Board Review 2023
Orientation - To officially kick off the beginning of the 38th Annual Cwm Zena’na Board Review. The organization held an online orientation on July 2, 2023, to familiarize the enrollees with the conduct of the lectures and laboratory sessions, platforms to be used for the duration of the review, and privileges they should be able to enjoy as CZBR reviewees.
Online Lectures - Lectures on twenty-nine (29) geological subjects were held online via Zoom from July 3, 2023, and ended on September 22, 2023. Experts and esteemed professionals in different fields of geology were invited as lecturers.
F2F lab sessions - Face-to-face discussions on four (4) laboratory topics were held at the National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS). The topics include petrology, physical mineralogy, structural geology, and metalliferous ore deposits. A total of eighteen (18) sessions were held from September 9-20, 2023.
Museum tour - Reviewees then paid to tour around the NIGS Museum to further expound their knowledge of the geosciences and observe physical items.
Agency Visit - As part of the organization's goal to serve the geosciences community, Cwm Zena'na Board Review 2023 once again spearheaded its Online and Face-to-face Agency Visits to give the 222 board reviewers this year well-rounded knowledge about the workplace and the real-life expectations of
being in a workforce. The picture below shows Ms. Valerie Shayne V. Olfindo, a Science Research Specialist of PHIVOLCS, after her discussion.
The last leg of the event would showcase GeoInnovative Specialists Inc., Mines, and Geosciences Bureau, and the Department of Energy in the coming weeks which will be conducted either face-to-face or online depending on the availability of the agencies stated above.
Send Off
This was a 2-day event organized by the resident members for the recently graduated members. It serves as a celebration of their successful academic and organizational journey. It was held from September 4-5, 2023 in Rizal.
Blockhandling
This was a collaborative event of all NIGS COOL Organizations on Sept 24, 2023, to introduce the incoming freshies, shiftees, and transferees to the NIGS organizations and their annual activities. Initially planned as an amazing race-type event, the program was moved online (via Zoom) due to weather conditions. Games were conducted and raffles were awarded.
Applications for the Cwm Zena’na Scholarship Program
During the International Women’s Day and in commemoration of the organization’s 40th anniversary, the Cwm Zena’na Scholarship Program (CZSP) was established on March 8, 2021. This program is designed to support female geology students to achieve their education and ultimately, their career goals. It embodies the vision of the organization to support women in the field of geology to succeed in the pursuit of their chosen careers. The program offers updated opportunities to fund academic and living
expenses for successful scholars. Due to time constraints and busy F2F schedules, the application period was delayed from the end of August until mid-September 2023.
The program’s three scholars have recently graduated this 2023. However, there will be no new scholars for the first semester of the academic year since applications were few and not accepted as per the updated guidelines. Nevertheless, the application for the scholarship will once again open next semester. Instead, the committee will focus on sorting out organization files and modifying future programs, such as the master’s grant.