Mainz Academy of Particle Physics – Lenja

Lenja, a K12 GSD student, shared with us some insights into her participation in the Mainz Academy of Particle Physics.

 

About the MPA
I first found out about the programme through the recommendation of the Deutsche Schülerakademie. During my time at school, I developed a strong interest in the sciences, especially physics and chemistry. This is why when I read the description of the Mainz Academy of Particle Physics, it spoke strongly to me.

Location and Time
The Mainz Academy of Particle Physics, organised by the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, took place from 1 to 11 August 2023. During that time, 15 other participants and I were housed in a hostel near the university.

Programme & Activities
We would participate in numerous lectures and workshops on the subject of particle physics. Alongside the physics part, the programme offered a lot of fun leisure activities for us to take part in, such as a movie night, a city rally to get to know the city of Mainz or a visit to the Gutenberg museum. Towards the end, we were divided into groups and worked separately on experiments that involved work with the particle accelerator MAMI directly on site. After carrying out our experiments at the MAMI, every group prepared a short presentation that we gave to the whole group on the last day.

Conclusion
All in all, it was a very engaging programme. I learned more about particle physics and got to know other teenagers my age who are interested in physics during the various leisure activities.

More information about the Mainz Physics Academy can be found on their website.