

FRONTIERS Online Summer School 2020.
13-24 July 2020
Are you interested to learn how to introduce your students to topics such as the discovery of the Higgs boson at CERN, the detection of Gravitational waves from black hole and neutron star mergers at Virgo and LIGO, or the discovery of exoplanets?
Do you want to learn how we can apply the principles of citizen science to the classroom? Do you want to join an international community of scientists, outreach experts and educators who share the same passion for bringing cutting edge research to the classroom in a systematic and engaging way that offers connection to school curricula?
If the answer is yes, then we invite you to join us in the FRONTIERS e-Summer School: an online training course for science teachers motivated to introduce Nobel Prize Physics to their Classrooms. Together, we will explore concepts of Nobel Prize Physics and will discuss methodologies to introduce them to our classroom. We will work with already established high quality educational content and will collaborate to produce educational content that will be shared to all science teachers in Europe.
Objectives:
- Introduction to the FRONTIERS pedagogical design and introduction to the FRONTIERS activities for bringing Nobel Prize Physics to the classroom, to participating teachers.
- Development of a series of educational activities by teachers in collaboration with their peers and FRONTIERS experts and thus preparation of a FRONTIERS bookletthat will be shared to all schools in Europe.
- Discussion of the merits and barriers of introducing Nobel Prize Physics to the Classroom and presentation of the FRONTIERS methodology to achieve that.
Who should participate?
Secondary science teachers and primary school teachers from across the world are welcome to join.
Max number of participants:
Up to 50 teachers. As the positions are limited, all applications will be subject to evaluation. The participation deadline is the 6th of July 2020 and the final participants will be announced at the 8th of July 2020.
What do I need to do to participate?
- Register clicking on the registration button below and fill the accompanying google form here.
- Join the project here
- Your participation includes at least: participation in the keynote speeches section (July 13); participation in at least one module described in the program and its working group; participation in the evaluation session (July 23); participation in the final presentation of your working group (July 24). You can select to participate in more than one modules.
- You will have to select at least one of the modules described in the program section and prepare for it by browsing the relevant materials presented in the materials section.
- Fill the pre questionnaire which will be emailed to you before you join the summer school and the post questionnaire at the end.
Find out more about FRONTIERS here: http://www.frontiers-project.eu/why-should-i-join-frontiers/

The FRONTIERS summerschool will follow a modular approach which is highlighted in the summerschool program:
- First day 13/7: Introduction to FRONTIERS and introduction to the various fields of study of FRONTIERS (High Energy Physics, Gravitational Wave Astronomy, Astrophysics, Astroparticle Physics as well as : Citizen Science, Frontier Physics in Primary Schools) by experts on the fields.
- 14/7- 17/7: Each day will be dedicated to a module exploring one of the aforementioned subject fields. Every module requires: 2hrs of synchronous participation via ZOOM, the organization of a respective working group which will convene for at least 3 hrs synchronously as well as asynchronously to produce educational activities based on the FRONTIERS educational content.
- 20/7 : Workshop for the introduction of Nobel Prize Physics to the primary school, based on the best practices of the Playing with Protons Initiative.
- 21-22/7: Visionary workshop for the introduction of Nobel Prize Physics to the classroom through a citizen science approach.
- 23/7: Working groups prepare their final content. An evaluation session with teachers is organized.
- 24/7: 3h synchronous presentation of each working group’s final outputs. Final evaluation (post questionnaire). Follow-up and closing of the event.
I am interested! What is expected of me?
- The participation deadline is the 6th of July and the final results will be announced at the 8th of July.
- Your participation includes at least: participation in the keynote speeches section (July 13); participation in at least one module described in the program and its working group; participation in the citizen science visionary workshop (July 21-22); participation in the evaluation session (July 23); participation in the final presentation of your working group (July 24). You can select to participate in more than one modules.
- You will have to select at least one of the modules described in the program section and prepare for it by browsing the relevant materials presented in the materials section. Teachers will convene during partners’ offered “office hours” for questions and clarifications, and beyond that they will be offered a google classroom to work separately.
- Fill the pre questionnaire which will be emailed to you before you join the summer school and the post questionnaire at the end.
Outcomes
- These activities will help to co-create a FRONTIERS booklet, authored by all participants that will go to all schools in Europe through the e-twinning portal.
- The participants will be offered the tools and methodologies to implement Nobel Prize Physics activities with their students.
- The links between participants can be exploited in order to create FRONTIERS e-Twinning projects.
- An in-depth discussion will be made which will hopefully offer recommendations for the role of modern Physics in European secondary education curricula.
Foreseen awards
A certificate will be offered to everyone, along with a FRONTIERS teacher badge.
