The Science SPARK – School, Passion, Activity, Development, Creativity project, implemented by the University of Silesia in Katowice, has entered its final stage, the key component of which was the “Student – Mentor” tutoring programme. Three members of the Institute of Earth Sciences were actively involved in this part of the project: Dr Marta Chmielewska, Dr Dawid Surmik, and Dr hab. Maciej Mendecki, Prof. UŚ.
Tutoring constituted the core activity of the SPARK project and was addressed to particularly motivated secondary school students. The Student – Mentor meetings were held in scientific laboratories of the Faculty of Science and Technology and the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the University of Silesia, located on the campuses in Chorzów, Katowice, and Sosnowiec. Students worked individually or in very small teams, directly with their mentors – academic staff of the University of Silesia.
The final outcome of the participants’ work was the presentation of research results in the form of posters, showcased during the conference closing the Science SPARK project, held at the Planetarium – Silesian Science Park in Chorzów. Students mentored by the staff of the Institute of Earth Sciences presented three scientific projects:
New Life for Buildings: The Idea of Renovating the Facility at Aleja Korfantego 3 – Małgorzata Radek
Natural Mummification as a Mechanism for the Long-Term Preservation of Soft Tissues – Jakub Rożnowski
How Does the Universe Vibrate? The Earth, the Moon, and Mars Through the Lens of Comparative Natural Seismology – Maria Wicher
The involvement of the Institute’s staff in the tutoring task strengthened the interdisciplinary character of the project and provided students with a unique opportunity for direct contact with cutting-edge scientific research conducted at the University of Silesia. The project was funded by the Ministry of National Education, and its main coordinator was Dr Marcin Łaciak, Prof. UŚ, from the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Silesia.
Reference: https://us.edu.pl/wydzial/wnst/wspolpraca/szkoly/science-spark/
Note author: mjm
