Some high schools send student groups to the AS to experience first-hand what it’s like to do synchrotron experiments and learn more about the kinds of research questions that different synchrotron techniques can help answer.

Year 10 students from John Monash Science School visited the AS in March 2012 to learn more about what synchrotron techniques such as synchrotron x-ray crystallography are used for. The students were from John Monash’s year 10 enrichment science program, which includes marine biology, cells to systems, nanotechnology, imaging science, and quarks to quasars. At the AS, the students tried their hands at mounting crystals under a microscope, putting their crystal samples in position on the crystallography beamlines, and manipulating the synchrotron x-ray data using computer software to model the molecular structure of their crystals. 

Photos above: Year 10 students from John Monash Science School find out for themselves what it’s like to be a synchrotron scientist

Year 10 science students from the all-girls Santa Maria College in Northcote visit the AS several times a year as part of the innovative Growing Tall Poppies (GTP) program, in which students are actively engaged with interesting and relevant examples of real-world scientific research. GTP was established by Eroia Barone-Nugent, a physics teacher at Santa Maria College, to inspire students to study science.

“We’re creating an environment where students can see that it’s worthwhile pursuing a career in the physical sciences,” Eroia says. “This is helping to increase the number of students choosing to study physics through to year 12.”

Photos above: Year 10 students from Santa Maria College visit the AS to learn more about the relationship between real-life problems and what goes on inside research labs