Young scientists head back to the classroom for summer

While their fellow Year 13 students were enjoying the summer break, keen young scientists on the LENScience Bio-Med Summer School Programme were heading back to the classroom.

A six-day residential programme, that benefits students in their transition from school to university, is held each year at The University of Auckland’s Grafton Campus and hosted by the Liggins Institute.

Now in its fifth year, the LENScience programme welcomed another forty-three students from across the country, all recipients of fully-funded scholarships.

Entry to the programme for Māori students is supported by the Whakapiki Ake Project, and entry for all other students from low decile schools is supported by LENScience. Financial contributors to scholarships include the National Research Centre for Growth Development/ Friedlander Foundation, The Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences’ Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Te Kupenga Hauora Māori.

The programme is designed for students to develop an understanding and engage with the culture of bio-medical and health sciences as well as the culture of a university. Academic and social activities are structured in a way to build student confidence within a university science environment. Students are exposed to university life and academic activities, developing relationships with peers and university staff. This creates an essential support network. Meeting scientific, clinical and public health professionals within the programme allows students to explore career opportunities.

One of those connections was extra special for two Aorere College students Meliame Fatai and Sonam Kumar who were able to meet and listen to Aorere College old girl Dr Donna Addis. Senior Lecturer and Rutherford Discovery Fellow Dr Addis, from The University of Auckland’s Department of Psychology and Centre for Brain Research, presented on cognitive neuroscience research in the Memory Lab.

LENScience Director Jacquie Bay together with her small dedicated team, never tires of guiding/ushering another group of enthusiastic students through the programme and says “it provides an opportunity for students to participate and feel part of university life before embarking on their studies.”