SAMARAHAN, 8^th May 2019 : Service learning or service-based learning (SBL) is one of the new initiatives introduced in the Malaysian Higher Education Institutions curriculum aiming to enrich students’ learning experience and also to nurture student experience by providing service to the community. In-line with this objective, second year graduate students of Resource Chemistry program undertaking Environmental Chemistry II course from the Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) was involved in two SBL projects.

The first project was conducted at the St Michael Entingan Primary School located at Kg. Entingan, Kota Samarahan. The project was designed to create awareness about recycling (3R) among primary students. The school headmaster, Mr Achong Bujang was indeed very supportive and welcomed such collaborative initiative between the school and UNIMAS. A total of 38 students from primary 5 were involved in the recycling program which was performed on 10^th April 2019.

The recycling program activities include talk by the Resource Chemistry students, hands-on activities (e.g. quizzes, crossword puzzle) and plastic challenge. The primary students were introduced to recycling concept and its importance, types of item that can be recycled and recycling ...