From 9 January to 13 April 2021, the Virtual Science Camp was held online. The event was organized for children from all over the world by a physics teacher at a Paris school Michael Gregory. Representatives of the Lecture Course of the JINR University Centre took an active part in the event.

The virtual scientific camp provides lectures on particle physics by guest presenters and demonstration of experiments from Michael for children keen on science. Most often, experiments are related to the topics covered in the lectures. This allows young participants to learn more from lectures.

Children and teachers from any country (speaking English) can become listeners of the scientific camp. This time, school children aged 10 – 16 participated in the camp.

The University Centre of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research received an invitation to take part in the event. As a result, JINR employees engaged in the UC lecture course prepared and gave their lectures for children from various countries. Meetings with listeners took place twice a month. Each lecture was attended by dozens of listeners from Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Iran, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Romania, Russia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and the USA.

What did young students learn from the UC Lecture Hall representatives?

• Dmitry Dryablov from VBLHEP JINR spoke about the big bang theory and the evolution of the Universe;
• Mark Shirchenko from DLNP JINR reported on the search for neutrinos like chasing a ghost;
• Maria Lalkovičová, an LRB JINR researcher, gave a talk “What happens to the brain in space?”;
• and Igor Pelevaniuk from LIT JINR delivered a lecture “What is the Monte Carlo method?”

On 13 April, the final round table of the scientific camp was held online. Each guest was offered to present to other participants their favourite books about physics and to recommend some of them to the students. Mark Shirchenko spoke at the event on behalf of JINR. He presented internet sources and educational channels of the Institute, as well as spoke about the book about neutrino hunters “Neutrino Hunters: The Thrilling Chase for a Ghostly Particle to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe”.

Virtual Science Camp is not only a good example of increasing the awareness of JINR among school children around the world but also a wonderful experience of developing interest in science among the younger generation who may become scientists in future.

UC JINR