Aceh – Indonesia, A total of 11 senior high schools (SMA) in Aceh participated in the 2026 Disaster Science Camp organized by the Tsunami and Disaster Mitigation Research Center (TDMRC) at Syiah Kuala University (USK).
The event, which ran from September 28 to October 2, 2026, equipped students with practical knowledge and hands-on experience regarding disaster mitigation.
The disaster education program was officially closed by the Head of the USK Disaster Mitigation Unit, Prof. Muksin, at the Dr. Ir. M. Ridha, M.Eng Auditorium, Kopelma Darussalam, Banda Aceh, on Friday, October 2, 2026.
The closing ceremony featured the screening of six 90-second mini-project videos produced by the participating students of the 2026 Disaster Science Camp.
The videos showcased the students’ understanding of disaster mitigation, how to interpret weather forecasts, and educational efforts to counter hoax news.
Muksin expressed his appreciation for the participants who completed the entire program of the 2026 Disaster Science Camp. According to him, the students’ enthusiasm for learning about disaster risks was evident in the projects they created.
“I was pleased to see several interesting videos earlier. There were videos explaining how to read weather information and how to evaluate information so as not to be influenced by hoaxes, which was very delightful,” he said.
He added that the event was made possible through the collaboration of the organizing committee, speakers, and several partner institutions, including Basarnas, BMKG, the Education Agency, Bappenas, and BPBD.
He hopes early disaster education will help foster a prepared and responsive young generation in Aceh when facing potential disaster threats.
“Through this program, USK hopes early disaster education can shape Aceh’s youth into a resilient, swift, and responsive generation in facing future disaster threats,” Muksin stated.
Students Gain Practical Experience
The benefits of the program were also felt directly by the participants. Fidayani, a student from SMA Negeri 1 Peukan Bada, Aceh Besar, shared that the USK TDMRC Disaster Science Camp provided her with valuable insights and new experiences.
Among these was the Basic Life Support training conducted by Basarnas. Participants also had the opportunity to visit BMKG to observe firsthand the equipment used for weather and climate monitoring.
“We gained so much knowledge and new experiences here that we had never received before, such as the Basic Life Support training taught by Basarnas and visits to the Climatology and Meteorology stations of BMKG. There, we were able to see the tools used to predict weather, climate, and more,” Fidayani said.
She expressed her hope that the Disaster Science Camp would continue to be held in the future. The knowledge gained during the event, she added, will not only be applied personally but also shared with peers at school and in their communities.