THE Integrating Science in the Philippines (Isip), in partnership with New York-based researcher and New York Academy of Sciences Ambassador Florence Pauline Basubas, officially launched the Science-Integrated Direction for High School Investigators (Sidhi) mentorship program.
The program aims to connect Filipino high-school students whether as a school requirement or a personal endeavor, with Filipino scientists and experts working in fields that could help them accelerate their work and expose them to more opportunities.
Sidhi concluded the application period for mentees on July 15 and the organizers are currently processing the applications. The team aims to release the official list of participants in August.
Basubas and Sidhi cofounder Pau Joquino leveraged technology to develop a simple program. The Sidhi teams designed to assemble a group of experts and scientists from several fields and at the same time gather students interested in working on a science project or already working on one, and then connect these two groups together online.
Sidhi managed to get 36 mentors and experts from all over the world for the program. With the help of social-media and network effects, they then successfully gathered more than 60 applications from students interested in participating in the program.
After the submission of the projects, the organizers will be processing each one based on the project proposal or fields of interest the applicant submitted, and then consult the mentors before coming up with a final list of participants and mentor pairings.
Beyond the success of the program, Sidhi said the other important aspect is the relationship between mentor and mentee/s.
“The impact of this goes beyond implementing a science project—it can potentially extend to pursuing a career or taking on opportunities like science fairs and competitions in the country and abroad,” Basubas said.
This takes time and regular communication, so the Sidhi team will be monitoring the progress of the mentor and their mentees on a bimonthly basis.
By focusing on the human-centered aspect of these opportunities, Basubas said Sidhi hopes to reshape the experience of students as they grow up with science, whether they do take on a science-related career in the future.
Being its initial activity, Basubas said Sidhi expects a lot of challenges as they implement the program. Nevertheless, Basubas remains optimistic on how mentorship can help the participating students and even scientists can grow.
This project comes at a time when the latest figures from the Department of Science Technology (DOST) estimate an increase in the number of science and technology workers moving overseas from 9,877 in 1998 to 24,502 in 2009. With more and more scientists studying and working abroad, Sidhi looks to connect them with students back home, enabling these scientists to help expose the future generation to the possibilities of science and technology and how these can be applied in the Philippine context.
By creating more connections among scientists and students, Sidhi expects that this will have a multiplier effect on the interest around science as more than just a siloed career path or a subject in school—that it will be purposefully and effectively employed for nation-building.
In 2013 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization reported the Philippines had only 187.7 scientists per million people, one of the lowest densities of researchers in the region.
The signing of Republic Act 11035 or the balik scientist law on June 16 this year by President Duterte allows the DOST to give more incentives for Filipino researchers, engineers, innovators and technologists to return to the country.