Stars and STEM Stories
GLOBE Madagascar: GLOBE Alumni Contribute by Training GLOBE Students
The collaboration with GLOBE alumni has been a strong strategy for GLOBE Madagascar for implementing and extending GLOBE activities with students. The adoption of a peer-education approach is effective because the alumni do the work as volunteers while learning to mentor and capitalizing their own skills using GLOBE protocols. And since the alumni are still near the age of the GLOBE students, they are able to keep students’ attention by sharing their own experiences with the program as well as being seen by students as being in their same peer group.
The GLOBE alumni have training on the GLOBE protocols before
working with students, and GLOBE teachers are available to support
them in case of difficulty. The University of Toamasina has, thus,
become “GLOBE University” through its collaboration with GLOBE alumni
within this university.
Similarly for Andohalo High School, GLOBE alumni constitute important resources for the GLOBE Program and local students. The GLOBE alumni are available to create and innovate methods of learning GLOBE protocols with a view to improving the interest of young students to become sustainable development agents who are becoming responsible and resilient actors in the environment.
After GLOBE reinvigoration in Andohalo High School during the first year (2022–23), students attended theoretical and practical trainings on atmosphere and hydrology. Then, atmospheric and hydrological sites were identified. Students and alumni installed the school weather shelter together. Students were motivated by their mentors to collect data. Some students participated in a 2022 IVSS project and in national GLOBE competitions. But other students have had difficulties in mastering certain protocols and collecting data.
GLOBE students at
Andohalo High School received second and third place awards in the
national GLOBE contest with cash prizes being used for the purchase of
GLOBE T-shirt and credits for sending data, field releases, and
participation in various environmental and social activities (waste
recycling, community awareness).
During the second year (2023–24), new GLOBE alumni pursued training on other GLOBE protocols. Then they collected data and uploaded that data to the GLOBE Observer app. Thereafter, GLOBE Madagascar has prepared scientific days, created an experimental garden, and trained other students in the use of scientific tools and data collection. Alumni have shown GLOBE students the draw of participating in GLOBE activities and have helped students perform the application and mastery of their knowledge within the activities.
This year, GLOBE alumni from the first year provided a theoretical and practical assessment of GLOBE activities and community life. The result was very positive and has led to an innovative strategy of training student groups with a leader and coach, one of whom is a GLOBE student vlogger from Africa. The leaders ensure the learning of protocols for new students under the supervision of GLOBE educators.
GLOBE Madagascar students are fulfilled in the sciences by adhering to GLOBE protocols and mobilizing the skills of GLOBE alumni. Because of GLOBE students' high scores on official exams, the program has been solicited by several additional Madagascar schools so they may share GLOBE practices with their students.
Learn more about GLOBE Madagascar.