Click here to access the Scientist Apprentice website.
The Apprentice Scientist is a junior scientific initiation program for students from the 6th grade of elementary school to the senior year of high school at Colégio Dante Alighieri. Started in 2006, the project was born out of the students’ great interest in laboratory activities and the different areas of scientific research. Another strong incentive to take part in the program was the Science course itself, the aim of which is to bring scientific culture closer to the students’ world knowledge.
FOCUSED ON IMPROVING PARTICIPANTS’ SCIENTIFIC SKILLS AND PROVIDING THEM WITH REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, THE APPRENTICE SCIENTIST PROGRAM IS AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO DEVELOP RESEARCH PROJECTS USING SCIENTIFIC METHODOLOGY. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE PROJECTS, IN ADDITION TO ENCOURAGING AUTONOMY IN THE ELABORATION OF PROBLEM QUESTIONS, THE PROPOSITION OF HYPOTHESES AND THE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH TO PROVING THESE HYPOTHESES, GENERATES AMPLE MOTIVATION IN THE LEARNING OF SCIENCE AND THE APPLICATION OF ITS TOOLS.
The most important requirement for taking part is to love science. In addition, it is important to perform well in this curricular component. This doesn’t just mean being good at grades, but also actively participating in classes and making a positive contribution to the course. Based on the observation of each student’s performance, the science teachers indicate the names of the young people who best fit this profile to the respective coordinator, who, together with the Educational Guidance and the Educational Directorate, invites them to take part in the program. In other words, the main criteria for taking part in the Apprentice Scientist program are performance, interest, and involvement in scientific topics, especially with regard to the experimental aspect.
As they are limited, there are not always places for everyone. For this reason, the selection is made by first identifying the students who have the most suitable profile for the program.
On average, two 8th graders and three 9th graders are called per class. Apprentice Scientist students who want to continue in the program after high school have priority in filling the vacancies.
Click here to access the Scientist Apprentice website.
