Russia - Zero Carbon City in Siberia

Science Across the World, Russia (1-8.6.2005)

The British Council in Russia organised two two-day workshops for colleagues in Yuzhno-Sahalinsk and Krasnoyarsk on the Science Across the World programme with a special focus on Climate Change.

I was very happy to be going to Russia, despite the trip half way round the world it entailed, as my own undergraduate degree is in Russian and this is the first time I’ve had the chance to go back there to work with teachers.

Yuzhno-Sahalinsk


Yuzhno-Sahalinsk is the main city on a remote Island on the Pacific coast of the Russian Republic and the British Council here in collaboration with BP is investing in training for teachers specifically in the Science Across the World programme for its opportunities for linking schools, teachers and students with partners in other countries around the world. English teachers are also being pushed to adapt ‘profile’ options for their students in humanities or science subjects in English to supplement their regular lessons. Vlada Lapshina is the British Council centre coordinator in Yuzhno-Sahalinsk and the host for this event.

Vlada outside the teacher centre

The two-day programme

Colleagues were introduced to the Science Across the World programme and the range of topics available in the programme.
 
They were presented with a number of packs and exchange forms from the programme with a special focus on Climate Change.

These materials included: Biodiversity around us, Global Warming, Renewable Energy.

Participants browsed the website searching for answers to the web quiz they were given to do and to begin the process of registration. Subscription is free for all teachers in the Russian Repulblic.

A number of the group needed to create an email address for themselves in order to sign up to the Science Across programme. Many thanks to Evgenii and Aleksei, the institute techinicians, for their help in this process.


As a result, all of the group had an email address, completed the quiz and signed up to the Science Across programme in the space of an afternoon.

Sunset in Ohotskoe 

I had the fortune to meet Evgenia Kaibara (kaybsn@bp.com), a former member of the British Council development team in Yuzhno-Sahalin, now assistant to the regional director for links with the community at BP in Sahalin. It’s an interesting coincidence that BP is supporting British Council work in Sahalin since many of the Science Across materials offered in the programme were created under the sponsorship of BP. Science Across the World is funded today by GlaxoSmithKline and much of the success of our work depends upon identifying effective partnerships with local organisations and institutions. I look forward to cooperating with these partners and colleagues in Sahalin in the future.

Yuzhno-Sahalin Follow-up:
- Vlada to look into Middlesex University kits for summer schools (solar power, rockets, robots)
- Colleagues consider YAC activity for their students (Poster competition on climate change)
- Colleagues using Science Across project in schools
- Colleagues sharing the science Across project with other colleagues
- ASE Science Year CDs (Vlada to look into buying them for the centre)
- Colleagues to investigate ELTeCS for contacts and possible discussion on mini materials writing project and funding
- Keith to report on 2 days in Sahalin and post to FACTWorld website, and ELTeCS list
- Keith to invite colleagues to join factworld group

Krasnoyarsk
Teachers from all around the Krasnoyarsk region came together for a two-day workshop to coincide with the British Council ZeroCarbonCity Exhibition campaign in the city to run over two months in the city.

Krasnoyarsk main square and the Yenisyei river

Krasnoyarsk was celebrating its 377th birthday while I was there.

The teachers included primary, secondary and university teachers interested in integrating science themes into their language teaching.

Colleagues worked on the Science Across themes related to Climate Change and created Biodiversity maps of Russia.





Colleagues signed up to the Science Across programme and many of the group created emails on the spot to be able to register with the programme.

BC office, Krasnoyarsk

ZeroCarbonCity Poster

Colleagues looking round the ZCC exhibition

I met with Natalia Gapanovich from the Science department of the University in Krasnoyarsk and Irina Titarienko manager of the British Council centre to discuss the coming of the Young Ambassadors for Chemistry in November later this year. It looks like an ideal location for a Science Celebration event like the YACs programme offers. It will be great to come back already having met so many teachers and knowing how keen they are on developing Science and Communication in their teaching.

Exploring information gap activities for Science

Krasnoyarsk Follow-up

- Keith invites all the colleagues to join up to the factworld network of teachers
- Keith posts report on Russia SAW to ELTeCS and factworld lists
- Colleagues introduce Science Across the World into their teaching
- Keith informs colleagues of future visit details – YAC Krasnoyarsk, November 2005
- Colleagues share the Science Across programme with other colleagues in their schools
- Discussion started on translation of SAW materials into Russian
- British Council Krasnoyarsk to look into the possibility of further meetings to coincide with the YAC week in November:
- for teacher trainers from disciplines other than ELT to discuss the opportunities of introducing Science Across into other subject teaching areas
- for colleagues from other regional cities in Siberia to disseminate the practice and experiences of colleagues now signed up to the Science Across the World programme
- Olga Kuznetsova of the Pedagogical Institute in Krasnoyarsk to investigate introducing translation of the Science Across the World materials into the Russian language in the curriculum of the undergraduate students’ programme


Krasnoyarsk group

Science Across the World is growing in Russia and many colleagues are enhtusiastic about the programme not only as teachers but also for supporting with translation and spreading the word. This network is bound to grow. It’ll be a pleasure being involved.