Eight students and two teachers from Bulli High School will visit CERN in Switzerland - the European research organisation that operates the largest particle accelerator on earth.
Students will be able to speak with scientists who work and the laboratory and get a special behind the scenes tour from the director of CERN - something not usually reserved for visitors to the laboratory.
“We’ve got a full day at CERN with the organisation’s director where the students will get to go deep underground for a behind the scenes tour,” deputy principal, Robyn Lang told The Educator.
We’ll certainly get to see more than what most people do.”
The tour, beginning on 18 June, will also involve a trip to Geneva, Bern and Prague where students will get to explore scientific museums and landmarks.
The invitation was provided by associate professor, Michael Lerch, who is the head of physics at University of Wollongong. Lerch, a friend of Lang, also works for a company affiliated with CERN.
“Michael and I had been working together for a long time, but we’ve both moved up the ranks and been able to make bigger things happen as we’ve developed our own contacts.”
Lang said there is an opportunity for schools that network with universities to explore options like this for their students.
“The potential for schools and universities to cross-pollenate is very good. We get a lot from it by keeping kids interested in science and making things like this a motivating experience.”