Bearing this in mind, Dow Thailand together with the committee of the Ban Chang Development Plan and Science Illustrated Thailand magazine has launched the SI Caravan, a mobile science learning center, at the Ban Chang Municipal Stadium in Ban Chang district, Rayong province. The launch was presided over by Thanee Samartkit, Rayong Governor, and attended by Supannee Samarkit, President of Rayong Provincial Red Cross Chapter, Piya Pitutecha, President of Rayong Provincial Administrative Organization, and members from other involved organizations. The aim of the project was to give the children and the general public in Rayong the opportunity to engage in a new science learning style that was fun and easy to understand, promote thinking skills and inventive spirit, and allow participants to search for answers by themselves through a variety of activities.
Jirasak Singmaneechai, Managing Director of Dow Thailand, said, “The SI Caravan includes the Dow Learning Center and the Dow Lifebrary (Living Library) defined as one of requirements in the Ban Chang Development Plan, or a sustainable development plan supported by Dow Thailand that has been conceived by the cooperation between the Ban Chang District, local administrative organizations in Ban Chang, and over a thousand community representatives.”
“Based on the studies of the Ban Chang Development Plan, a youth learning center was very much needed in the area. In relation to Dow Thailand’s policy on community success and our support for education, environment, and community well-being, we have invited the SI Caravan, which is a mobile science learning center visiting major cities around the country organized by Science Illustrated magazine, to be part of the Ban Chang Development Plan.”
The caravan was made possible by the cooperation and dedication of the public and private sectors. Both recognized the importance of education in science and technology and pushed for the development of new courses of action and collaboration in order to develop innovations that promote science education.
Thanee Samartkit, Rayong Governor, said, “Today, learning that takes place only inside a classroom is just not enough. Therefore, promotion of education beyond the classroom environment is crucial. I believe the SI Caravan is the answer to having science education outside the classroom. It will help spark new ideas and create inspiration for the students and the people in Rayong, which is in line with the province’s policy.”
“I’d like to take this opportunity to commend Ban Chang District and the committee of the Ban Chang Development Plan for their vision in developing their community in accordance with the principles of sustainability and for allowing every sector to be involved in the planning process, which has resulted in a series of great activities in the community. Most importantly, these activities offer concrete results of the Ban Chang Development Plan. I hope the mobile science learning center will result in further cooperation and more activities as well as the development of Thailand’s science education, which will give a strong foundation for the sustainability of our country.”
The SI Caravan welcomed over 3,000 participants, both students and the general public. The event featured several educational exhibitions and activities promoting science knowledge, including exploration of human anatomy, fun science quizzes and games, easy making of boomerangs, making of balloons based on the knowledge of aeronautics. The visitors also had fun learning about the outer space inside a large space shuttle model and acquiring science knowledge at the Dow Learning Center and the Dow Lifebrary, where children also learned the importance of science knowledge in their daily life. Dow Thailand has also delivered the Dow Learning Center and the Dow Lifebrary to the Ban Chang community. The two centers are now operated as youth learning centers for children in Ban Chang and Rayong, managed by the Ban Chang City Municipality.
Jutamas Sangtong, a Prathom 6 student at Wat Noenkraprok School, said, “I was really glad when I knew that the SI Caravan would travel to Rayong. It’s a fun activity and I got new knowledge and skills that aren’t available in my classroom. I got to make a balloon and a boomerang, simple toys I can make myself. But what I like most is the Dow Learning Center and the Dow Lifebrary. There are many interesting science books. People at Dow have built them so that we can have books to read and spend our time wisely.”
Kansuda Seedanoi, a Prathom 6 at Wat Ban Chang School, said, “I had fun and gained new knowledge at the same time, especially at the space shuttle station, which tells the story about the universe, stars, the solar system, and things that I didn’t know before. So, I now have more general knowledge.”
Panomkorn Sanhapakdee, a Prathom 6 student at Anuban Chonburi School, said, “I love science, so I asked my father and mother to take me here. I heard about the caravan on the radio, so we traveled to this event from Chonburi. The SI Caravan not only provides me with science knowledge, but I also got to learn to think, experiment, and make toys by myself. It makes me feel that science isn’t that hard to understand and is practical.”