The prerequisites for a certificate are:
a. Completing at least the minimum requirements of participation
b. participating in the evaluation.
Are you a motivated secondary school science teacher or primary school teacher? Then come join us for this virtual event!
Monday 13/7:
Keynote speeches (3 hrs webinar)
– 11.00 -11.30
Welcome to the summerschool and introduction to FRONTIERS
Dr. M. Farren (DCU), E.Chaniotakis (EA)
– 11.30 – 11.50
The FRONTIERS pedagogical design:
Dr. M. Farren (DCU)
– 11.50 -12.00
Break
– 12.00 – 12.20
High Energy Physics: Prof. C. Kourkoumelis (IASA- NKUA)
– 12.20 -12.40
Frontiers in Astrophysics and Cosmology: Dr. Rosa Doran (NUCLIO)
– 12.40 – 13.00
Neutrino Astronomy: Dr. S. Sotiriou (EA)
– 13.00 -13.20
Gravitational Wave Astronomy: Prof. S. Katsanevas (EGO)
– 13.20 – 13.30
Break
– 13.30 – 14.00
Remote visit to VIRGO: Dr. V. Boschi (INFN/Virgo)
Tuesday 14/7:
Astroparticle Physics in the Classroom module (2.5 hrs webinar)
– 10.00 – 12.00:
Workshop on FRONTIERS Astroparticle Physics activities
– 12.00 – 12.30:
Organization of Working Group
Moderator: E. Chaniotakis (EA)
Presenters: Prof. C. Kourkoumelis (IASA-NKUA), S. Vourakis (IASA)
Wednesday 15/7:
High Energy Physics in the Classroom module (2.5 hrs webinar)
– 10.00 – 12.00:
Workshop on FRONTIERS High Energy Physics activities
– 12.00 – 12.30:
Organization of Working Group
Moderator: Prof. C. Kourkoumelis (IASA-NKUA)
Presenters: E. Chaniotakis (EA), S. Vourakis (IASA)
Thursday 16/7:
Astrophysics in the Classroom module (2.5 hrs webinar)
– 10.00 – 12.00:
Workshop on FRONTIERS Astrophysics activities
– 12.00 – 12.30:
Organization of Working Group
Moderator: Dr. M.L Almeida (NUCLIO)
Presenters: Dr. R. Doran (NUCLIO), Dr. G. Vannoni (PCCP)
Friday 17/7:
Gravitational Waves in the Classroom module (2.5 hrs webinar)
– 10.00 – 12.00:
Workshop on FRONTIERS Gravitational Wave activities
– 12.00 – 12.30:
Organization of Working Group
Moderator: Dr. V. Boschi (INFN/ VIRGO)
Presenters: Dr. M. Barsuglia (PCCP), E. Chaniotakis (EA)
Focus group discussion on the Modules
– 12.30 – 13.10:
Moderators: Dr. M. Farren (DCU), Stephen McShane (DCU)
Monday 20/7:
Introducing Nobel Prize Physics to the Primary School: the Playing with Protons Initiative (2.5 hrs webinar)
– 10.00 – 12.30:
Workshop on Nobel Prize Physics and Primary Schools
Moderator: Dr. Stephanos Cherouvis (EA), Dr. A. Alexopoulos (Playing with Protons)
Presenters: Dr. M. Storr, Prof. C. Lazzeroni, G. Karountzos
Tuesday 21/7:
Visionary Workshop day 1: Research Infrastructures for Citizens in Europe: How can my students support
the optimization of large scale experiments in Physics through citizen science. (2.5 hrs webinar)
– 10.00 – 12.30:
REINFORCE Visionary Workshop-Day 1
Moderator: Prof. S. Katsanevas (EGO)
Presenters: Dr. Sofoklis Sotiriou (EA), J. Koslowsky (EA), E. Chaniotakis (EA)
Wednesday 22/7:
Visionary Workshop day 2: Research Infrastructures for Citizens in Europe: How can my students support the
optimization of large scale experiments in Physics through citizen science. (2.5 hrs webinar)
– 10.00 – 12.30:
REINFORCE Visionary Workshop-Day 2
Moderator: Prof. S. Katsanevas (EGO)
Presenters: Dr. S.Sotiriou (EA), J. Koslowsky (EA), E. Chaniotakis (EA)
Thursday 23/7:
Working group activities and evaluation (3hrs webinar)
– 10.00 -12.00:
Working group final meetings and finalization of educational material produced per group.
