Scientific Immersion: “Tell Me About Research”2024

A week full of discoveries

Each year, the ENS Paris-Saclay’s PhD students work together to design an immersive experience in their labs for eighteen high schoolers from the neighboring region. This is all part of our outreach program to allow young people to discover science, the fascinating world of research and the job of researcher, capitalizing on their scientific curiosity. The highschoolers, picked for their interest in science, have the opportunity to take part in practical experiments, to follow seminars and to have discussions with senior researchers. This experience allows them to understand the stakes and challenges of contemporary research, as well as to discover the cutting-edge scientific methods used every day by the researchers.

Creating a pedagogical poster

At the end of this intense week, the high schoolers designed a pedagogical poster, assisted by the PhD students. This poster, aimed at an uninitiated public, summarizes the discoveries made by the students throughout the week. This project allows the students to develop their communication skills while consolidating their knowledge, a reflection of the School’s mission: transmission and supporting interest in science.

For our future professors in higher education and researchers in training, this week was a great opportunity to share their passion and to play an active role in the awakening of scientific callings. By transmitting their knowledge and experience, they take part in the training of future scientists while reinforcing their own skills in teaching about complex topics.

I am glad to have organised the “Tell me about Research” Summer School program at the ENS Paris-Saclay [...] and helped 18 junior-year students in their discovery of the world of research. - Jonathan Piard, Associate Professor at the ENS Paris-Saclay