Improving French while conducting high level scientific projects

19 April 2007, by *Contact
Envoyer la page à un ami (cliquez sur le triangle)

These international school camps go beyond the single scientific or linguistic courses, since the combination of both generates a synergy in which the kids meet other boys and girls from different origins and awake their interest in what in the near future would become their profession. Children and youth share their cultures, dreams and keep in touch after their school camp; they’ll grow up and might meet again in another exchange, or perhaps at University!

More than just a scientific adventure, our organization guarantees an outstanding level of safety and quality in all our leisure activities, providing an enjoyable holiday for your kid’s vacation.

 Science, a universal language

From a certain point of view, we can consider science as an international language. Given that the principle of all sciences is the experimental method, and by experience we mean action, any researcher is able to understand an experience by practicing it, even they don’t know the language of the scientific team. Moreover, scientific vocabulary usually shares the same etymology in almost every language, being easily understandable for any culture. The pilars of science are also universal, since nowadays scientific research is developed by international teams and deal with worldwide challenges.

 Science as a way to improve French

Objectif Sciences (“Target Sciences”) is dedicated to the spread of science and has created a model of scientific education based on general pedagogic bases. Between the simple discovery and the traditional class, Objectif Sciences developed since 1992 a project of challenging and original scientific holidays. In the scientific school camps, kids are not only the audience in this play but also the actors of the research. While the bulk of the participants come from countries where the Centre is located, more and more young people are coming from abroad to attend science camps at Objective Sciences. The kids are challenged into searching for solutions to projects and direct their own real research projects. All activities are developed in French and with French kids, and the learning of the language occurs naturally, participating in exciting activities.

 International cooperation of research teams

Collaboration between kids of different origins to carry on scientific projects adds a new dimension to science, enriching it culturally. Objectif Sciences proposes international scientific holidays to prepare the youth for the future and to open their minds to the world, providing them with the experience of mobility and international cooperation. Our teams work for the development of the children’s natural scientific and cultural curiosity, which will be essential in their adult life.

Based in the same principles that Erasmus Mundus (the renowned International program for exchange students), our organization aims to promote mobility and cooperation with other countries in higher education. The increasing quantity of Universities, students and Professors from the European Union and from the entire world participating in the Erasmus Mundus program is the proof that “Europe” is a brand of excellence in higher education. The Erasmus Mundus program aims to reinforce the European cooperation and the international links in higher education, supporting the organization of high quality Master courses and promoting exchange of students from the European Union and worldwide.

 What is the contribution of mediation to scientific development?

The evolution of sciences nowadays requires a great specialization. Research subjects are more and more complex and need of specific scientific and technological knowledge. Many problems arise as a consequence of this specialization, for instance the difficulty to understand different specialized disciplines, or the difficulty to transmit front line scientific discoveries to the big public. It is necessary to create a supplementary dimension of scientific research which smooths the communication between scientists and the general public. Thanks to mediation, citizens can understand the challenges of science and its relevancy. Scientific school camps truly help to the development of sciences; not only for the results of the scientific research executed in our school camps, but also for the communication of these results to a national, European and international level.

 International scientific stages with Objectif Sciences

Objectif Sciences mission is to organize high quality field courses for children and youth independently of their mother tongue, and to support educational centers with scientific research classes, to perform real scientific research advised by real researchers and to celebrate symposiums and colloquiums. Our international scientific stages go beyond the single scientific or linguistic stage, since the combination of both generates a synergy in which the kids meet other boys and girls from different origins and awake their interest in what in the near future would become their profession. Children and youth share their cultures, dreams and keep in touch after their stage; they’ll grow up and might meet again in another school camp, or perhaps at the University!

 Outstanding guarantee of quality and security

Objectif Sciences’s camps and field courses have been conceived for children and kids from seven to eighteen years old and satisfy simultaneously the needs of:
 parents: in matters of security, comfort and pedagogic quality
 kids: willing to discover science and to improve French while having fun, practicing sports and developing an intercultural, close relationship between them. In order to best set the minds of parents at ease, the team is multi-lingual, speaking Spanish, Italian, English, Chinese or German ...

Security: Our standards guarantee maximum security for each of the carried activities, either indoors or outdoors. In addition to communicating our location and activities to the French Departamental Direction of Youth and Sports, we communticate our activities to the Firefighters; the DDASS (Departamental Direction of Social and Sanitary Affairs); the Police (Gendarmerie) and the Animal Health Department. In this way, we make sure each of these services knows of our presence and activities in the area and are ready to assist us if necessary.

Ways to communicate with us and with your kids:
 You will be informed of the activities performed by your children with daily updates on our website.
 Public phone and computers available to your kids. Your kids will be able to call or e-mail you during his or her spare time.
 You can always call directly to the director of the center if you need to communicate urgently with your kids.

All these information is clearly explained in the inscription form and you’ll be able to find it easily when needed.

Real holidays for your siblings: During their scientific holidays, while they rest and enjoy with the manual, artistic or sport activities, children and youth get to know serious science and establish close relationships with the environment and with the natural sciences. Step by step they get to know new concepts and different values and get comfortable with nature and with the scientific world.

All scientific subjects have the same cost: Prices are deliberately equal, independently of the subject of study. In this way we make sure your kids choose their preferred field of knowledge without worrying about the price. All our prices are kept as low as possible to make affordable our stages.

High level continuous training for our instructors: Our team is composed by Leisure Time instructors and they are, in addition, Scientific Instructors. All of them have the Leisure Time Instructor title (BAFA in French) and/or the Director of Leisure Time Activities for Children and Youth (BAFD) and are, in addition, engineers, researchers, and even Directors of Research. Before they can work with us all the instructors follow two obligatory courses dealing with “Teaching of Sciences” and “Management of Research Projects for the Youth”. This pedagogic model requires research projects and is very demanding. However, our instructors are enthusiastic about it and are the first to appreciate the resources available to carry with all the activities efficiently:

 One instructor each 5 children or youth, instead of one instructor each twelve, as required by the French Youth and Sports regulations. In this way we guarantee the quality of our activities and a great security level.

 Numerous pedagogic meetings along the year. Previously, our instructors meet several times to prepare the activities. For each stage, we create and develop, in addition to the pedagogic project, the activity cards and materials, the pedagogic gear and the project cards, which are validated by professional researchers and engineers.

 Continuous training of our instructors with courses on particular technical subjects, teaching and pedagogy and particularly on the management of the research projects carried by the boys and girls during their stages.

 Activities directly related with scientific research

We regularly establish contact with researchers and engineers. This guarantees the validity and interest of our projects. Children make use of all the scientific equipment needed. If this equipment is too big or extremely expensive as to have it in our centers, we bring the kids to the laboratories or companies where they can use it under the supervision of our instructors and of professionals from the host centers which makes it a unique experience.

 Arriving to our centers and talking with us

If you wish to bring yourself your son or daughter it will be a pleasure for all the Objectif Sciences team to receive you. This could make also for a unique occasion to know France! Why not spending your holidays knowing the region? Furthermore, many weeks before the start of the stages, we organize information meetings for parents and children in several cities of France. You can also meet our instructors and collaborators and even participate in our pedagogic work attending to their meetings to help to improve day by day every detail of our scientific school camps. If you prefer to benefit of one of our accompanied trips, children will be received at the airport of your choice by members of our staff. When you apply to our activities, you just have to inform us with the name of the city where specialized staff from Objectif Sciences will pick up your boy or girl.

Faites connaître cette page à vos amis :

Poster un message ou une question