Oxford Physics Quest encourages local youth to participate in STEM, physics in new summer workshop
Oxford Physics Quest is holding a workshop with the Oxford Lane Library, the Miami University Physics Department and Talawanda High School faculty in June to promote youth interest in STEM.
Oxford Physics Quest (OxPQ) is holding a workshop with the Oxford Lane Library, the Miami University Physics Department and Talawanda High School faculty in June to promote youth interest in science, engineering, technology and math (STEM).
OxPQ, is a volunteer-driven community initiative dedicated to making physics accessible, engaging and relevant for Oxford learners of all ages.
John Kinne, director of OxPQ, said the goal of the organization is to help middle and high school students pursue STEM, especially physics, education and help the public appreciate the value of rigorous scientific investigation.
According to its mission statement, the group works through hands-on workshops and public programs. The group hopes to improve scientific literacy in local youth as well.
“It’s a community inspired (project),” Kinne said. “We would like to attract people to (the) STEM sciences.”
The program uses a “math-lite, intuition-building approach,” which allows students to explore complex ideas without requiring advanced coursework, according to Kinne.
The June workshop will take place at the Oxford Lane Library, running from June 1 to 4, with morning sessions aimed at middle school students and afternoon sessions for high school students.
Each track is designed for 15 students, and the OxPQ group will evaluate additional students as demand requires. The program is free and available to all interested.
The workshop will focus on quantum physics, a field of science which studies the smallest forms of matter, including atoms, molecules and light. The topics covered in the upcoming workshop will include the physics of atoms, light wave-particle behavior, measurement and uncertainty, and technologies shaped by quantum principles, such as lasers, semiconductors and emerging and quantum computers.
The curriculum was designed by Heidi Schran, a science teacher at Talawanda High School.
Schran will help provide equipment, including lasers, wave tanks and polarizing filters.
In addition to the workshop, participants and their guardians are invited to a guided visit to Miami’s Department of Physics to observe active research environments and speak with scientists on June 5.
In the future, Kinne said he plans to create a museum that would act as a public space for interactive exhibits, demonstrations and community science engagement.
While that goal may be down the road, Kinne said he hopes this workshop will begin to spark interest in STEM in local youth.
Oxford Lane Library is planning to open online registration on May 1.
