McMaster Children & Youth University 3.17

MCYU presents FREE monthly lectures hosted on the McMaster University campus, for children 7-14 years of age. The interactive lectures feature demonstrations and experiments (depending on the topic), with lots of opportunity to pose questions and engage the professors. The program is designed to spark kids’ curiosity by covering topics in various disciplines from the Faculty of Health Science, Business, Engineering, Social Science and Science. It’s also a fabulous opportunity to find out what it feels like to be on campus and get a taste of what university life is like!

What a great idea! How did we come up with it?
We were inspired by the European Children’s University Network. Over the past 10 years, the term “Children’s University” has become synonymous with science-related lectures, workshops and demonstrations for young people. Today, in over 200 locations across Europe, educational activities tailored for youth take place on university campuses and imitate academic life for kids. We loved the idea so much that we decided to bring it home to McMaster.

Early Success
In our inaugural year over 175 students participated in MCYU lectures. Many of those students attended four or more sessions and officially graduated from the 2011/2012 academic year. Our dedicated graduates all received diplomas acknowledging their commitment, curiosity and willingness to learn.