the day. In between, students relished small class sizes with hands-on, creative learning and their first ever Biology and computer laboratory sessions. Before dinner, Education Volunteer Sir Chase Morgan conducted an eye-opening session on gender inequity and its impact on Malawi’s development. Although gender inequality remains deeply entrenched in Malawian culture, the students were able to wade through heavy case studies to find hope for a gender-balanced future. Thereafter, all enjoyed an evening meal and impromptu dance party.

********

Silence falls over the crowd as the lights dim, a sole microphone in the front of the room.  Will anyone have something to share, they all wonder.  Minutes tick by, people too shy to feel they have anything to offer, the silence continues...

Perhaps this scene might be found at a different poetry night, but at the Camp Sky, students don't walk, they run to have their voices heard.  Because the students at Camp Sky have big things to say.

Around 40 poetic minds worked hard over the last two days to write a poem to share with their peers. Sometimes, the students here can be a little shy but when they have something they are proud of and a idea they want to share, that shyness melts away into a strong voice carrying a strong message.

Some poems were written in response to sessions from the first days of camp.  The topics of HIV, gender, and critical thinking were discussed by guest speakers and clearly made an impact as they inspired powerful words of poetry.  Some of the poems were about Camp Sky itself; about the power of this experience so far, the joy of bonding with friends from across the country, and even praising the yumminess of the food here at Kamuzu Academy.

A love poem or two was also heard during the reading on this dark Monday night.  Love for camp, love for friends, love for country.

As the night closed and the students went on their way, PCVs in attendance could all agree that this is an exceptional group of young people.  They have seen a lot and experienced a lot and they are ready to make some changes.  It is their time to affect their country.  Their time to grow their nation.  And that time starts now.

Post written by Sheila Carey.

Meet Junior Counselors Chifundo & Martha

Full Name: Chifundo Mkwembe

Home District: Zomba

Junior Counselor: Zebra Finches

Age: 20

Score on MSCE: 31

Where do you want to study? I would like to study in America, but in Malawi, I would like to go to Polytechnic University of Malawi in Blantyre.

How did Camp Sky help you on your MSCE exam? Normally maths is difficult for me, but at Camp Sky we learned about probability and I found similar questions on the MSCE and was able to answer them. Also, Camp Sky biology classes helped me, because I learned about HIV/AIDS for questions on the test.

What was your favorite activity during Camp Sky last year? The food that I ate was very, very fine, and we also learned how to make nutritious food (like we made moringa powder and added it to our porridge), so my favorite activity was eating. Yeah, eating.

What is your dream job? I would like to be an accountant because here in Malawi I think there are people that don't know how to handle their money.  I can help my fellow Malawians, because as we know, Malawi is a poor country. So this Cashgate issue that has been happening here in Malawi- Ahh, it is not good for me, but when I am an accountant, I can help.

What is a fun fact about you? I have two sisters and one brother, but I am the last-born. We add up to be four!

Full Name: Martha Banda

Home District: Kasungu

Junior Counselor: Bull Finches

Age: 19

Score on MSCE: 33

Where do you want to study? Bunda College of Agriculture in Lilongwe

How did Camp Sky help you on your MSCE exam? I did well in mathematics because I attended Camp Sky and Madam Melissa helped me learn more about math circles like SIN, COS and TAN.

What was your favorite activity during Camp Sky last year? My favorite activities were classes, because I got more information which helped me to pass exams. At Camp Sky, we took more time in classes to understand subjects.

What is your dream job? To become a nurse in order to help sick people in our country and in my village. There are few nurses and some people die because the nurses are few. I especially want to help those suffering from Malaria or pregnant women.

What is a fun fact about you? I like singing and my favorite singers are Brace Chinga and Celine Dion.