Youreka’s Program

Curriculum

Our curriculum will bring students from the foundations of experimental design to topics in scientific computing and statistical analysis. Throughout our program, we offer professional development opportunities in the form of workshops, seminars, and challenges. Previous offerings have included talks by university professors, a mid-program challenge, and networking events. Our goal is to help students develop the skills, confidence, and social network that will be invaluable to their academic and professional careers.

Block 1: Scientific Reasoning and Design

In this block, we introduce the foundations of scientific reasoning and experimental design that will be necessary to formulate a robust analysis to address a research topic of your choice.

Block 2: Statistics and

Data Visualization

Here, we focus on developing quantitative reasoning skills through the introduction of applied statistics with the R programming language.

Block 3: Scientific Communication

In this final block, we introduce how to create a research poster and manuscript. You will have an opportunity to present your work to your peers for constructive feedback in preparation for our regional and national symposia.

Experiential Learning

Youreka has an extensive network of undergraduate mentors at seven university campuses across Canada who lead teams of high school students in a self-directed research project. Our project-driven approach not only reinforces the theory taught in our weekly sessions but also gives students a unique insight into the project development pipeline and builds critical problem-solving skills.

Projects will use open-source data, allowing students to explore various fields and interests with their team, including bioinformatics, public health, and economics. At the end of our 10-week program, students will have the opportunity to present their project at a regional symposium where the top teams will advance to a nationwide competition. Top teams' manuscripts from our national symposium may be published following a thorough peer-review process.

The R Programming Language

R is a programming language designed for statistical computing and graphics, and it is widely used in various scientific disciplines. In addition to being open-source and free, R is well equipped to handle the complexity of large datasets often found in research. Students in the Youreka program will have hands-on experience working with this incredibly versatile tool to explore virtually limitless questions.

Popular Student Publications

  1. Regonda, S., Nguyen, L., Khan, F., Amine, S. (2020). The Correlation Between CSR and Revenue. Canadian Science Fair Journal, 3(4).

  2. Kucek, A., Klein, K., Liaquat, T., Hussian, A., Wong, J. (2020). Pediatric Underrepresentation in Clinical Trials for Pulmonary Hypertension. Canadian Science Fair Journal, 3(1).

  3. George, E., Moayyed, F., Figueroa, M., Taylor, W., & Maheden, K. (2020). Long-Term Effects Of Influenza Vaccines on the Prevalence of Specific H3N2 Genetic Clades. Canadian Science Fair Journal, 3(1).

Click here to view more winning projects and their abstracts.