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Brock University Science Mentorship Program The Brock University Science Mentorship Program was initiated by Dr. Joseph F. Engemann (Faculty of Education) in 1994. This program offers senior high school science students, who are highly interested in science, demonstrate high academic precocity, and are capable of working independently, with an opportunity to pursue a real-life scientific investigation under the supervision of a member of the Faculty of Mathematics and Science at Brock University. Each year, schools submit a list of students who they think would benefit from the program. These students are then matched with Mentors from the disciplines of Biology, Health Science, Physical Education, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science, Psychology, and Computer Science. This labour intensive commitment by the faculty is really what makes the program so effective. Mentorships take place during the first semester of the secondary school year. Students are matched with Mentors who are conducting research in areas of potential student interest. The primary aim of this program, therefore, is to encourage bright students to consider the pursuit of a career in science through close contact with a professional scientist as a Mentor. Recruitment for the program is facilitated by Science and Co-operative Education Teachers, within each school. They are responsible for nominating potential student candidates and providing ongoing communication with students and their Mentors. These teachers periodically meet with the Mentor and maintain a continual dialogue with the student. Each student, with his/her teacher, will initially meet a mentoring professor in May or June in order to: Discuss and select possible research question(s) for investigation; Establish Mentor-designated expectations for student acquisition of background knowledge and laboratory skills prerequisite to the investigation; Recommend background reading. |
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Early in September, the Mentorship students: Receive WHIMIS training and certification Orientation tour of the Brock Library. Students are also given library borrowing privileges congruent with those received by university undergraduate students. Search skill Seminar by the Brock Library professional.
There is also a possibility for the Mentorship Students to enrol in a
first year course that would assist their project. In October Mentorship Students outline their projects at the Mentorship Orientation
Night. At this time, each student gives a two minute outline of what their
project will involve. All Faculty, parents, teachers and school
administrators are invited. At the Mentorship Symposium (usually in Reading Week), students present their research findings to an audience which will include all current Mentorship Students, potential students for the upcoming year, faculty, parents and teachers. Each Mentorship Student is given a 30 minute time limit, which allows for a formal presentation and a question-and-answer period. The Symposium mirrors the format used at professional science conferences.
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BROCK UNIVERSITY MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
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