UBUD, Bali (BPN) – Due to the spread of Coronavirus in Bali, Begawan Foundation, an NGO that is working towards the conservation of the critically endangered Bali Starlings in Melinggih Kelod village, Payangan, has temporarily closed all education activities at their Learning Centre and shifted into online and ‘At Home’ learning since mid-March.
Besides a Breeding and Release Centre dedicated to the care of the birds, the Foundation also has a Learning Centre that provides educational activities for local students every afternoon from Monday to Friday.
With a motto of “Learning by Doing”, the education team encourages students to express their opinions and ideas and to actively participate in creating solutions for environmental issues around them, such as waste management.
Since 2017, activities ranging from literacy and numeracy activities, science and conservation lessons, cooking, gardening, Balinese dance, karate, and English have all attracted several students who enjoy the variety of topics and the opportunity to learn with their friends.
How do they reduce physical contact with students?
Students take the weekly lesson plans at the office every Sunday and submit their week’s previous homework. The Foundation also keep in touch through a Whatsapp group – not only with students but also with parents.
This is to make it easier to share information and updates with parents! Thus, the lack of physical contact doesn’t mean that activities should be postponed!
Keeping the students busy and happy in their new method of learning has been a task for the education team. They have to ensure that students are still able to partake in activities at home.
The Foundation’s education team have compiled learning activities and lessons at home, including science experiments, gardening at home, helping family do chores and time for reflection.
Lesson plans given to students usually include explanations and details of materials needed, as well as steps for science experiments, to make it easier for students to follow and for parents to assist and participate in.
These experiments can be applied in real life and are fun to do. Some fun science experiments involved constructing a volcano, making a compass and a sundial, creating magic ink with lemon juice, conducting a floating egg experiment to see how density works, and many more.
One of their favorites, of course, was the volcano. The students were happy when their volcanoes eventually erupted. If there is anything that they don’t understand about the experiments, they can ask questions on the online classes held every day during the week at 2 PM or through WA.
All their at-home activities count towards their attendance records. If they do a daily task that has been assigned to them, they are counted as “present”. Even though they don’t come to the Learning Centre, attendance can still be monitored through their homework, and the students are very keen to keep their records.
Parents are also active in supporting by taking the weekly activities and also submitting the homework each week to the office, sending documentation of activities, or enquiring about further information.
The students also receive reflection tasks. They are encouraged to do a short meditation (5 minutes) every morning and before they sleep. They learn how to observe their breath and set good intentions for the day.
The students are encouraged to help others or themselves by assisting in cooking, helping their grandma to find wood, sweeping the compound, eating healthily, or exercising. At night, the students reflect by writing in their “diary” the things they are grateful for that day and the assistance they have given to others.
They also say thanks to each of their body parts because they have been working hard during the day. Stay at home lessons are allowing the students to look at their blessings, taking away the stresses that can affect them at this unusual time in their lives.
When the Foundation’s education team checks their diaries, it is apparent that the students are happy because of simple things, such as helping grandma, gathering together with their families, and playing with their relatives in their compound.
We can learn a lot from children and see that we can still be happy during these tough times!
The foundation’s staff have also been planning a new approach to the afternoon classes – more on that later. Let’s say there is no downtime for Begawan Foundation.
The Foundation relies on the support from its donors. If you are interested to assist, please visit their official website.
 - Due to the spread of Coronavirus in Bali, Begawan Foundation, an NGO that is working towards the conservation of the critically endangered Bali Starlings in Melinggih Kelod village, Payangan, has temporarily closed all education activities at their Learning Centre and shifted into online and 'At Home' learning since mid-March.){kind=link}