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Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Methodology
III. Results
IV. Discussion
V. Recommendations for Future SEA Camps
VI. Quotes from SEA Campers
INTRODUCTION
Rationale
The Philippines is one of the 17 megadiverse countries
of the world because of its high biodiversity and
endemism. Globally, the Philippines ranks fth in plant
diversity and fourth in bird endemism. While the extent
of its marine biodiversity is unknown, available
information has prompted scientists from the California
Academy of Sciences to describe it as the center of
the center of marine biodiversity.
The Philippines high poverty incidence, increasing
population, pursuit for economic growth, and impacts
of climate change have put unprecedented pressure
on its natural resources. One of the strategies being
employed to curb biodiversity loss by both public and
private sectors is environmental education.
Rationale
Environmental education programs
targeting youth are especially crucial
because they are the future generations
leaders, voters, and consumers. Moreover,
many young people have been at the
forefront of environmental movements all
over the world, demonstrating capacity of
youth to be agents of change.
Objectives
Increase environmental knowledge,
attitudes, and behavior;
Develop practical skills that can be used
to achieve sustainable use of the marine
and coastal environment; and
Build a nationwide network of Filipino
youth pursuing environmental initiatives.
METHODOLOGY
Selection of Participants
Applications were received via email and
post from October-December 2014.
Three SEA Camp sta members
individually evaluated each application
and submitted a shortlist of 150
applicants (50 per region) to the U.S.
Embassy-Manila for their evaluation and
comments.
The SEA Camp sta made the nal
evaluation, considering gender and
diversity of aliation and home location.
Factors Measured
Environmental Knowledge
This section assessed
participants knowledge on
Philippine marine biodiversity,
impacts of household items on
marine life, benets and
challenges of MPAs, coastal
marine ecosystems, and ability to
dene environmental terms.
Rationale
Activities
Increasing environmental
knowledge can arouse interest
and concern in environmental
issues.
Factors Measured
Civic Attitudes and Skills
These items were adapted from
the Civic Attitudes and Skills
Questionnaire (Moely et al 2002)
and had subscales measuring
Leadership Skills, Social Justice
Attitudes, Interpersonal Skills,
Civic Action, and Political
Awareness.
Entrepreneurial Orientation
These items were adapted from
questionnaires by HermansenKobulnicky & Moss (2004) and
Knight (2007) and had subscales
measuring need for
achievement, autonomy, risktaking, innovativeness, and
proactiveness.
Reexive Thoughts
Rationale
Activities
Environmental responsibility
requires an active, engaged,
informed, and competent
citizenry and widespread civic
competence (Orr, 1992, p. 84).
Multi-stakeholder meeting
simulation, where participants
were grouped into stakeholders
to debate about a hypothetical
environmental and political
issue, and a workshop on writing
letters to leaders. Participants
were then required to write a
letter to a leader in any eld
(e.g., government, civil society,
corporation, university).
EO focuses on characterising
and distinguishing key
entrepreneurial
processes (Lumpkin & Dess,
1996, p. 136). Because the SEA
Camp would support 30
participants to lead and
implement environmental
projects, the study found it
appropriate to measure EO.
Factors Measured
SEA Camp Network
Participants were asked how
often they communicate with
fellow participants and
collaborations that have
emerged from the SEA Camp.
Rationale
Activities
N/A
N/A
N/A
Methods of Evaluation
All assessments were
unannounced so the
participants could
not prepare for it.
Quantitative
Pre-test: Day 1
Post-test: Day 6
Delayed post-test:
6-8 weeks after the
SEA Camp
Qualitative
Reection sheets
Focus groups
RESULTS
Profile of Participants
Gender
Number
Male
40
45
Female
47
53
Transgender
Number
18-19
24
27
20-21
38
43
22-24
26
30
Number
Natural Sciences
39
44
Social Sciences
16
18
14
16
Engineering & IT
10
Age
Course in University
Profile of Participants
Number
PhP1,857,000 (26,528)
PhP1,200,000 (17,143)
10
11
PhP603,000 (8,814)
21
24
PhP191,000 (2,728)
20
23
PhP62,000 (886)
13
15
I dont know.
21
24
Environmental Knowledge
Environmental Knowledge
significantly increased after the SEA
Camp (p <0.001).
