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UNE giving a HSC Science Boost to Regional Students

June 20, 2006

Associate Professor Robin Jessop
The popular HSC Science Booster Program is on again at The University of New England (UNE) from June 19-21. Year 12 students from 18 high schools are benefiting from university expertise in HSC science subjects this week, while gaining an insight into life on campus at UNE.

Almost 300 students are booked to attend the HSC Science Booster. They are coming from schools across northern NSW, including Moree, Quirindi, Tamworth, and Inverell. They will be taking part in practical activities in chemistry, physics, mathematics, biology, and agriculture.

About 50 students and teachers from schools in Bonalbo, Coonabarabran, Merriwa, Moree, Manilla and Coonamble will be treated to the full UNE experience by the Faculty of The Sciences. These schools are too far from Armidale to allow a one-day excursion, so they are being accommodated and fed at Mary White College. UNE’s Faculty of The Sciences is working to encourage further interest in science and mathematics, and support regional HSC students. The faculty will cover the accommodation costs and provide $100 towards the travel expenses of each school bringing students more than 100km to Armidale.

UNE's Associate Professor Robin Jessop (pictured), the coordinator of the "HSC Booster Activities", said they focus on parts of the HSC syllabus that were often difficult for schools to cover in practical detail. Titles of the activities include “Chemistry: AAS, UV-visible spectrometer, and phosphate analysis", “Biology: Genetics and Gene Expression", and "Maths: Derivatives and Nowhere-Derivatives, a first step towards the maths of fractals".

“Staff here at UNE are volunteering their time to make the HSC Science Booster program the success that it is. We aim to make it as educationally rewarding as possible, while reinvigorating their enthusiasm towards their individual courses during an otherwise stressful time,” he said.

The HSC Science Booster activities are in their seventh successive year and continue to go from strength to strength, according to Associate Professor Jessop.

“Feedback from both teachers and students in previous years has been very positive, and each year we take teachers' suggestions into account when preparing the program,” he said.

For further information, please contact Associate Professor Robin Jessop (02) 6773 2502 or Administrative Assistant for the Faculty of The Sciences, Shirley Rickard (02) 6773 3062.

Posted by Gary Fry at June 20, 2006 02:44 PM