YOUTH & FAMILIES
Family Lecture Series
*MCYU’s Family Lecture Series is VIRTUAL for the 2020-2021 Season. The virtual lectures will not have a post lecture activity.
About the MCYU Family Lecture Series
MCYU’s on-campus program offers FREE, monthly lectures on Saturday mornings at McMaster University’s Main St. West Campus. These lectures are geared towards 7-14 year olds, to spark their curiosity and expose them to the university environment. These fun, youth-friendly lectures cover topics that span all disciplines at McMaster (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math – STEAM), providing youth with an opportunity to experience what it feels like to be a university student.
Lectures are presented by professors who are experts in their field, and incorporate interactive demonstrations and discussion to encourage youth to questions the topics. These interactive sessions prompt questions from youth as young as six years of age, and empower them by providing the opportunity to engage with world renowned researchers.
Our programming demonstrates how subjects that youth are learning about in school are used in everyday life, and that they can also be knowledge creators.
Post Lecture Activities
Everyone learns in different ways, and learning is enhanced when students get to experience the excitement of discovery. MCYU has partnered with the McMaster chapter of Lets Talk Science to offer post-lecture, hands-on activities that relate to the lecture topic. This hands on learning experience helps make the information from the lecture come to life.
Families can explore the campus together and get a feel for a post-secondary environment in one of the top five universities in Canada, and top 100 in the world!
Registration
Lectures
Subscribe to our Mailing List
2021 Virtual Family Lecture Series
MCYU VIRTUAL FAMILY LECTURE SERIES | ||
Date | Lecturer | Topic |
Saturday, January 23, 2021 | Dr. Janet Pritchard | Building Better Bones |
Saturday, February 27, 2021 | Dr. Sandeep Raha | Talking to Yourself: How do your cells prepare you for your future? |
Saturday, March 27 2021 | Dr. Becca Collins-Nelsen | How Do We Know What We Know? |
Saturday, April 24, 2021 | Dr. Puja Bagri | Riding the Waves of COVID-19: Virus, Variants & Vaccines |
Saturday, May 29, 2021 | Grant Maltman | Frederick Banting: Discover the Man You Thought You Knew |
MCYU In the City Workshops
In the Community
MCYU in the City was founded in 2014 in order to take the MCYU brand of educational experiences out to communities. These 1 hour workshops are developed based on questions and interests from youth ages 7-14 and challenge them to work in teams to creatively develop solutions to issues that they may face in their everyday lives. The workshops are facilitated by highly trained McMaster Students who work interactively with youth following our education credo.
Question-Discover-CreateTM
Our student facilitators guide the youth to Question the world around them, Discover their own potential, and work together to Create solutions. This inquiry based learning method empowers youth by demonstrating that they are an important part of the discovery process that happens all around them, every day.
MCYU in the City has formed valuable partnerships with Hamilton Wentworth District School Board, Hamilton Public Library, Boys and Girls Clubs of Hamilton, the YMCA Beyond the Bell Program, The North Hamilton Community Centre and Pathways to Education, The Cathy Weaver after school program as well as the Hamilton Home School Network. Our workshops can be carried out in community centers, libraries and schools.
Are you a COMMUNITY MEMBER who would like to attend one of our workshops? See our Calendar to stay up to date with where we are in the city.
Are you a COMMUNITY AGENCY who would like to book a workshop at your facility? Contact us at mcyu@mcmaster.ca to inquire about booking a workshop at your facility.
Are you a McMASTER STUDENT wondering how you can become a MCYU in the City Workshop Facilitator?
SCHEDULE FOR THE DAY
Event Location: McMaster University, Main Campus, Burke Science Building
12:15pm-12:50pm: Registration / Check In
1pm – 1:45pm: 1st Workshop
2pm – 2:45pm: 2nd Workshop
3pm – 4pm: Magic of Molecules Live Performance
At MCYU it is important to us that our programs remain accessible to ALL. Our Family Lectures and MCYU in the City Workshops will continue to be free.
We have decided to start charging a minimal fee of $5 per child & youth for admission to Curiosity Crawl (this $5 includes a free snack and MCYU bag). This $5 charge per child & youth will offset some of the costs of the event and also ensure that those who register will attend.
If you are able and feel inclined to support our free programs (MCYU Family Lectures, MCYU in the City Workshops) beyond the $5 we are asking per child for the attendance at Curiosity Crawl, you can make a donation by clicking here. Remember, your generous donations helps to keep the majority of our programming free and accessible to ALL across the Greater Hamilton Area.
YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD
Get Involved
Our Youth Advisory Board (YAB) plays an integral role in shaping MCYU. At our YAB meetings we get to hear directly from the youth we work with about what they are interested in learning about and what matters most to them. This is a great opportunity for youth to engage in directing their own learning. Just one other way we are encouraging our youth to become empowered and engaged citizens. Your voice and ideas are important to us!
How to join our Youth Advisory board:
If you are 9-14 years old and attend our Lecture Series and/or MCYU in the City Workshops you are eligible to join. Contact our Program Coordinator, Jasmin Eng at engj5@mcmaster.ca for more info.