A Week In The Life Of A 15-Year-Old Astrophysicist
TalkSpecial topic: Astronomy Education Beyond the Classroom
5th Shaw-IAU Workshop
Wednesday Nov. 29, 2023
UTC: 8:30 p.m. - 8:45 p.m.
Thursday Nov. 30, 2023
UTC: 1 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Stephanie Bernard (University of Melbourne School of Physics)
Students in high school in Australia undertake five days of work experience in any field, most commonly while in the tenth grade. The astrophysics group at the University of Melbourne has hosted these students since the 1990s, evolving from a handful of students each year into a structured program that hosted over 30 students in 2023. These students attend regular talks and colloquia in the astrophysics group, along with classes on different techniques in astrophysics, and complete their own short research project. Their work leads up to a final poster session with students in other science areas. I will discuss the evolution of this programme, outcomes for the student workers, and the benefits from the program to the university community.
About Stephanie Bernard
Stephanie Bernard is an astronomy and space science educator at the University of Melbourne, the Victorian Space Science Education Centre (VSSEC), and Scienceworks and the Melbourne Planetarium. Using her background in research astrophysics using space telescopes and ground-based telescopes around the world, she aims to bring the wonder of the Universe to students and the general public of all ages.
