Students teaching Malaysian schoolchildren about wildlife

One state out of 13, so far. That is how far the Ocean & Wildlife Alliance has reached with its educational sessions for schools, and Bryan Ong Wee Phang plans to expand it to other states in Malaysia.

He founded the alliance, based in Malaysia, to build a team of young wildlife enthusiasts, most preferably undergraduates, who educate the younger generation around Malaysia. The sessions are knowledge transfer sessions for schools, with activities put in to keep the attention of the youths "and make learning fun!" as he says. The audiences run from kindergarten children to pre-university students.

“Have fun with life and learn”

Bryan Ong Wee Phang

A 3C principle runs the initiative: Comprehend, Connect, Conserve. "I believe that to actually protect or not harm wildlife in the first place is to understand wildlife," he says. Understanding leads to action, taken with like-minded people, and then to conserving wildlife both directly and indirectly.

Bryan studies Marine Biology at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. He has taken part in many programmes and held leadership roles for projects, and he says he worked hard to get noticed by his lecturers to get those opportunities. One question followed. "What about my coursemates?" "There are many students who wish to get involved and make change like me but do not have and do not know where to find such opportunities," he says.

So he started the alliance without any interference from lecturers. "I aim to run this alliance solely by students!" he says. Students are the ones conducting the educational sessions, talks, workshops, and more. He believes it will change one perspective among students, the one that says "Only professionals are worthy to start programs, I am just a student".

The aim now is to reach other states in Malaysia, he says, "to educate as many youths as possible!"