Early Research and Projects Network (ERPN) FAQs

My child has done ERPN before. Can they do it again?

Yes, of course. Students who have done ERPN before are welcome to participate again. However, we strongly recommend that they choose a different subject. While the projects will be different each year, there is a good chance the skills they'll learn will be the same if they choose the same subject, so we recommend a new subject to learn new skills.

My child is in primary school and is very advanced for their age. Can they do ERPN?

No. All of our students are academically advanced. ERPN is a programme for academically advanced teenagers. Students participating in the programme will be working independently and with their classmates for significant portions of the course, which is not suitable for primary school students. Additionally, they will be studying and researching material which is age appropriate for teenagers, but not necessarily appropriate for young children.

My child does not like group work. Do they have to do group work as part of ERPN if they hate it?

Many academically advanced students have had negative group work experiences so we completely understand that your child may not want to do group work. We do encourage group work on this programme with the specific intention of giving students positive experiences with group work, and to encourage students to engage with each other socially. However, no student will be required to do group work if they really don’t want to.

My child can’t attend the in person classes. Can they still do ERPN?

Yes, it is possible to participate in ERPN without attending the in person classes if they really want to, but we strongly encourage attending on those days if possible. These sessions are considered by students to be extremely important, both for the benefit of their projects, and also socially. We also are not able to offer those classes online to anyone who can’t make it on the day. However, any course materials covered will be shared with students afterwards. 

Will there be an expectation to buy materials? 

With the likes of the science and engineering classes, students may suggest a project that requires materials. CTYI may have access to certain equipment or materials and will let students use these. However, depending on the experiment students may need to obtain their own materials as it might be something that CTYI does not possess or have access to. We will discuss this with the students during their project so that no student feels they need to purchase anything expensive. Typically however students use materials in their projects that are easily available and inexpensive.

My child is extremely nervous about public speaking, is this a requirement for this course? 

The goal of this course is for students to work through a project to be shared on the final day. While we strive to create classrooms where students can feel comfortable to speak/share their projects, there is no requirement for students to speak publicly. Even though we encourage the students to share their work with their peers, particularly on the final day, if they are really uncomfortable or anxious about it they can let instructors know and they won’t have to do it. 

How does ERPN differ from other CTYI courses? 

Traditional CTYI courses strive to give students an opportunity to explore new subjects, exploring concepts at a deeper level and trying subjects not available in school curriculums. ERPN is a mentorship based course that focuses on teaching the skills to engage in project work in their chosen subject, allowing students to go to their desired depth in the subject themselves. For example in Science, rather than learning the theory for genetics or the solar system, students will be taught how to conduct research, validate sources, conduct experiments and present findings. The student will then apply these skills to a scientific topic of their choice that they are interested in learning more about.