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The Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague once again opened its doors to curious high school students. From August 12 to 15, 2024, the university campus transformed into a vibrant laboratory full of young science enthusiasts.
International Participation and Expert Team
The program was attended by 28 participants from 4 countries and 20 different high schools. A team of 20 scientists, assistants, and staff worked on the project, collectively creating a truly unique experience. This international and multidisciplinary collaboration brought participants an extraordinary view into the world of science.
Diverse Program Full of Interesting Topics
Each day of the "Hands-on Science" program offered participants a colorful palette of topics and activities:
Day 1
Morning:
1. Artificial Intelligence (Ing. Martin Opatrný) "At our school, AI is often spoken of as something scary. Only a few teachers are open to this technology and showed us certain things we can do with it. This lecture broadened my horizons on how to work with AI, in ways I might not have thought of."
2. NanoPlant Photosynthesis Unveiled (Dr. Aayushi Gupta) "The teacher's approach was great," praised one of the students. Another added: "It was nicely presented, and outside she was able to explain various 'different' plants."
Afternoon:
1. Food Quality (Ing. Matěj Božik, Ph.D.) "Great work in the laboratory," one participant enthusiastically commented. Another added: "Extracting essential oils was very interesting."
2. The Value in Weed Diversity (Dr. Theresa Reinhardt Piskáčková) "Beautiful explanation energy, enthusiasm in the lecture, interesting activities," one student appreciated. Another noted: "The doctor spoke very well and clearly in English. The field training was absolutely super."
Day 2
Morning:
1. Wastewater, Bio-waste, Environmental Contamination and Medicinal Cannabis (Ing. Zdeněk Košnář, Ph.D.) "The lecture on cannabis was great, and the lecturers were amazing," noted one student. Another added: "How waste is cleaned, how cannabis is propagated :D, it was all fascinating."
2. From Forests to Cities: The Ecological Role of Ticks in Disease Transmission (Dr. Italiya Jignesh) "Hunting/collecting ticks, visiting the laboratory, explaining the process of determining results," all of this interested the students. One participant added: "I liked the practical part like collecting ticks. It gave me a great insight into the lives of scientists who do this."
Afternoon:
1. Meteorology and Climatology as an Aid in Agriculture (Ing. Luboš Türkott, Ph.D.) "Mr. Türkott is awesome! Very interesting lecture that really caught my attention. I would go again," one student enthusiastically commented. Another participant appreciated: "The honesty and explanation were amazing. It's a shame that more people, not just farmers, don't know about the agropocasi website."
2. Understanding the Chemistry of Food (Anna Mascellani Bergo) "Many different experiments, interesting topics," noted one of the participants. Another student added: "Cool ideas and an attractive program that kept us engaged from start to finish."
Day 3
Morning:
1. Soil: The Unknown Planet Beneath Our Feet (doc. Ing. Vít Penížek, Ph.D.) "I liked the practical part on the test field. Soil analysis, right at the site of discovery, thrilled me. I think pedology IS a sexy science. :)", one of the participants enthusiastically commented.
2. Soil Detectives: Investigate Your Garden and Field (doc. Ing. Martin Kulhánek, Ph.D.) "Practical demonstration, lecture, expertise, imparted knowledge, approach. Absolutely top," summarized one student. Another appreciated: "Excellent explanation of the measurement being performed."
Afternoon:
1. Snail to Salad: Understanding Neglected Emerging Diseases (Divakaran Pandian) "Excellent explanation and fun. Opportunity to examine under a microscope," praised one participant. Another student added: "I broadened my horizons about snail diseases that I didn't know about before."
2. Visit to the Prague Zoo "The guide was great, the animals too," summarized one of the participants. Another student remarked: "The zoo has great iced coffee!"
Day 4
Morning:
1. Insects as Livestock (Ing. Martin Kulma, Ph.D.) "I tasted animal flour," one participant bravely admitted. Another added: "Tours of insect breeding spaces were fascinating." Another student appreciated: "Lots of new information, interesting information, the opportunity to taste the flour."
2. Learning How Plants Live by Watching Them Die: Plant Chemistry in Action (Dr. Theresa Reinhardt Piskáčková) "I never really knew what herbicides do and how they work, so just learning that was great. Then identifying the herbicide used was a great activity, I might try to check what they use on fields near my home," one student enthusiastically commented.
Afternoon:
1. Judge with All Your Senses! How Science Tastes (Kunstová and Kopecká) "I liked trying with all my senses," noted one participant. Another student added: "The opportunity to become an evaluator, tour of production facilities and demonstration of operations, lots of prepared activities."
2. Molecular Biology on the Move: Field-Based Pathogen Detection with Portable PCR Technologies (Dr. Italiya Jignesh) "Interesting topic, doing our own PCR test," summarized one of the participants. Another student noted: "I never thought about how DNA is extracted and how this process works. That was very interesting."
Inspiration for the Future
The program also influenced the future plans of the participants. "The lectures gave me insight into research in various fields and convinced me to study here in the future," revealed one of the students.
Another participant summarized their experience: "It's a great opportunity for both decided and undecided participants to figure out which scientific field will be most interesting for them."
What Do the Numbers Say?
• 95% of participants rated their overall experience as "excellent" or "good".
• 9 out of 10 students would recommend the program to their friends.
• 80% of participants said that the program convinced them to consider studying at the Czech University of Life Sciences.
Conclusion
"Hands-on Science 2024 gave me exactly what I came for," summarized one of the participants. "I tried various working methods and all the lecturers were great and supportive."
The program showed that science is not "just" about white coats and complex equations. It's an adventure that can begin as early as high school.
The Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources is already looking forward to the next year's program, which will take place from August 11 to 14, 2025. After all, science is best when you can experience it hands-on!
