Start a High School Physics Club: Tips and Advice for Student-Led Clubs

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around starting a High School Physics Club, focusing on advice and tips for student-led initiatives. Participants share their experiences and suggestions for organizing the club, engaging with local universities, and enhancing the club's profile for future applications.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests holding an inaugural meeting to formalize club positions, which could benefit future applications.
  • Another proposes contacting local universities to invite graduate students for talks about their research, mentioning that offering food might encourage participation.
  • It is recommended to select a teacher mentor with an interest in physics, ideally one affiliated with a physics teachers society.
  • Some participants mention that universities may have outreach programs or projects that involve high school students in research activities.
  • Additionally, tutoring is suggested as a way for club members to contribute and enhance their college applications.
  • A participant expresses interest in the University of New Hampshire's physics program and seeks further advice.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the importance of organizing the club effectively and engaging with local universities, though specific details about the University of New Hampshire's program remain unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the lack of specific information about university outreach programs and the varying levels of interest and resources available at different schools.

Who May Find This Useful

Students interested in starting a physics club, educators looking for ways to support student initiatives, and individuals involved in high school outreach programs.

Jeff Z
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
I am getting ready to start my sophomore year in High School. I am very interested in Physics but cannot take the class until next year. I have had Honors Bio as a freshman and am taking Honors Chem this year. I have also had Johns Hopkins CTY courses in Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics over the last two summers.

The clubs at my school are started by students. I would like any advice you may have about starting a High School Physics Club.

Thanks
 
Physics news on Phys.org
- hold an inaugural meeting and formalize some positions (president, treasurer etc.) so that time you put into the club can help you with future applications
- contact local univerisities and see if any graduate students would be interested in coming to give talks on the research they do (sometimes a pizza lunch bribe helps in this regard)
- select a teacher mentor, preferably one who has an interest in physics and is perhaps a member of a high school physics teachers society
- some universities have high school outreach programs that you may want to look into
- some universities have projects that recruit high schools to assist with research (I know for a while, my alma matter had a cosmic ray detection array set up on various school roofs in the city)
 
In addition to those listed above, you and other members can do tutoring, which also looks nice on college apps.
 
Thanks this is just what I was looking for. I did not think of the university options. The University of New Hampshire is about 15 minutes from my school, do you know anything about their physics program.

I would still like any other advice.
 

Similar threads

Replies
13
Views
3K
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
3K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
2K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
1K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
3K
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
2K