Recently, in 10^th–13^th June 2013, students from Saint Joseph`s Institution (SJI)Singapore have had an interesting extracurricular course at FFS-HEPA with the topic called Food and Sustainability. 

    This extracurricular course was organized as the result of a good connection between the SJI teachers Mr. Chong Jun Hien and Ms. Ying Shan Lau and SPERI staff in FFS-HEPA. The main objective of this course is to help SJI students experience a real life close to nature, and also help them understand the relationship between Food and Sustainability through eco-farming.

     The course program was designed simply and practically but very attractively by FFS-HEPA staff and students. It was appropriatefor the students’ ages and their inexperienced farming skills. The lessons which integrated classroom sharing with outdoor activities brought more actively in the class. In the class, therse were visual presentations of K2A (a long term course in FFS-HEPA) on core values, principles and design process in eco-farming, by using available pictures on their own farms. In outdoor activities, going to various farms helped SJI students know how HEPA students practice, as well as produce on eco-farms.Worshipping at the sacred banyan tree, enabled SIJ students to understand more about core values and belief in nature at HEPA; the competition of building high towers was a chance for students to apply five design steps in eco-farming; the time worked on the farm such as making compost, sowing legume seeds and mulching were also interesting. SJI students have finished well this extracurricular course with a lot of real experience.
 

Students at FFS– HEPA discuss openly with SJI students.

 

         Instead of an evaluation for this course, let’s listen to some expressions of the SJI teachers and students:
         Ms. Ying Shan Lau, a SJI teacher and also a close friend of HEPA stated: “The SJI boys saw how the HEPA students coped so remarkably well in tough conditions and were humbled. They started to open up, and their attitude about insects and any uncomfortable environment evolved from complaints along the lines of 'this is really terrible crap', to complaints lined with tones of 'this is tough but I can overcome it!' Slowly they also opened up to being a lot more receptive to lessons, and adapted to the intercultural context. They started to show their energy and enthusiasm unrestrainedly. A few started to reach out to talk to the HEPA students, which was encouraging”.

       “Thank you very much for your warm and kind hospitably for the students and teachers of SJI. We were all very encouraged by your ethos at HEPA and even more so by the way each of you – students as well as staff – embody the core values. We too have our school core values and it is our belief that our students have benefited immensely by learning and working alongside the good people of HEPA these part three days. Although our stay was brief, I am certain that the memories of this beautiful place and its lovely people will remain etched in the memories of all of us. My god blesses you in all your future endeavours and may HEPA grow from strength to strength” Mr. Christophe Ow, a SJI teacher.

       “Thank you so much for such a life-changing experience. It was such a meaningful journey that you have given us. This adventure was very challenging and fun, so much that it was energy-consuming. This has boosted the fraternity aspect of SJI and we wish to share it with everyone. We wish you all the best and YOLO (you only live once)” representation of SJI students

         In order to continuously organize such a successful course SJI and FFS-HEPA are engaging closely together for other similar courses in coming years.

         Some other pictures:

 

Phaly presenting the HEPA introduction

The games of tower designing

HEPA students and SJI students went to harvest edible herbs

Memory photos between students at HEPA and SJI

 

Le Hong Giang