November 15, 2011
New program introduces young people to university experience with free lectures
Hamilton, Ont. November 15, 2011—The university experience is starting a few years early for young people who sign up for a new McMaster program called Children & Youth University.
The pilot program of five free Saturday-morning lectures is aimed at students between eight and 12 years old, with the goal of educating them on appealing topics while introducing them to university life.
The initiative is sponsored by McMaster’s Faculty of Health Sciences, its Alumni office and the Office of the President.
The interactive lecture sessions are to cover a broad range of subjects, including the human body, the importance of children, the 1918 flu epidemic, aboriginal contributions to Canada and perceptions of disability.
The goal is to stimulate the intellectual curiosity of young students before they reach high school, while familiarizing them with campus. The program is available to all children, and its organizers hope it will hold particular appeal to those whose families have never been exposed to post-secondary education.
“We’d like to create another connection to the community. We’d like these young people to see where we are and what we offer,” said organizer Katrin Scheinemann, an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, who is the program’s lead co-organizer with Sandeep Raha, an assistant professor in the same department.
Scheinemann says the idea for McMaster Children & Youth University comes from Europe, where university programs for children have been popular and effective.
There is room in the pilot program for a combination of 300 students and adult escorts. (Children under 12 are required to be accompanied by an adult.)
Though the program is free, registration is required, either by phone at 905-521-2100, ext. 73790 or by email at cymac@mcmaster.ca.
McMaster University, one of four Canadian universities listed among the Top 100 universities in the world, is renowned for its innovation in both learning and discovery. It has a student population of 23,000, and more than 150,000 alumni in 128 countries.
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For more information, please contact:
Wade Hemsworth
Public Relations Manager
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 27988
Michelle Donovan
Public Relations Manager
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22869