The Hyundai New Thinkers Camp, a partnership program of HARI Foundation, Inc. (HFI) and the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI), brings 60 high school students and teacher delegates from 20 selected public schools in Metro Manila and Regions III and IV for a one-of-a-kind learning experience in oceanography and hydrogeology in Puerto Galera, Mindoro on April 1 to 9, 2014.

The nine-day science boot camp is the third phase of the Hyundai New Thinkers Circuit (HNTC), an out-of-the-box learning program that aims to hone future leaders and climate scientists with hands-on learning in the sciences. Ideas generated by the participants should eventually be concretized into projects or action plans that address current climate change-related concerns of local communities. The long-term goal of this HFI-DOST partnership is to form the next generation of world-class Filipino scientists, or “Hyundai New Thinkers.”

Joining the 60 delegates are scientists and instructors from the University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI) led by Dr. Alette Yñiguez and the University of the Philippines-National Institute of Geological Sciences (UP-NIGS) led by Dr. Carlos Primo “CP” David.

“This first-of-its-kind science exploration program is one of our answers to honing tomorrow’s Filipino climate scientists and New Thinkers,” said HFI President Maria Fe Perez-Agudo. “With the coral reefs and mountain trails of Puerto Galera as their classrooms and real scientists as their teachers, HNTC participants are given the chance to study nature and climate first-hand and gain a deeper and broader understanding of the world beyond the walls of the classroom.”

Participating schools from Metro Manila are Manila Science High School, Pateros National High School, Kasarinlan High School, Philippine Science High School-Main Campus Quezon City, Sta. Lucia High School, Taguig National High School, Rizal High School, Ramon Magsaysay High School, and Valenzuela City Science High School.

Region III schools include Bataan National High School, Emilio C. Bernabe High School (Formerly Bagac High School), Mariveles National High School, Marcelo H. Del Pilar National High School, Maronquillo High School, Claro M. Recto Information and Communication Technology High School, Philippine Science High School Central, and Olongapo City National High School.

Rounding up the pioneer group of potential Hyundai New Thinkers are students from Region IV schools, Cavite National High School, Sisters of Mary School, and Morong National High School.

The final phase of HNTC, the Hyundai New Thinkers Spotlight, will take place on May 2014.  Twenty deserving scholars from the 60 delegates will be chosen to pursue a college degree related to environmental science. Evaluations will be based on the best community development programs that the students implemented. Criteria for the selection of projects are ingenuity, efficiency, and sustainability.