Moderator: All Working Group Moderators
– 12.00 – 13.00:
Evaluation session
Moderator: E. Chaniotakis (EA), M.L. Almeida (NUCLIO)
Friday 24/7:
Final Presentations and round table (2.5 hrs webinar)
– 10.00 – 12.00: Each WG shortly presents their educational activities (30 mins per group)
Moderator: Dr. M. Farren (DCU), E. Chaniotakis (EA)
– 12.00 – 13.00: Round table discussion and end of the event
Moderator: E. Chaniotakis (EA)
Requirements
- Your participation includes at least: participation in the keynote speeches section (July 13); participation in at least one module described in the program and its working group; participation in the citizen science visionary workshop (July 21-22); participation in the evaluation session (July 23); participation in the final presentation of your working group (July 24). You can select to participate in more than one modules. Upon your registration, make sure that you fill this google form.
- You will have to select at least one of the modules described in the program section and prepare for it by browsing the relevant materials presented in the materials section. Teachers will convene during partners’ offered “office hours” for questions and clarifications, and beyond that they will be offered a google classroom to work separately.
- Fill the pre questionnaire which will be emailed to you before you join the summer school and the post questionnaire at the end of the summer school.
For more details visit this link.
Preparation materials
To prepare for the FRONTIERS e-Summer school:
– Learn about the FRONTIERS project approach here
– Browse our educational resources here
– To learn more about how students can support the optimization of large research infrastructures in Physics click here.
– Make sure that you are familiar with the ZOOM and Google Classroom platforms.
Specific preparation per module
Every module consists of a 2 hr webinar in which the relevant educational resources are presented and teachers gain hands on experience with it. After this, a working group will be formed which will convene for at least 3 hrs within the duration of the summer school in order to produce educational content inspired by the FRONTIERS educational resources. In order to attend a working group, make sure that you have explored the relevant educational resources beforehand.
Module: Astroparticle Physics
– Explore the astroparticle Physics educational resources of FRONTIERS here (resource 1, resource 2, resource 3)
Module: High Energy Physics
– Explore the High Energy Physics educational resources of FRONTIERS here (resource 1, resource 2, resource 3, resource 4, resource 5)
Module: Astrophysics
– Explore the Astrophysics educational resources of FRONTIERS here (resource 1, resource 2, resource 3, resource 4 , resource 5, resource 6)
Module: Gravitational Wave Astronomy
– Explore the Gravitational Wave Astronomy educational resources of FRONTIERS here (resource 1, resource 2, resource 3, resource 4, resource 5, resource 6, resource 7 )
Dr. Margaret Farren (DCU)
Margaret Farren is a chair of the Master of Science (MSc) in Education and Training Management (Leadership) programme. She is an Associate Professor and researcher in the School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies, and Co-Director of the Centre for e-Innovation and Workplace Learning. Previously she worked in industry and also taught for five years at post-primary and tertiary level in London and five years at an international school in Brussels. Margaret has vast experience of supervising initial teachers on teaching practice and teachers doing Masters degree research and doctoral research studies. She has endeavoured to support practice-based research since the start of her work in higher education and this has involved bringing new forms of scholarship into the academy. Dr. Margaret Farren is the coordinator of the EU funded FRONTIERS project.
Associate Professor in the School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies, Institute of Education, Dublin City University. She chairs the MSc. in Education and Training Management (eLearning) programme. Yvonne taught at post-primary level for 15 years. Her subjects include Music and Performing Arts, RE, Art, English, SPHE and Spanish. At Undergraduate level, she coordinates and teaches on the Teaching Methodologies module for Initial Teacher Educators in Science, Maths, PE and Biology. At Postgraduate level, Yvonne supervises Master’s students as well as PhD students. She is passionate about teaching and learning and was awarded the Academic Category of DCU’s President’s Award for Teaching Excellence. Yvonne is Co-Director of the Centre for e-Innovation and Workplace Learning (ICIWL).
Prof. Stavros Katsanevas (EGO)
Stavros Katsanevas, professor at University Paris Diderot, director of EGO, has been the director of the Laboratory of Astroparticle Physics and Cosmology from 2014 to 2017, deputy director of the National Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics (IN2P3), first coordinator of the EU funded ERANET ASPERA gathering the European agencies funding Astroparticle Physics and first chairman of the European Consortium of Astroparticle Physics (APPEC). He has organized meetings between exact and social scientists in Paris, under the leadership of S. Perlmutter, 2011 Physics Nobel prize, based on the Berkeley Course on Sense and Sensibility and Science, teaching Critical Thinking to University students of all disciplines (http://sensesensibilityscience.com/) He is currently organizing, together with professor G. Smoot a session of “Teaching the Universe” in Greece (9-11 July 2018). He is also leading the program Univers 2.0, funded by the foundation Carasso, at the interface between Art and Science. Stavros is the coordinator of the REINFORCE EU project.
