EcoCamp: A Cycle of Responsibility

Environmentalism takes on a new face with the Ateneo Environmental Science Society’s (ESS) recently concluded EcoCamp: A Cycle of Responsibility. Held last August 16 & 17, 2008, it promoted environmentalism via intellectual discourse. Composed of two divisions: EcoLogic and EcoDebates, the former is a quiz-bee competition held in partnership with the Environmental Science Department, for Grades 5 & 6 students while the latter is a debate tourney held in partnership with the Ateneo Debate Society, for high school students. Both divisions tackled pertinent environmental concepts and principles to help the participants make informed decisions regarding current environmental issues. Welcoming more than 100 participants from all over Metro Manila, the response to the pilot project was overwhelming. More than a dozen schools attended the camp. Participating schools included Southridge, Xavier, Ateneo, Miriam, La Salle and alike. A majority of the participants said that the project had raised environmental awareness in themselves, and moreover in their in their schools. St. Paul Pasig prevailed in the Ecologic Division, while PAREF Woodrose bested over 25 teams for the EcoDebates Division

The organization believes that in the youth’s active participation in the preservation and sustainable use of our environment is of utmost importance. Because of this, Ateneo ESS will continue to host event with the hopes for it to go national in a few years. Ateneo ESS believes that the personal involvement of the youth will go a long way to prepare future leaders to take on a more socio-environmental perspective. It is with this hope that the organization pushes on to hopefully form a bluer earth.