The University of Youth has received an award for science communication, presented at the opening of European Researchers' Night on 1 October. Jón Atli Benediktsson, Rector of the University of Iceland, and former and current administrators of the University of Youth accepted the award alongside a group of instructors and other staff who have been involved with the project over the years.
The University of Youth is a programme for children aged 12-14 who have a thirst for knowledge and want to find out more about science and academic subjects with researchers at the University of Iceland. The project was first launched in 2004. Many children come back year after year to explore the broad range of subjects taught at UI and the project has made a valuable contribution to scientific outreach that engages young people.
The University of Youth is a week-long summer programme, giving children in grades 6-8 the opportunity to learn about various subjects and get a sense of what it is like to be a university student. The children select courses based on their interests, building their own timetables, and through reading about the available courses on the University website, they often discover new and exciting subjects they want to try.
The young students are taught by instructors from all over the world and learn about their work and research. They see how ideas and research can evolve into marketable products or other applications and how these innovations can promote progress in our society. They gain an understanding of how education and research benefit Icelandic society and hopefully are inspired to make their own contributions in the future.
Not all participants are local – many children come a long way to take part in the University of Youth. However, children outside the capital area have another chance to experience the University of Youth when it travels around the country each year with the Knowledge Train.
The idea behind the University of Youth is to open the University's doors to the next generation, introducing children to academia, innovation and research. Perhaps those children will go on to become the researchers, scientists and innovators of the future. Indeed, this is one of the goals of European Researchers' Night, making the University of Youth a deserving recipient of the Rannís Award for Science Communication.