National Youth Science Forum

Callum Walker, one of our year 12 students, attended the National Youth Science Forum at the end of last year. Please read below for his account of the course. 

The question, "What is STEM exactly?” is a very common yet challenging one asked by many. If this is you, or you are unsure where your path beyond Year 12 leads, NYSF is the course for you. 

The National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) is a course  aimed towards students entering Year 12, who want to explore the many careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). This 10-day course takes place during the first few weeks of January and is a great way to start off the year. 

The course consists of a virtual week, as well as an in-person week, (this could change in future years), both of which provide invaluable information regarding what lies ahead. Lectures can range from environmental science and genetics, to astrophysics and AI intelligence, and consists of a few speakers who share the behind the scenes work they did to reach where they are today. For the most part, the first half of the presentation consists of personal anecdotes and advice, but the second half is fully comprised of Q&A! Which is great because it makes the lectures more personalised, and who better to ask than the professionals? The lecturers do a great job of structuring presentations just like regular conversations, so it’s almost effortless speaking up if you have a tricky question on your mind. 

This year we were lucky enough to have a few Nobel Prize laureates speak to us. One person in particular who stood out was Dr Peter Doherty. Dr Doherty won the Nobel prize in 1996 for his discovery of T cells in the field of immunology. This was interesting to listen to, as what he spoke about closely related to Units 3 & 4 Biology, and it was cool to hear about some real-life applications regarding the coursework we learn in school. 

Now yes, the program is based around the many jobs in STEM, but that doesn’t mean you have to work in a lab. Many fields that I had no idea were related to STEM were communication type jobs, design, and even management/legal type careers. 

Putting the academics aside, NYSF has been a really great way to make new friends who wish to pursue a similar career to you. In completing NYSF, I have been able to stay in contact with people all over Australia. Being able to have a network of like-minded people to talk to is essential, as it gives you the opportunity to bounce ideas off each other (such as uni or complaining about Year 12) throughout the whole year. 

If you would like to learn more, give the video attached a watch, and visit the official NYSF website linked below. https://youtu.be/GBfmQ0eIjx4 https://www.nysf.edu.au/ 

Callum Walker