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Neuroscience Club in SKKK3 and SMSTMFP: The Brain Apprentice Project
Mohd Ibrahim, Seri Dewi & Muda, Mazinah
Abstract
Sekolah Menengah Sains Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra (SMSTMFP) and Sekolah
Kebangsaan Kubang Kerian (3) (SKKK3) were selected by the Department of Neurosciences,
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), in 2011 to be a ‘school-based Neuroscience Club’ via the ‘Knowledge
Transfer Programme (KTP) – Community’ project. This community project was known as “The Brain
Apprentice Project”. The objectives of this project were to promote science and the neurosciences
beyond conventional classroom teachings whilst guiding creativity and innovation as well as to
assist in the delivery of neuroscience knowledge through graduate interns as part of the cultivation
of neuroscience as a fruitful future career option. All of the planned club activities moulded the
students to be knowledgeable individuals with admirable leadership skills, which will help the
schools produce more scientists, technocrats and professionals who can fulfil the requirements of
our religion, race and nation in the future. Some of the activities carried out over the years include
the “My Brain Invention Competition”, “Mini Brain Bee Contest”, “Recycled Melody” and “Brain
Dissection”. These activities educated the students well and improved their confidence levels in their
communication and soft skills. The participation of the students in international-level competition,
such as the “International Brain Bee”, was one of the ways future professionals were created for
the nation. The implementation of Neuroscience Club as one of the organisations in the school’s cocurriculum
was an appropriate step in transferring science and neuroscience knowledge and skills
from a higher education institution, namely USM, to both of the schools, SMSTMFP and SKKK3.
The club members showed great interest in all of the club’s activities and their performance on the
Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) or Primary School Achievement Test and Sijil Pelajaran
Malaysia (SPM) or Malaysian Certificate of Education examinations improved tremendously.
Keywords
neurosciences; knowledge; creativity; society
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