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How do you mold great scientists of
the future – scientists who will help
place Israel at the forefront of global
technological innovation? One way is
to give gifted teenagers a solid grounding
in scientific know-how, thinking
and methodology, say the creators of a
unique science teaching program pioneered
at TAU’s Dov Lautman Unit for
Science Oriented Youth, Constantiner
School of Education.
The program – President’s Initiative
for Israel’s Future Scientists and
Inventors – is the brainchild of President
Shimon Peres as part of his efforts to
encourage science education in Israel.
TAU was given the chance to pilot the
program and serve as a model for other
universities.
Now in its third year, the intensive
four-year program takes in highly gifted
8 th graders on a competitive basis. The
youngsters apply by themselves or are
recommended by their teachers. Finalists
are selected according to their scores in
a written test and their performance in
a summer science “boot camp.”
For the first two years, participants
take university-level courses for ten
hours a week in mathematics, physics
and chemistry, followed by exams in
these subjects for which
they are credited by the
relevant departments.
The pupils also take
part in an intensive
three-week study program
taught by visiting
scientists in the fields of
bioinformatics, evolution,
astronomy and
neuroscience. For the
final two years they are
integrated into laboratories where they
conduct independent research under
academic supervision, as well attend
various TAU courses.
Academic Director of the program,
Dr. Uri Nevo of the Fleischman Faculty
of Engineering, a recent recruit to TAU
from the US National Institutes of
Grooming Scientists
Who Still Wear Braces
Health and a TAU graduate, says: “We
don’t expect the youngsters to discover
the quantum basis for superconductivity
at high temperature! But what they’re
learning and experiencing here is the
real way science is performed.”
The program is headed by Prof.
Shimon Yankielowicz of the Raymond
2012 Issue
Meeting with President Shimon Peres face-to-face
was a momentous occasion for 72 high-school
kids in a TAU-led science education program
It’s incredible to think that kids in the
9th grade are studying Newtonian
mechanics and calculus at the university
level. I can’t imagine myself today if I
hadn’t taken part in the program.
– Ben Shenhar, 17, new immigrant
TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY REVIEW
and Beverly Sackler School
of Physics and Astronomy,
a former TAU Rector and
the academic chairman of
TAU’s Youth University, and
coordinated by Shira Shofty,
Head of the Dov Lautman
Unit for Science Oriented
Youth.
The program was implemented
with the financial support of TAU
Governor Gil Shwed, founder and CEO of
Check Point Software Inc., and Chairman
of the Executive Council of TAU’s Youth
University, with additional funding and
organizational aid from the Sacta-Rashi
Foundation and TAU Governor and
Honorary Doctor Sami Sagol.
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