Abstract:

Over the past nine years, the Frascati National Laboratory, INFN - National Institute for Nuclear Physics, has organized the International School on Modern Physics and Research INSPYRE, addressed to High School students (attending the last two years) and dedicated to the hottest topics in modern and contemporary physics, real challenges for a new generation of scientists. The school lasts one week and it takes place at the Frascati National Laboratory. Since the first edition in 2011, the project has always grown up gathering High School students from all over the world sharing passion for science and technology. The school includes lectures on modern physics, its applications in society and experimental sessions. Students have the opportunity to be involved in a series of hands-on activities related to modern physics realized in team together with the INFN researchers. Moreover students visit the main experiments and accelerating facilities at Frascati National Laboratory, learning about the main frontier research fields, cutting edge technologies and the connection between science and society. The integration of classrooms and laboratory-based activity is the winning formula to deepen each research field through a positive and inclusive model for learning science. This is an experience of out-of-school learning in which students experience the work environment typical of an international collaboration, they have to share their knowledge, compare ideas, help each other and communicate results, being overall very useful for career orientation.

The nine years experience, data collection as well as some of the experimental activities proposed, will be presented in this paper.

Keywords:

Physics, education, research, outreach.