Environmental Knowledge
40
35
30
25
20
37.84
15
10
22.46
5
0
Pre-Test Knowledge
Post-Test Knowledge
Pro-Environmental Behavior
Pro-Environmental Behavior
significantly increased after the SEA
Camp (p <0.001).
Environmental Attitudes
69.15
73.49
20
10
0
Pre-Test Attitude
Post-Test Attitude
Environmental Attitudes
Entrepreneurial Orientation
Yes
No
70%
60%
50%
40%
68.8%
30%
20%
31.3%
10%
0%
Yes
No
46.3%
20%
15%
25.0%
10%
23.8%
5%
5.0%
0%
No
39
15
10
5
0
19
10
Expanded my
Expanded my personal Gained information
professional network
network
and skills for
conservation
6
Inspired me to nd my
purpose
Gave me an
opportunity to travel
30
25
20
30
15
10
19
17
11
3
Expanded my
Expanded my personal Gained information
professional network
network
and skills for
conservation
Inspired me to nd my
purpose
Gave me an
opportunity to travel
DISCUSSION
The signicant
increase of scores in
the factors measured
and the participants
self-reported actions
taken since the SEA
Camp demonstrates
the need for a local
environmental
education program
that goes beyond
teaching facts and
empowers young
people to take action.
Outdoor activities
played a powerful
role in inspiring proenvironmental
behavior. The
Philippines, with its
high biodiversity
and species
endemism, provides
a promising
opportunity for
young people to
build an anity with
nature.
RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR FUTURE SEA CAMPS
Application Process
The number of SEA Camp participants
should be reduced from 30 to 20, and
grant recipients from 10 to 5. These
numbers will be easier to manage, make
the selection process more competitive,
and decrease project cost drastically.
Application forms should be in an online
spreadsheet for easier tabulation and
assessment.
Applicants must already submit a
headshot, answers to the questionnaire,
and sizes for the shirt/photo.
Application Process
Applicants may be interviewed
over Skype or the phone if the
decision was not unanimous.
Waitlisted applicants must be
informed that they have been
waitlisted.
Promotions must reach schools and
youth groups outside capital cities.
Future SEA Camps should involve
SEA Camp alumni in the selection
process of the shortlist.
Program
Extend number of days from 6 to 7
and have fewer activities per day.
Activities generally began at 8AM
and ended at 10-11PM, which was
exhausting for both organizers and
participants.
More outdoor activities (e.g., nature
walk around SEA Camp venue,
stargazing, meditation, morning
workout)
Participants should write their letters to
leaders during the Camp instead of
after.
Program
Speakers must send their presentations at
least two days before the start of the
camp (not two days before their talk) to
check length and content, and test
compatibility with the laptop being used.
The allotted time of 20 minutes per
speaker will be maintained, but additional
time to be provided for questions.
Project Director will deliver the project
management talk and workshop to ensure
same information and template will be
used instead of inviting dierent speakers
per camp.
Program
There must be at least a week in
between SEA Camps to give
organizers ample time for ingress and
egress.
The SEA Camp proper must begin at
least ve (5) months before the end of
the grant contract instead of four (4)
to ensure that liquidation of grant
recipients are turned over before the
projects grant deadline.
Deadline of grant recipients nancial
and narrative report must be within a
week after project implementation.
Personnel
A project assistant should be hired for
the SEA Camp. The SEA Camp
organizers and documentation team
had to perform tasks beyond the
scope of their work due to lack of
personnel.
For future SEA Camps, SEA Camp
alumni of the region can be invited
as volunteers.
Personnel per diem should be
increased to PhP600 to cover meals.
I wanted to say thank you very much Titas and Titos and the US
Embassy Manila for giving us the opportunity to experience this very
fun, exciting and jawsome experience. I am hoping that this will be
the rst to many more SEA Camp in the future. Thank you so
much. :D
I really love how SEA camp was initiated, I am in a eld very far from
environmental or marine conservation. It was a program that I did not
feel out of place. And in my views is an eective program where you
get to replicate or do a project based on the needs in your locality
and it is one way of identifying if the participants did learn in the
activity. I am hoping for another SEA Camp, so that others may
experience what I had experienced and get inspire and to aspire a
job/work/passion that is not-so-related from what you have taken up
in college.