Dr. Valerio Boschi (INFN/VIRGO)
Valerio Boschi is a physicist at INFN Pisa and at the European Gravitational Observatory (EGO). He has worked in both Virgo and LIGO experiments since 2003 concentrating his studies on modelling, control system design and commissioning of the seismic attenuation systems dedicated to gravitational waves interferometers. He completed his PhD in Applied Physics in 2010 after working for 3 years at the California Institute of Technology. He works actively in the dissemination and communication of science and won the B.Torres Memorial outreach award in 2017.
Dr. Sofoklis Sotiriou (EA)
Sofoklis Sotiriou has worked at CERN, at the National Center for Scientific Research “DEMOKRITOS” in Athens and in the Physics Laboratory of Athens University. He holds a PhD in Astrophysics and a PhD in Technology Enhanced Science Education. He is the Head of R&D Department of Ellinogermaniki Agogi, the first research department that operates in the school environment in Greece, where has been active in the co-ordination and development of research projects on implementation of advanced technologies (e.g. mobile applications, wearable computers, VR and AR applications, robotics) in science education and training. Since 2001 he is the Director of the Ellinogermaniki Agogi Center for Science Teachers Training. His main research field is the design, application, and evaluation of virtual and digital media environments that could bridge the gap between formal and informal science learning. He has been involved in a long series of EC joint research and technology funded projects. He is a member of the European Academy of Sciences (since 2003), member of the board of ECSITE (2004 – 2009) and member of the NAP (Network of Academics and Professionals) Executive Committee of EDEN. He has been appointed by the EPS (European Physical Society) to lead the design and development of the European Science Education Academy, which will support the effective integration of Inquiry Based and Problem Based approaches in the teaching, through the development of effective Professional Development Programmes. He has also act as a consultant to the development of the FP7’s Science in Society Work programme. He is author of numerous articles, more than 200 publications (with 600 references) and teachers guides on the use of ICT in science education. He is also author of the Science Textbooks that are used in all primary Greek schools since 2003. In 2011 he has received the EPS-HEP award for developing resources that promote High Energy Physics and Astronomy in High Schools.
Prof. Christine Kourkoumelis (IASA/NKUA)
Christine Kourkoumelis is an emerittus professor of Physics at the University of Athens and a member of IASA’s Directorate. She holds a PhD in Physics for Yale University (1977). Since 1977 she has been teaching undergraduate and graduate physics courses in the Physics, Mathematics and Chemistry Departments of the NKUA. Since 1974, she is working in various high energy physics experiments at CERN, Fermilab and Jlab (USA). She has participated in experiments at the ISR (CERN) where as a graduate student took part in the development of novel detectors: the liquid argon calorimeter and the transition radiation detectors. She also participated in neutrino experiments and the DELPHI experiment in LEP (CERN), before joining in 1995 the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. She was responsible for the construction of 30,000 monitored muon drift tubes for the ATLAS experiment. She has co-authored more than 1000 publications in the top refereed journals of her field, with more than 30,000 citations. She has given about 20 invited talks at international conferences. During 2005-2006 she was the Chairperson of the ATLAS Publication Committee. She has worked for the analysis of the ATLAS data and has contributed significantly with her group in the discovery of the Higgs boson through its four lepton decay. She has been the Cο-coordinator of the ATLAS Education and Outreach Group for two years (2012-2014). She has also been the Greek National Representative at RECFA (Restricted European Committee for Future Accelerators) from 1986 to 2005. She has co-authored the so-called HYPATIA (Hybrid Pupil’s Analysis Tool for Interactions in ATLAS) project used worldwide by over 10,000 students in the IPPOG Masterclasses. Prof. Kourkoumelis coordinated the European “Learning with ATLAS @CERN” project with 9 European partners, which developed an advanced digital repository, populated with scientific data from ATLAS detector and the relevant analysis tools. She has also coordinated the European “Discover the COSMOS project” with 15 European partners and participates in four more large European consortia: Pathway, Go-Lab, Inspiring Science Education and Creations. In July 2011 she was awarded the EPS 2011 outreach prize for outstanding outreach achievement.
Stelios Vourakis (IASA)
Stelios Vourakis holds an M.Sc. in Electronic Automation with specialization in Information Technology and a Bachelor’s in Physics, both from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Since 2006 he has worked as a researcher in a series of national and EU funded projects in the departments of Informatics and Physics of the NKUA (Rhetor, Mnisiklis, Learning with ATLAS@CERN, Pathway to inquiry based science education, Discover the COSMOS, Go-Lab, Inspiring science education and Creations). He is the developer of the HYPATIA event display used by thousands of students worldwide during the International Physics Masterclasses and various events throughout Greece.
