Comenius University students organize summer schools for high school students
Over four summer weeks (17 July to 11 August 2017), three two-week summer schools aimed at high school and primary school students, focusing on programming, mathematics, and physics, are taking place at the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics at Comenius University. The organizers of the summer courses are Comenius University students from the Trojsten civic association
The fifth year of these summer schools is welcoming 300 students from all over Slovakia who will exchange their summer holidays by the water for moments spent together with others of their age learning programming, mathematics, and physics. “The extent of knowledge which they can gain is much greater than what is offered in the high school curriculum,” said Matej Badin, a student at the faculty, on behalf of the organizers.
The Comenius University students have prepared more than 150 lectures on various basic and advanced themes in mathematics and physics for participants as well as lectures on improving their algorithmic thinking. In addition to the many expert aspects of the programme, there is a wide range of free-time activities and interesting workshops. Here participants can develop their soft skills and other abilities.
All three summer schools have been prepared by more than 50 volunteers. “Participation in the summer schools is free of charge. We are, however, convinced that the time and invested effort will pay off in the future professional growth of all who participate,” Badin said.
The Trojsten civic association was established in 1994. However, the tradition of free-time activities for talented high school students in Slovakia goes back to the 1980s. In addition to summer schools of correspondence seminars, the association offers regular week-long courses for top researchers, the Trojsten Summer Camp, and the Náboj (Charge) team competitions in solving creative mathematic exercises as well as a series of popular and interactive lectures for students of high schools and primary schools and a lot of other activities which take up 140 days in the year.