Science summer campers shine in the laboratory
Monday 25 July 2005

Lorraine McCormack, Andrew Doyle and Thomas Wemyss, third and fourth year Science Education students who assisted in the summer camps.

The Science Summer Camp is run by the Faculty of Science and Health runs every summer with the aim of promoting science to young people. This is done through hands-on workshops which includes solving a `murder', building a car and parachutes and racing them. The Physics and Chemistry camps are designed for Transition Year students and fifth years and the Science camps are designed for first and second year students. They are both designed to cover a broad range of science subjects so the students have a better understanding of what is involved in each discipline.

"Students solve real life problems through discovery-based learning which encourages a positive attitude towards science," explains Dr Odilla Finlayson, Senior Lecturer in Science Education in DCU. "The students gave positive feedback on the course, and also expressed their appreciation for science education students who helped out during the camps".

Gillian Murphy, who co-ordinates several programmes in the Faculty of Science and Health says that each programme aims to take science out of the text book and make it relevant to the students' own lives.

"The summer is busy for us as we runs science camps for fourth and fifth year students and first and second year", remarked Pauline Dillon who attended the camp. " My favourite part of the camp was the crime investigation because we could do our own experiments in our own time. It was exciting."

For more information on the various school liaison programme please contact Gillian Murphy in the Faculty of Science and Health at DCU:
Gillian.Murphy@dcu.ie
Tel: 01 7005840