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Summer of Science
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The Summer of Science program is a free afternoon enrichment program for middle school and high school aged students (including students graduating this June). The program is established and led by the McDonald Institute and co-supported by the Carbon to Metal Coating Institute at Queen’s University (C2MCI).

 

Over 12 afternoon sessions, the program focuses on physics and chemistry and the process of doing science. The Summer of Science program is led by undergraduate students and joined by scientists at the McDonald Institute and the Carbon to Metal Coating Institute.

 

Participating students explore a variety of content and practices that are part of the every-day job of the astronomers and particle physicists at the McDonald Institute through hands-on activities. This program’s goal is to supplement the focus on scientific content in the classroom with the tools of the trade that are at the heart of doing science. Activities will as much as possible involve students recreating and exploring these demonstrations at home before sharing with their cohort.

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Program Structure

Students will meet with their instructors over approximately four weeks, scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons (1:30 – 4:30 PM EDT) in July and August.

 

Sessions will be held both in person or online depending on the group.

 

Sessions will be held on:

 

  • ​July 8th – 10th

  • July 15th – 17th

  • July 29th – 31st

  • Aug 12th – 14th

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The summer program will end with a presentation by the students on their involvement in research projects over the summer. These presentations will be open for all to join, including friends and family.

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Learning Outcomes

An example of skills and practices that may be touched on:

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  • Inquiry

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  • Hypothesis forming

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  • Experimentation

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  • Data Analysis

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  • Searching past research publications

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  • Computer Programming

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  • Presenting results

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  • Laboratory safety

These skills will be covered through their application to physics and chemistry content such as:

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  • Understanding the Periodic Table

  • Chemical Reactions and Stoichiometry

  • Analytical Techniques for Material Science

  • Nanomedicine Fundamentals

  • Fundamentals of Astronomy: Galaxy, Structure, Cosmology, Dark Matter

  • The standard model of particle physics: particles and how they interact

  • Neutrinos and dark matter from a particle astrophysics perspective

  • The Nobel-prize winning SNO Experiment

  • Evidence of dark matter

  • The nature of neutrinos

  • The hunt to detect these elusive particles

Application Process

​To apply:

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  • Send a letter of interest to summer-of-science@queensu.ca (maximum one page) introducing yourself and highlighting why you would like to be part of the Queen's Summer of Science. Please include your grade, your current school, and whether you hope to attend in person, or virtually.

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Questions? For more information, please email summer-of-science@queensu.ca with the subject headline “Summer of Science”.

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Students are expected to attend all 12 sessions, though we will do our best to accommodate any participants who might miss a session or two. In your application email, please indicate any dates that may not work for you and whether you may be available to participate on campus as an in-person group. 

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Please note that Queen's University's residences offer summer accommodations at a reduced cost. Expenses for residence are optional and not covered by the program.

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We look forward to welcoming students this summer!

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