High school students from across the province will experience hands-on science this week as Brock University hosts its annual two-day event designed to encourage youth to pursue education and careers in science.

More than 70 Grade 10 and 11 students from southern and central Ontario will take part in Scientifically Yours Thursday, May 11 and Friday, May 12. They will participate in projects ranging from forensic science and holograms to wine science, heart and bone health research, and learn how to use fossil preparation techniques employed by paleontologists and museum curators.

New this year is Experience @BrockMakerSpace, the collaborative area in the James A. Gibson Library led by Jonathan Younker of Library Systems and Technologies. Students will get to experience creative technologies such as programming a robot, 3D printing, Raspberry Pi single-board computers, green screen photography and audio/video editing. Other program areas that will be explored in projects include physics, computer science, psychology, mathematics, chemistry and biology.

This year’s plenary speaker is Anne Sutherland Boal, CEO of the Canadian Nurses Association. Sutherland Boal earned a degree in psychology at Brock before going on to a career in health service administration for the British Columbia Health Ministry.

She is now an advocate for improved home-care services across Canada.

Sutherland Boal’s keynote address is Thursday from 9:30 to 10:20 a.m. in the Sean O’Sullivan Theatre.

On Friday, scientific mentors will attend a dinner with the participants, where they will speak about their experiences in careers such as medical physics, naturopathic medicine, nursing, risk modelling analysis, consumer insight and water conservation.