Dr. Matteo Barsuglia (PCCP)
Matteo Barsuglia is a senior researcher at CNRS and Director of the Paris Centre for Cosmological Physics at the laboratoire AstroParticule et Cosmologie of the Université de Paris. For over twenty years, he has contributed to the development of interferometric gravitational-wave detectors, like the European instrument Virgo. From 2008 to 2018, he led the Virgo group at the APC laboratory and he is currently the Virgo scientific responsible for France. As Director of PCCP and in collaboration with the PCCP President, George F. Smoot, Nobel laureate in Physics 2006, he is deeply involved in projects of science outreach and education, as well as science and society. Under his direction, the PCCP is continuing its signature activities, like the workshop “Teaching the Universe” for high-school teacher and artist residencies at APC, and is promoting new educational actions with a special focus on gender and social inequalities in physics. Dr. Matteo Barsuglia conceived and realized the MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) “Tempêtes gravitationnelles” on gravitational wave astronomy, currently in editing phase. In 2019, he publishes his first book for the general public “Les vagues de l’espace-temps”, awarded the Prix Ciel & Espace for best astronomy book 2020, on the incredible journey that led from Einstein’s theory of general relativity in 1915 to the first gravitational-wave detection in 2015.
Dr. Giulia Vannoni (PCCP)
Giulia Vannoni graduated in Physics at the University of Florence and obtained her PhD in Astronomy at the University of Heidelberg, thanks to a fellowship of the International Max Planck Research School for Astronomy and Cosmic Physics (IMPRS) to work on Cosmic Ray acceleration and high-energy radiation at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the CEA-Saclay as part of the European collaborations Antares and KM2NeT working on the detection of cosmic neutrinos, she devoted her carrier to scientific project management and science outreach. She is currently the project manager of the Paris Centre for Cosmological Physics at the laboratoire AstroParticule et Cosmologie of the Université de Paris. In this role, she promotes and participate in the centre’s activities in science outreach, education, and dissemination as well as science & society, with a particular interest in the potential positive impact of science education on societal challenges connected to gender and social inequalities.
Dr. Rosa Doran (NUCLIO)
Rosa Doran, female, has a degree in Physics at Pontifícia Universidade Católica in São Paulo, Brazil.; an MSc in High Energies and Gravitation, at Faculty Of Science Of The University Of Lisbon: “Schwarzschild Black Holes and its Cosmological Applications” and PhD in Science Education at University of Coimbra; is a certified trainer by the Scientific and Pedagogical Council of Continuous Training (University of Minho, Portugal) as a Teacher Trainer in the areas of Physics and Astronomy. Her professional activities from 1979 to 1992 were connected to industry management in finance and administrative areas. Since 1992 the main activities are related to science research, public outreach and science education. She is presently the president of NUCLIO (Núcleo Interativo de Astronomia), a non-profit association devoted to public outreach and science education. At an international level she is the vice-president of the executive council of the Global Hands-on Universe Association (www.globalhou.net), a global institution devoted to Astronomy Education; chair of the Galileo Teacher Training Program , one of the cornerstones and a legacy of the International Year of Astronomy 2009; vice-chair of the panel of education of COSPAR; member of the task force for education of the IAU Office of Astronomy for Development; co-chair of the Portuguese Language Expertise Centre for the International Astronomical Union.
Emmanuel Chaniotakis (EA) (course organizer)
Emmanuel Chaniotakis is a Physicist: He graduated from the Physics Department of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and obtained his MSc on Nuclear and Particle Physics at the same department. He is a PhD candidate in course at the Faculty of Educational Studies of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. In the framework of his studies he has collaborated with the KM3NeT experiment for the detection of neutrinos with a very large volume underwater neutrino telescope in the Mediterranean and with the CMS experiment at CERN working on the measurement of the dijet production cross section at 8TeV proton-proton collisions. Since 2015, Mr Emmanuel Chaniotakis works as a researcher at the RnD department of Ellinogermaniki Agogi School in Greece. His work is focused on: the design and implementation of ICT-enhanced, inquiry based educational activities in the field of Physics; Teacher training and support in ICT- enhanced, inquiry based science education; the organization and support of international training activities such as summer schools and the organization of educational competitions. He is responsible for the community building activities of the FRONTIERS project and the deputy coordinator of the REINFORCE project.
FRONTIERS:
www.frontiers-project.eu
REINFORCE:
www.reinforceeu.eu
Playing with protons:
https://playprotons.web.cern.ch/