If you can explain your research to a 12-year-old, or want to learn how, the Yale Science Diplomats want to hear from you. The group is holding auditions for the second annual Flipped Science Fair, an event that turns the traditional science fair format on its head.
On October 13, middle-school students from New Haven will get the chance to judge 5-minute presentations by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows about their research. Trainees will get a chance to hone their science communication skills. The only prerequisite? Enthusiasm.
Auditions begin Monday, July 2 and continue through July 26th. To sign up and get more information, visit: https://tinyurl.com/FSFaudition2018.
Rick Crouse, a PhD candidate in Yale's Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, came up with the idea for the event. “Letting middle-school students be the judges is a way of exposing them to science and to early career scientists,” says Crouse, who is a member of Yale Science Diplomats. “We hope to spark their interest in science before they get to high school and have already chosen their career path."
Last month, Crouse, postdoc Lorena Benedetti and the other organizers of the Flipped Science Fair were awarded a Public Engagement Grant from the American Society of Cell Biology, supported by Science Sandbox, an initiative of the Simons Foundation dedicated to inspiring a deeper interest in science. The grant will allow them to expand the initiative.
“Our goal this year is to double our size to about 50 presenters and 200 middle school students,” says Crouse. “We’re aiming to expand beyond biomedicine by attracting Yale graduate students and postdocs in other fields, such as physics."
Participants will have a chance to hone their presentation and design skills during a series of workshops leading up to the event.
Questions? Contact richard.crouse@yale.edu.
We hope to spark their interest in science before they get to high school...
Rick Crouse, PhD candidate in neuroscience